Parents need to pay an average of £72,973 more to live in the catchment area of a top performing state secondary school in Scotland, according to detailed research published today (sat).

The Bank of Scotland said average house prices in the communities covered by Scotland's top 20 state schools have reached £277,134, a 36 per cent premium on the cost of homes in surrounding areas (£204,162).

This is a significantly higher difference than last year, when the gap was £41,441 on average or 22 per cent more than other properties within the same local authority.

The bank's analysis attributed the surge to a change in the top 20 schools, with the six new entrants this year being sited in relatively expensive areas.

They included Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow and James Gillespie's High School in Edinburgh, which boast Scotland's two most expensive catchment areas.

Homes in communities covered by the two schools cost 76 per cent and 69 per cent respectively more than the average in their cities.

The study also found there are four postal areas where house buyers have to pay a premium of more than £120,000, compared to just one last year.

These are Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow (£121,090), Cults Academy in Aberdeen (£121,205) and James Gillespie's High School (£173,783) and Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh (£137,801).