Commercial Property in Dundee, Perth, Stirling and Central Scotland (2026)
Central and eastern Scotland outside Edinburgh and Glasgow hosts a network of commercially active cities — Dundee, a city undergoing a remarkable waterfront and technology-led transformation; Perth, a growing professional services hub; and Stirling, which bridges the Central Belt's commercial geography. This guide covers all three markets.
The cities and towns of central and eastern Scotland outside the Edinburgh–Glasgow Central Belt are undergoing a period of commercial renewal — driven by waterfront regeneration in Dundee, professional services growth in Perth, and Stirling's pivotal position as the gateway between the Central Belt and the Highlands.
Dundee
Dundee is Scotland's fourth-largest city — a post-industrial city that has reinvented itself around digital technology, life sciences, video game development, and a spectacular waterfront regeneration centred on the V&A Museum of Design. The transformation of the city's waterfront — including the V&A Dundee (Scotland's first design museum, opened 2018), the RSS Discovery Museum, and ongoing residential and commercial development — has materially changed the city's commercial identity.
Digital and technology: Dundee's digital sector is internationally recognised, particularly for video game development — the city is home to Rockstar North (Grand Theft Auto), DC Thomson (publishers), and a cluster of independent game studios. This creative technology economy generates growing demand for quality creative workspace, flexible offices, and studio facilities in the city centre and waterfront area.
Commercial market: The Overgate Centre provides Dundee's primary retail destination. Frasers Group acquired the Overgate in 2023 as part of its Elevation Strategy (the same strategy that led to its £220 million purchase of Braehead in Glasgow in 2025).
Dundee's office market serves the city's growing technology, professional services, financial services (Alliance Trust, formerly based in Dundee), and university sector. The University of Dundee and Abertay University generate research commercialisation and spin-out demand for incubator and grow-on space.
Prime Dundee office rents range from approximately £16–£22 per sq ft. Industrial supply in Dundee and Tayside is constrained, with demand growing from food processing, life sciences, and logistics.
Perth
Perth is one of Scotland's most prosperous cities — a professional services, financial services, and retail hub serving a large rural and agricultural hinterland. The city's commercial market benefits from excellent A9 road access north to Inverness and Pitlochry, and direct rail services to Edinburgh (approximately 1 hour 20 minutes) and Glasgow.
Prime Perth office rents range from approximately £15–£20 per sq ft. The Perth City Plan and Bertha Park new settlement development are the primary commercial and residential growth frameworks for the Perth and Kinross area.
Stirling
Stirling occupies one of Scotland's most strategically important positions — the gateway between the Central Belt (Edinburgh 37 miles, Glasgow 30 miles) and the Scottish Highlands. Its commercial market serves a mix of Central Belt commuter-profile businesses, tourism (Stirling Castle, William Wallace Monument), and public sector (University of Stirling, NHS Forth Valley).
Prime Stirling office rents range from approximately £14–£18 per sq ft. The Forthside development on the banks of the Forth provides modern commercial and residential accommodation adjacent to the city centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has the V&A Museum done for Dundee's commercial property?
The V&A Dundee — Scotland's first design museum, opened on the Dundee waterfront in 2018 — has catalysed a wider commercial and residential development programme for the city's waterfront that is ongoing. The museum has attracted approximately 2 million visitors in its first five years, significantly raising Dundee's international profile as a city of creativity and design. This has supported growing demand for quality creative workspace, hospitality, and commercial premises in the waterfront area, and reinforced the digital and creative economy that was already taking root.
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