The Edinburgh experience offers some great shopping with striking views of the castle and historic architecture. Here you will find a selection of stores and boutiques which is second to none in the UK.
First stop is Edinburgh's famous Princes Street, its mile-long main shopping street which offers all the big high street names and Jenners, a famous department store.
The Royal Mile is the main thoroughfare of Edinburgh's Old Town, which runs from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. The Royal Mile is comprised of a succession of streets including Castle Esplanade, Castle Hill, Lawn Market, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand. The stretch from the two Royal Buildings forms the main tourist area in Edinburgh's 'Old Town'.
George Street is a mix of the stylish and trendy. On either side of George Street are the shopping gems of Rose Street and Thistle Street. Some of the very best boutique shopping in the country is here, including Jane Davidson, one of the country's top 100 independent stores.
Multrees Walk is the new home of style where you can cruise designer brands such as Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Armani. Close by in St. Andrew Square is Scotland's first Harvey Nichols.
There are two central shopping centres, Princes Mall and the St. James Centre, home to the city's John Lewis store.
Cockburn Street which winds down from the Royal Mile to Waverley Station is the home of teenage shopping and some of the city's best music shops.
The Royal Mile has many tourist-orientated shops and shops selling tartans. For more unusual gifts, pop in to the Museum of Scotland or National Gallery of Scotland shops.
Edinburgh has two central shopping centres, Princes Mall and the St. James Centre, home to the city's John Lewis store.
There are also several shopping centres on the outskirts of Edinburgh and a major one (The Centre) in Livingston 15 miles west of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh has several retail parks. These have fewer shops but each shop unit is much bigger than in a typical shopping centre. The retail parks have been designed for car-travellers so parking is no problem.
Fountain Park is a leisure park which features a cinema, a gym, a casino, a Tenpin bowling alley, kids soft play area and a good range of restaurants, bars and pubs.
Aside from shopping centres and retail parks, many of Edinburgh's shops are to be found in the streets and roads around the city. Princes Street is Edinburgh's primary shopping street, while George Street which runs parallel to Princes Street has a variety of stylish and trendy boutiques. Running along side George Street, Rose Street and Thistle Street are home to some wonderful boutique shops. The side roads adjoining Princes Street and George Street also contain shops: see Hanover Street, Frederick Street and Castle Street.
More streets with yet more shops:
For a concise A-Z index of Edinburgh streets please see the A-Z street index.
Edinburgh Online's shopping directory lists thousands of shops all over Edinburgh, along with thousands of visitor reviews.