It once was in the running for the annual award that no-one wants to win - the prize for being Scotland's most dismal town.

But now it has emerged that the seaside town of Ayr is Scotland's rising house prices winner for 2020, recording the biggest increase of the year according to the Bank of Scotland's latest data.

The average house price in Ayr increased by 15.5% (£23,839) to £177,984 over the past 12 months, while 60 miles east, Dumfries recorded the second-highest increase with values shooting up by 13.6% (£18,471) to £154,021 during the same period.

Just seven years ago there was shock when hit by shop closures and a lack of investment, Ayr was nominated for the unwanted Plook on the Plinth title, which is part of Scottish architecture magazine Urban Realm's now defunct Carbuncle awards.

Ayr ended up against Leslie in Fife and Broxburn in West Lothian, which were all picked because they "harbour a variety of ills".

But by last year, there was recognition that the former market town had had its fortunes turned around and was in the process of massive regeneration.

READ MORE: 'Dismal' town's chief: There's something in the Ayr

The transformation and combined effort of locals and South Ayrshire Council led to the town being nominated for an entirely different award- Scotland’s Most Beautiful High Street.

The award, run by Scotland’s Towns Partnership and Keep Scotland Beautiful, celebrated the best of the country’s towns based on horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility, and community participation.

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The regneration masterplan involved splitting the town into three zones - a creative and cultural area close to the water, an evening leisure and social area in the middle of the town, including a new cinema, and a traditional retail area at the top of the town.

Empty shop units were being filled, including a large former BHS store which had been transformed into a unique shopping and community space.

According to the Bank of Scotland study, Inverness is the city with the biggest jump in average prices in 2020 an increase of 8.1% (£14,687) with an average property price of £195,534.

Already home to many of the priciest addresses in the country, Edinburgh came in at in seventh place – with an additional £15,581 (6%) increase to the average price of a home this year. Despite its place in the table, the average property price of £274,246 is the most expensive in Scotland.

But 2020 has also seen changes in value in the opposite direction across Scotland.

West Lothian’s largest town, Livingston, has seen a fall in house prices of 8.1% this year, equivalent to £15,396, with the average house prices in the area dipping from £190,152 to £174,756 in the past 12 months.

Motherwell in North Lanarkshire has seen a dip of 2.7% (£4,266) on last year, with an average house price of £151,015 – which is less than half the UK average (£304,598).

Graham Blair, Bank of Scotland mortgages director said: “Like many things about 2020, it would have been hard to predict where we’d see the biggest changes in average house prices in Scotland.

“While it’s great news for sellers in Ayr and Dumfries with the biggest jumps in average house prices, it also looks promising for potential buyers in Livingston, Motherwell and Paisley – where a dip in prices could mean a better deal for house hunters in these areas.

“In Scotland’s biggest cities, we’ve seen prices cool slightly up north in Aberdeen in contrast to Inverness. Although both ends of the M8 have seen an increase, average house prices in Edinburgh have increased around three times as much as in Glasgow, with homes in the capital adding around £15,000 in value this year compared to almost £4,000 in the west.”

Edinburgh remains the least affordable place to live in Scotland, with house prices around eight times the average annual earnings in 2020.

Both Inverurie – outside of Aberdeen – and Aberdeen command property prices of seven times the average wage.

But when it comes to more affordable places to buy, house hunters looking in Paisley, Renfrewshire will find properties more affordable – with the average home costing three times the average earnings.

Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire provides another option for those looking for a more affordable property with the average house price of £146,351 – around four times average earnings.