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Adam Pottery
This small independent pottery produces its own colourfully glazed ceramics, both decorative and functional, in a wide range of styles, with objects ranging from coffee cups to garden planters. Visitors are welcome to watch potters at work in the studio.
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Aha Ha Ha
The guys at Aha Ha Ha have enough plastic poo, fake vomit, stink bombs and remote-control electronic farting machines to keep your average Dennis the Menace happy for a month or more. It's also a good place to go if you're looking for Halloween masks, costumes, magic tricks and practical jokes.
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Annie Smith
Annie Smith's back-of-the-shop studio creates beautiful and original contemporary jewellery in silver and 18-carat gold, with beaten and worked surfaces that reflect natural textures such as rock, ice and leaves. If there's nothing in the shop that takes your fancy, you can commission Ms Smith to make something to order.
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Another Planet
This shop sells things that fly, sail, spin or are otherwise operated by the breeze, from plastic boomerangs to X-Sails (mini land-yachts; the latest, ultracool, big boys' toys). There's also lots of animated toys and kits of the kind that 11-year-olds (of all ages) drool over.
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Arkangel
Owners Janey and Lulu will help you pick out a glamorous outfit from their carefully selected wardrobe of off-beat European chic and vintage fashion - look out for designer wear by Antoine & Lilli and Irene Van Ryb, and jewellery by Angela Caputi and Martine Boissy.
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Armstrong's
Armstrong's is an Edinburgh fashion institution (established in 1840, no less), a quality vintage clothes emporium offering everything from elegant 1940s dresses to funky 1970s flares. As well as retro fashion, it's a great place to hunt for 'previously owned' kilts and Harris tweed, or to seek inspiration for that fancy-dress party.
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Backbeat
If you're hunting for secondhand vinyl from way back, this cramped little shop has a stunning and constantly changing collection of jazz, blues, rock and soul, plus lots of '60s and '70s stuff, though you have to take some time to hunt through the clutter.
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Beyond Words
The shelves at this specialist photographic bookshop are packed with publications about the art of photography, along with a great range of cards, posters and calendars.
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Blackadder Gallery
This is a great place for girly gifts, from colourful handmade cards and giftwrap to copper and silver jewellery, scented candles, art prints and accessories.
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Blackwell's Bookshop
Blackwell's four floors have an admirable selection of reading matter, with an excellent range of academic, foreign language and Scottish history titles.
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Boudiche
Boudiche is a divinely decadent boudoir designed to make shopping for lingerie a lush, leisurely experience - you can try on basques and bustiers in the opulent changing rooms, each one equipped with a mirrored dressing table and an antique bell to call for a shop attendant.
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Carson Clark Gallery
Scotland's leading map specialist has knowledgeable staff who will advise on their interesting range of original and facsimile antique maps, charts and plans of Scotland, Europe and the rest of the world, as well as some gorgeous antique globes.
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Corniche
A major stockist of designer clothes for women, with a selection of big-name labels such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Anna Sui, Katharine Hamnett and Alexander McQueen. The branch next door concentrates on designer menswear.
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Courtyard Antiques
Hidden down a lane, the Courtyard has two crowded floors of wooden furniture (19th century to the 1970s), toys and militaria, including some fascinating bric-a-brac that ranges from 78rpm records to a homemade canvas canoe.
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Crombie's
Crombie's is a top-quality butcher shop where the good folk of Edinburgh go to stock up on prime Scottish beef and lamb, and superb homemade haggis. It's also famous for its gourmet sausages, with almost three dozen varieties ranging from wild boar and apricot to basil, beef and blackberry.
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Cruise
An ornately corniced and pilastered foyer leads into three floors of white-painted, minimalist art-gallery-like decor showing off the best of mainstream designer labels for men and women, including Paul Smith, Jasper Conran, Hugo Boss, Joseph Tricot, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. The Old Town branch stocks men's casual wear.
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Designs on Cashmere
Rug up against chilly Edinburgh days in the soft arms of cashmere, one of Scotland's classic buys. This store has a wide collection of traditional and modern knitwear, with both the Pringle and Princess of Wales ranges represented. All you need is a labrador or two and you're ready for a roam around the heather.
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Edinburgh Architectural Salvage Yard
A happy hunting ground for house renovators, this is a rich source of period features where you can find everything from original Georgian and Victorian cast-iron fireplaces and kitchen ranges to roll-top baths and gleaming, chrome, Art Deco bathroom fittings.
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Edinburgh Farmers Market
This colourful weekly event attracts stallholders selling everything from wild boar, venison and home-cured pedigree bacon to organic bread, free-range eggs, honey and handmade soap.
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Edinburgh Floatarium
Escape from the bustle of the city centre in a warm, womb-like flotation tank, or take advantage of the many other therapies on offer, including facials, aromatherapy massage, reflexology, shiatsu, reiki, and Indian head massage (appointments necessary). There's a sweet-scented shop, too, where you can buy massage oils, incense, candles, homeopathic remedies, CDs and so on.
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Fopp
This Edinburgh success story is part of a national independent chain of record shops. Fopp has plenty of mainstream indie and dance to pick through, but its speciality is in jazz, soul, ska and world music. Take advantage of the constant series of sales and special offers.
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Forbidden Planet
This place stocks a wide range of sci-fi comics, graphic novels, DVDs and T-shirts, as well as Star Trek, Simpsons and South Park merchandise. It's also the place for Alien vs Predator action figures, Bleeding Edge dolls and Kurt Cobain lunchboxes (if you have to ask, you don't wanna know).
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Fudge House Of Edinburgh
A monument to the Scots' sweet tooth, this family business offers acres of homemade fudge, including chocolate and peppermint, rum and raisin, hazelnut, and tasty Highland cream. Mmmmm. There's a coffee shop too.
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Galerie Mirages
A narrow lane between two houses leads to this Aladdin's Cave packed with jewellery, textiles and handicrafts from all over the world. It's best known for its silver, amber and gemstone jewellery in both ethnic and contemporary designs, but you'll also find things like scented sandalwood boxes, handmade paper goods, colourful cushions and gorgeous throws.
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Geoffrey (Tailor)
Geoffrey can fit you out in traditional Highland dress, run up a kilt in your own clan tartan, or just hire out the gear for a wedding or other special event. Its offshoot, 21st Century Kilts, offers modern fashion kilts in a variety of fabrics; celebrity customers include Robbie Williams and Vin Diesel.
