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According to research by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), Scotland still accounts for 12 per cent of all new houses purchased in the UK.
Just over 15,000 house purchase loans were granted in Scotland, a drop of 18 per cent on the previous quarter.
The statistics show that the typical first-time buyer placed a deposit of 16 per cent for their properties.
Kennedy Foster, a policy consultant for the CML, said intervention was required to restore the availability of mortgages and called for the implementation of the Crosby report.
He commented: "This would help address the mortgage supply issues, but consumer demand for loans will continue to fall away in the weaker economic outlook."
