Location

The property is located in Portobello, a lovely sea side town approximately 4 miles from Edinburgh city centre.

Portobello is famous for its charm as a seaside town with a beautiful promenade along the sandy beach. There is a fantastic selection of shops on the Portobello High Street, and a number of supermarkets nearby.

There is excellent local schooling nearby, such as Towerbank and St John's Primary Schools. There is also Portobello and Holyrood High Schools at secondary level, and Loretto is also close by at Musselburgh, offering private schooling from nursery upwards.

Regular bus services operate to and from the city centre and there is convenient access to the City Bypass.

Description

Tucked away in a peaceful cobbled courtyard close to the beach in Portobello, this exceptional two-bedroom mews house combines Georgian and Victorian heritage with cutting-edge contemporary design. The mews and stables of which this was originally the imposing coach house were designed to serve the elegant Regency villas of Regent Street and Marlborough Street, built by Lewis Wallace, one of the builders of Edinburgh's New Town.

The current owners have transformed the property from a shell into a truly outstanding home, completing a meticulous renovation between 2017 and 2023 to Passivhaus standards and designed by renowned conservation architect John Renshaw. Original features including the brick walls and archway, original ironwork from the stables, and dressed stone quoins, steps and flags, retained and repurposed while integrating modern sustainability credentials such as triple glazing, wood-fibre insulation, and underfloor heating throughout.

The house is approached via a charming courtyard with private parking and a patio garden. A welcoming hallway leads to the principal bedroom, overlooking the courtyard and benefitting from a stylish en suite shower room. A second double bedroom enjoys built-in storage and French doors opening onto the patio garden, while a striking family bathroom with rolltop bath completes this level. Of particular note in the ground floor is the beautiful polished concrete flooring.

A bespoke, ornate iron staircase rises to the first floor, where the entire level is devoted to an extraordinary open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space with reclaimed pine flooring. Vaulted ceilings, overhead skylights, and large windows to the north and west and east flood the room with natural light. The kitchen is beautifully appointed, featuring a Lacanche range cooker, kitchen island for informal dining, and high-quality finishes throughout. The dining area flows into a welcoming living area centred around a log burner for cosy evenings, with an additional study nook ideal for home working. Triple-glazed sliding doors open to a balcony overlooking the courtyard, with far-reaching sea views.

Externally, the property also benefits from a lock-up garage across the courtyard, offering further parking or storage. Climbing roses and wisteria enhance the external walls of local Portobello brick and lime mortar, in which keen eyes may notice a handful of local oyster shells, a hidden feature of many historic Edinburgh buildings that was traditionally reputed to bring good luck.

This is a truly unique home, seamlessly blending period charm with contemporary comfort and eco-conscious design, all within walking distance of Portobello's beach, cafés, and excellent local amenities.