Prestige property: 16 Gayfield Square is a perfectly elegant family home in the Capital

He explains: “I bought a one-bedroom flat across the stair as a bachelor pad in 2004, and I absolutely loved it. But when I got together with Victoria, and we had our first baby, it was time to move.

“We went to see a lot of properties but I kept thinking that I didn’t really want to leave this lovely spot in Gayfield Square. The best thing about the location is the community here.

“Just as I was agonising about it, our next-door neighbour, who was a university professor from Paris, mentioned that he’d just got his dream job, and they were moving back to France.”

Nick says that this previous owner was of a mind to keep hold of his Edinburgh base, but a sustained campaign of begging andpleading – and a good offer – from Nick made him change his mind.

Which meant that when the Webbers moved in to the duplex, it was one of the easiest removal days in history, as they just shuffled their furniture across the hallway.

It is a classic New Town abode – Nick says another feature about the building that they were so loath to leave was the proportions. “The rooms are huge; the sitting room with the curved wall is almost eight metres long, but it feels really homely. It just has a lovely feel to the house. You step into the hall and it is lit from the cupola above, with this beautiful stairway winding up to it.”

Victoria and Nick now have three young sons, and the duplex – which is laid out as a traditional house with all the living accommodation on the second floor and the four bedrooms upstairs on the third floor – has been perfect for the family.

Nick says: “There are other children in the building and round about the square, and we feel quite comfortable with the group of kids running out to play in the central gardens together. And we have keys to Calton Hill Gardens too, which has been an absolute saviour during lockdown.

"It is a couple of minutes’ walk, and there are tennis courts and the pitch-and-putt golf course. There is enough space to start a cricket game so we have a whole social life with other families centred around that.”

When the Webbers moved in there was a lack of storage which was remedied with bespoke cabinetry in the master bedroom creating a dressing area between the room’s door and the ensuite bathroom.

The property was redecorated throughout and the basement level storage room converted for use as a wine cellar.

The boys’ bedrooms also had built-in storage added into the eaves of the property, and bespoke bedroom furniture was installed too.

One striking feature of the Webber’s eldest son’s bedroom is a beautiful mural of racing cars and an aeroplane, which was completed in a weekend by a friend of the couple’s, the renowned street artist Josh X Colwell of JXCDesign.

Nevertheless, it is time for the family to move on now – and this time around Victoria is getting to choose the location.

She is an oncological breast surgeon who works at the Western General, whereas Nick has his own events management company.

As befits his profession, perhaps, his favourite room in the apartment is the dining room. He says: “It has a working fire, and when that is on and it is full of friends and family for dinner it is wonderful.”

The hike up two flights of stairs to the front door of the duplex has its own rewards too.

Nick says: “The views are of Calton Hill and across over to Fife which is lovely when there is snow on the hills. And the sunsets over towards the Forth Bridges are amazing.”

Area Gayfield Square is at the east of Edinburgh’s New Town but is a quiet enclave of its own. It is two minutes from Broughton Street, with bars, cafés and independent shops and close to the new St James Centre, Multrees Walk, Princes Street and the Omni Centre.

Schools Catchment area for Broughton Primary and St Mary’s RC Primary, St Thomas of Aquin’s High and Drummond Community High. There are a range of easily accessible independent schools.

n Interior Sitting room, dining room, dining kitchen and study plus loo on the lower floor. Upstairs are four bedrooms. The master has an ensuite, plus there is a family bathroom.

Exterior Basement wine cellar with electricity and lights plus two outdoor cellars. Access to Gayfield Square communal garden and the 12-acre Regent, Royal and Carlton Terraces gardens, with tennis court and putting golf course.

16 Gayfield Square, Edinburgh, is priced at offers over £795,000.

For more information, contact Rettie & Co. on 0131-220 4160.