Enjoy elegant living at its elevated best

Kirsty Mcluckie on a trio of Georgian townhouses which represent the pinnacle of urban living in Edinburgh

Atownhouse is so called to differentiate them from a gentleman’s country seat and the three or four-storey terraced buildings were a popular design in Georgian times, across most cities in the UK.

Of course Edinburgh’s have special billing and are the star of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the New Town.

While they have come and gone in fashion, with many split into flats or converted to offices in the early 20th century, now they are very much seen as the pinnacle of Edinburgh city centre living.

They are highly prized and even though many have small gardens and no parking, it is unusual to be able to buy a complete townhouse for less than £1 million.

Three notable examples have come to the market in the last week, which illustrate the range available, being priced from just over £1m to almost £3m.

Two are on the same street and are for sale through Rettie and Co.

James Whitson, director, says: “It is a great privilege to have both of these magnificent townhouses on the market simultaneously.

“These A-listed homes were designed by the famed architect William Playfair 200 years ago and are the embodiment of Georgian splendour.

The two properties, at Carlton Terrace and Regent Terrace – which is the same block despite different addresses – are also located on the only street in Edinburgh that is not overlooked front or back, according to Whitson.

He says: “It is a very quiet street with no through traffic and incredibly safe, with the presence of the US Consulate. They have access to the splendid and stunning 11-acre private Regent Gardens.”

Number 1 Carlton Terrace, priced at offers over £1.9m, is an elegant and distinctive seven-bedroomed property over three floors, and has a self contained lower-ground-floor apartment and views over Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh’s Old Town and the Scottish Parliament.

Whitson says: “It has been lovingly decorated by the vendors and includes a wonderful mural in the main hall, painted by Alistair Macleod and inspired by the Field Guide of Japanese Birds.”

Just along the road is 1 Regent Terrace which has eight bedrooms and is for sale at offers over £2.85m.

Whitson describes it as: “A truly wonderful refurbishment of a home that is a sympathetic blend of old and new.

“One of the more outstanding and rare features are the folding double doors on the ground floor that fully open the home front to back.”

The house at Regent Terrace also has a separate flat at ground level, with lift access between all floors. It has a large, walled garden at the back with impressive terracing and a sun room extension. The kitchen and dining room can be opened up to make them open plan, a very modern layout for a period house.

For a slightly more modest townhouse, in terms of both size and price at offers over £1.05m, the property for sale at 6 Albany Street with Simpson and Marwick is over three floors and has four bedrooms.

The house is B listed and has a grand first-floor sitting room and an impressive period entrance hall.