North & West Coast
Amid the harsh beauty of the coastline, it's quite a surprise to come across this beautifully designed modern 'sculpture croft', where the resident artist…
Must-see shopping in Scotland
Edinburgh
Independent bookshops don’t get lovelier than this. The Golden Hare boasts a top-notch selection of 'beautiful, unusual and interesting books', an…
Fort William
As well as a good selection of fiction and children's books, this shop stocks a superb range of outdoor-related books and maps covering climbing, walking,…
Glasgow
This cute place is one of Glasgow's best destinations for vintage clothing, with a great selection of brands like Fred Perry, as well as more glam choices…
Glasgow
Glasgow’s legendary weekend flea market, the Barras on Gallowgate, is a fascinating mixture of on-trend openings and working-class Glasgow. Genuine old…
Glasgow
This workshop zone for artists and designers in the heart of the Barras has helped pep up the area and bring a new wave of folk in. It's a lovely covered…
Randall's Antique & Vintage Centre
Glasgow
This is a real treasure trove of the once loved, the tacky, the tawdry, the magnificent and the curious from the not-so-recent past. It's an excellent set…
Old Town
Armstrong’s is an Edinburgh fashion institution (established in 1840, no less), a quality vintage-clothes emporium offering everything from elegant 1940s…
Edinburgh
On Sunday the local community's focus is Stockbridge Market, set in a leafy square next to the bridge that gives the district its name. Wares range from…
Lowland Perthshire & Kinross
This food hall and delicatessen is a showcase for local producers, and it's a great place to stock up on Scottish delicacies such as Heather Hills honey,…
St Andrews
As befits a university town, this is a classic old-school bookshop crammed floor to ceiling with a huge range of titles, with free tea and coffee,…
Shetland
This association of handicrafts producers publishes a brochure detailing the places around the islands where you can stop to observe spinners, weavers and…
Moray
Gordon & MacPhail is the world's largest specialist malt-whisky dealer. More than a century old and offering around 1000 different varieties, its Elgin…
New Town
The acknowledged queen of Edinburgh delicatessens, established during the 1930s, Valvona & Crolla is packed with Mediterranean goodies, including an…
Arran
Arran is home to quite a few creatives making a wide variety of art and handicrafts. This trail maps out a couple of dozen studios that you can visit…
Old Town
This is Edinburgh’s coolest jewellery boutique, sourcing quirky pieces by indie designers from all over the world. Necklaces, earrings, brooches, cards,…
Edinburgh
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…
New Town
A quirky independent boutique on hip Broughton St, selling everything from art prints to jewellery, homewares, stationery and books. The focus is on…
New Town
If you like your design stores grown up, Scandi inspired, and accompanied by coffee and cake served in elegant crockery, head to this shop, where you'll…
Dundee & Angus
Forfar, the county town of Angus, is the home of Scotland’s answer to the Cornish pasty: the famous Forfar bridie, a shortcrust pastry turnover filled…
Southern Highlands & Islands
Aficionados of smoked salmon should pay a visit to Inverawe Smokehouse and Fishery, 2 miles east of Taynuilt, where local salmon (and trout, herring and…
New Town
This sweet-smelling palace of posh cosmetics has in-store experts offering a ‘fragrance-combining’ consultation that will allow you to choose your perfect…
Dundee & Angus
For generations of local school kids, the big treat when visiting Kirriemuir was a trip to the Star Rock Shop. Established in 1833, it specialises in…
Old Town
A paradise for those in search of new and secondhand vinyl, this place has thousands of records – techno, house, jungle, hip hop, R&B, funk, soul and 45s …
Glasgow
With very friendly staff and a range of saucy items that you might not want your mother to see, this is a favourite with the gay community – it's in Pink…
Joyce Forsyth Designer Knitwear
Old Town
The colourful knitwear on show at this intriguing little shop will drag your ideas about woollens firmly into the 21st century. Ms Forsyth’s trademark…
Pitlochry
This gallery is a treasure trove of quality Scottish arts and crafts, including polished aluminium jewellery that is handmade in the owner's workshop at…
Old Town
Scotland’s finest cheesemonger purveys the best of British and Irish cheeses. This is the place to purchase traditional Scottish cheeses, from smooth…
Old Town
This place stocks a wide range of sci-fi comics, graphic novels, DVDs and T-shirts, as well as Star Trek, Simpsons and DC Comics merchandise. It’s also…
Moray
Founded in 1797, Johnstons is famous for its cashmere woollen clothing, and is the only UK woollen mill that still sees the manufacturing process through…
New Town
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…
Southern Highlands & Islands
The hot smoked salmon from these folk behind Skipness Castle was one of the highlights of a long-standing seafood restaurant on Arran. That's closed, but…
New Town
Home to Edinburgh’s leading art dealers Aitken Dott, this private gallery exhibits and sells paintings by contemporary Scottish artists and the masters of…
Old Town
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…
Kirkwall
This excellent produce shop in a noble old central building has fine Orkney meat, fish and cheeses and is perfect for finding posh picnic fare or an…
Leith
Anchored by Debenhams department store, Ocean Terminal is the biggest shopping centre in Edinburgh; fashion outlets include Fat Face, GAP, Schuh, Superdry…
Dumfries & Galloway
This has an excellent line in smoked salmon and other local produce; it's something of a local standout. There's a restaurant to try before you buy. It's…
Edinburgh
Wonderland is a classic kids-with-their-noses-pressed-against-the-window toy shop that is filled with model aircraft, Lego Star Wars kits, radio…
Glasgow
Set in a magnificent 1841 renovated square with elaborate ironwork and an exuberant metal leaf-and-peacock facade, this place has lots of beauty and…
New Town
Scotland’s leading map specialist has knowledgeable staff who are more than happy to advise on the interesting range of original and facsimile antique…
