With regard to shopping, Edinburgh has it all: department stores, friendly little boutiques, the traditional, the new, the expected and the unexpected. Princes Street is the location for Scotland’s most famous shop, Jenners (the oldest independent department store in the world), which has a fabulous food hall. The Royal Mile, on the other hand, is scattered with off-beat stores and souvenir sellers. Nearby Grassmarket (a trading place since 1477) and Victoria Street are packed with arts and crafts shops, bookshops and specialist food stores. Some of the city’s smartest designer stores (such as Escada) are along George Street in the New Town. The main modern shopping centres are Cameron Toll Centre, 6 Lady Road, and the Waverley Shopping Centre on Princes Street. A branch of Harvey Nichols will open in St Andrews Square in 2002. There is also a new shopping complex in Leith, called Ocean Terminal.
Ingliston Market (tel: (0131) 333 3036) takes place every Sunday 1000-1600 at the Royal Highland Show ground, near the airport. Anything and everything is sold here, from clothes to furniture.
Visitors to Edinburgh who want to take home a little piece of Scotland may be tempted by tartan fabrics, Celtic-inspired jewellery, shortbread and, of course, whisky. All these items are available from numerous boutiques and specialist shops in and around the city.
In general, shops are open 0900-1730, with late-night shopping on Thursday until 1930 or 2000. Sunday opening is increasingly popular, particularly among the larger stores. Many shops (especially those frequented by tourists) are part of the tax-free scheme. Visitors must keep their receipts and fill out a claim form to have the 17.5% VAT refunded.
