A new chapter

PHILIP Martin must have felt kissed by the Fates on the day in 1985 that he wandered into Pilrig Park in Edinburgh and spotted the For Sale sign outside the apartments in the newly renovated Pilrig House. The house had intrigued him since he was a schoolboy at nearby Trinity. The property, which had fallen into ruin in the second half of the 20th century, was always in the background, a mysterious reminder of a grander past.

Philip, an engineer and keen historian, wasn't looking for a property at the time, as he was working at sea and back in Edinburgh only intermittently. He'd simply decided to take the dogs for a walk in the park. "The house looked spectacular," he recalls. "It was the first weekend that the flats were up for sale, and I knew that if I was going to buy one it had to be the flat with the staircase. The decision was made in about 20 minutes."

Pilrig House dates from 1638, as detailed in the marriage stone within the dormer pediment that bears the initials GK and MF - Gilbert Kirkwood built the house for his bride, Margaret Foulis. The property passed through several hands after Gilbert's death before being bought, along with the lands of Pilrig - once a country estate between Edinburgh town and its seaport of Leith - by James Balfour in 1707. Balfour's great-great-grandson was Robert Louis Stevenson, who used to visit Pilrig to see his mother, Margaret Balfour. He mentioned the house in two of his books, Kidnapped and Catriona, in which he described it as "a pleasant gabled house set by the walkside among some brave young woods".

The property was extended during the Balfour family's residence here by the architect William Burn, who in 1828 changed the previously L-shaped house into a square, and added the Doric staircase at the front of the building (which was originally the rear). When the last of the Balfours died, in 1941, the house was bequeathed to the people of Leith and became the responsibility of Edinburgh's council - with less than successful results.

"It was full of furniture and really unusual architectural detailing, but the house wasn't maintained; it wasn't even kept watertight, and everything was destroyed through time," says Philip. Burns's extension was pulled down in the early 1960s, and the property went through various fairly utilitarian uses before being vacated in 1969, after which vandals took over and the house was eventually destroyed by fire in the early 1970s.

Many parties suggested uses for the building - Pilrig is recognised as a splendid example of a Scottish townhouse, after all - but thanks to the vast sums of money required for its restoration, none of the plans seemed viable until it was agreed to release a few acres of the parkland on which to build sheltered housing. "It was touch-and-go whether the house was going to be demolished," says Philip. But in 1982 an extensive programme of restoration was carried out with guidance from Historic Scotland.

Today, Pilrig House has just six apartments, and part of the attraction for Philip, other than the historical connections, was the chance to buy something in move-in condition - well, aside from all the re-jigging he decided to do to improve on the layout. "Architects can waste space, whereas engineers use it," he says pointedly. The apartment originally had one bedroom but Philip was able to create a second by moving the kitchen into what had been wasted circulation space.

"It was a case of buying a 'finished' shell, but then increasing the usable space by almost 50 per cent," he says. The new arrangement also allows someone to sit at the dining table in the open-plan living-dining space, and gaze out through the glazed door across the park. "Ideally I wanted to live in the countryside, so this was a happy compromise," says Philip. "And when you're inside, there's a peculiar timelessness to the space."

Philip had been living in the flat for years by the time he met partner Debbie, "and the place was like an antique shop," she recalls. For Philip collects historical objects - several of the pieces in today's interior have been pulled from skips or unearthed at jumble sales. The antique cabinet with the stained glass front was one such jumble find, as was the wall-mounted mirror engraved with the letters "ECPH", which turns out to signify Edinburgh Council Poor House.

Although the couple had planned to buy a property in the north of Scotland to develop as holiday accommodation, they were reluctant to sell this flat in the process. They did dress the space to sell, paring back Philip's idiosyncratic collection of objects, but changed their minds when they realised that all the things they loved about the property would also be likely to attract visitors. Pilrig House is within walking distance of the centre of Edinburgh, after all, yet it's completely tranquil, and both bedrooms - the flat offers self-catering rental for three - offer leafy views out to those "brave young woods".

The interior, says Debbie, "was about keeping quite a simple palette, where there are homely touches without it being overpowering". The white walls offer a crisp backdrop to the remaining antiques, while the previous kitchen was replaced by a modern design with cherry units and stainless steel detailing.

Although compact, every space been used and every detail considered. The living space combines comfy seating with a wood burning-effect stove and flatscreen TV, while the stained glass-fronted cabinet is filled with DVDs and books. Staying here wouldn't really be like turning up in "holiday accommodation", more like visiting a friend's home - exactly as Philip and Debbie intended it.

• For information visit www.pilrighouseapartment.co.uk or About Scotland's website www.aboutscotland.com