TROON has been identified as Britain’s third most in-demand seaside location by a property website – with Ayr also included in the top ten.

The town famous its idyllic sandy beach and iconic links golf course, scored high on a list, with South Ayrshire’s largest town, Ayr ranking seventh.

The list compiled by Rightmove, carried out analysis from mid-May to mid-June.

Rightmove compared the volumes of people inquiring about homes for sale with the number of available properties and the general size of seaside locations to work out which places were most in demand.

The town of Whitby in North Yorkshire earned top spot, famed for it is fishing history.

The average price tag on a home in Whitby is just over £210,000, with estate agents reporting increased demand for holiday homes over the past month and more families looking for a new lifestyle, Rightmove said.

Another northern seaside town, Whitley Bay, came second, with an average asking price of just over £260,000.

Three areas of Cornwall also made the top 10 – Padstow, Newquay and Bude.

Rightmove’s property expert Miles Shipside said: “Having the chance to look out your window to a sea view is something many home hunters tell us is a dream of theirs.

“This means that the properties that do offer this are able to charge a premium compared to those inland.”

He added: “Lockdown has changed what a number of home-hunters are now looking for from their next home, and while some are looking for more space or a bigger garden, others are now contemplating a move to the seaside.”

Here are the most in demand seaside locations and the average property asking price, according to Rightmove:

  1. Whitby, North Yorkshire, £213,053
  2.  Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, £263,078
  3. Troon, Ayrshire, £165,386
  4. Padstow, Cornwall, £497,051 5.
  5. Newquay, Cornwall, £275,101
  6.  Salcombe, Devon, £730,213
  7. Ayr, Ayrshire, £149,746
  8. Bude, Cornwall, £311,666
  9. Caister-On-Sea, Norfolk, £217,827
  10. Ilfracombe, Devon, £203,620