House prices jumped 9.6% on the year in March to an average £273,000, data from the Office for National Statistics showed.
The rise in prices in Scotland, at 15%, was the highest since 2007.
Meanwhile, home loans fell 11% on the year and 25% in the quarter to 70,400 or £13.5bn, the Council of Mortgage Lenders said. On the month, however, lending was 16% higher.
