Those wanting to flee the Trump regime are thought to be among potential buyers in Edinburgh.Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian

Inquiries from people in the US about buying a home in Britain are at an eight-year high, with Edinburgh topping the list, new data shows.

Hard on the heels of figures showing US applications for UK citizenship are at record levels, Rightmove, the property website, said that since the start of the year the number of inquiries from North Americans about UK homes for sale was up 19% on the same period last year.

Some of this has been linked to Donald Trump’s attacks on academia, civil society and political opponents, as well as growing uncertainty about the impact of his economic policies, such as his trade tariffs. The estate agent John D Wood & Co said it was seeing “a number of politically motivated relocations – Americans who are seeking greater stability abroad”.

But if the growing interest in the UK in part reflects a desire to escape the US president, some may be surprised to see that Scotland has replaced London as the most popular location to inquire about.

Trump has strong links to Scotland: his mother was born just a few miles from Stornoway, on the Outer Hebridean island of Lewis; he owns Trump International Scotland, a golf resort in Aberdeenshire; and he has previously declared: “I think I do feel Scottish.”

Edinburgh is the most popular destination in Rightmove’s 2025 top 10, pushing London’s Westminster into second place. Glasgow, meanwhile, has risen to fourth place, just behind Camden in third and overtaking London’s Kensington and Chelsea. Other areas of Scotland in the top 10 include Highland, Argyll and Bute and Fife.

The Cotswolds has long been popular with well-off Americans: it has been named “the Hamptons of England”, and the former chatshow star Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, are among those to move there recently. But it was notable in its absence from the 2025 top 10.

Some of this US interest may be from people who see the UK predominantly as a investment opportunity. Rightmove – Britain’s biggest property website – said its data included people inquiring about moving to the UK from the US as well as those wanting a second home or buy to let property.

Rightmove said that over the past 10 years, London had received the biggest proportion of US inquiries, but that at the start of 2025 it switched to Scotland, “potentially due to its lower price point”.

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, said some of the knock-on effects of Trump’s tariff announcements and the economic uncertainty globally were starting to be felt in the UK property market.

“Whether it’s because the UK is seen as a more stable investment opportunity, or whether some buyers are considering a permanent move across the Atlantic, we’re seeing an increase in inquiries from the US,” she said.

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Glynn Gibb, a regional director at John D Wood & Co, said the agent had seen a steady rise in inquiries from US buyers interested in “prime” central London.

“London’s culture and global connectivity make it an ideal springboard to Europe and beyond. Many are basing themselves here temporarily – often staying with friends – while they work out how long they plan to stay. We expect activity to build in the coming months – spring and early summer are typically busy – as more buyers make lifestyle and financial decisions shaped by the political climate in the US,” he said.

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