The Best Independent Shops in Edinburgh to Visit During the Edinburgh Festival
Every August, the Royal Mile fills up with the same shortbread tins and shrink-wrapped tartan you'll find in any cut-price tourist gift shop. It's easy to walk past the real thing without ever knowing it was there - a handful of streets away, Edinburgh's independent shops are quietly getting on with doing what they've always done: stocking genuinely well-made, often things which are made in Scotland without a Saltire or a "See You Jimmy" hat in sight.
If you're in the city for the Fringe, the International Festival, or just passing through from a visit elsewhere in Scotland, here are my 10 favourite independent Edinburgh shops worth building a detour around - I'll group them roughly by area, so you can get to a few in the same afternoon.
Old Town
Scottish Textiles Showcase - 20 St Mary's Street
Tucked just off the Royal Mile, this is one of the most best shops if you want proper Scottish wool: throws, Harris Tweed coats, scarves, as well as a good range of homewares, all sourced directly from independent Scottish makers, mills and artisans, from Shetland right down to the Borders. I love it here, everything is so purposefully stocked. This August they're exhibiting work from contemporary kilt maker Andrea Chappell as part of the festival programme, so it's worth a look even if you've been before.
Armstrongs Vintage - 83 Grassmarket
One of the UK's oldest vintage clothing shops, trading since 1840, and it still feels like it. Rails organised loosely by decade, the odd genuinely extraordinary find buried among the ordinary, and the sort of browsing that eats up an hour without you noticing. I have so many old favourites from here. Good for festival costume emergencies as much as considered buying.
Armchair Books - West Port
A properly cluttered secondhand and antiquarian bookshop, floor-to-ceiling and a little dusty in the best way. If you want the kind of shop you photograph before you've even bought anything, this is it - then put your phone away. And go in with time to actually browse and usually buy something unexpected. I've bought some great Penguin classics here recently
New Town
ANTA - Rose Street
ANTA's Edinburgh flagship brings the Highlands to the New Town: wool throws, hand-painted stoneware, and furniture, all designed and made at their own workshop in Fearn, in the Highlands. The shop is calm, considered, and beautifully laid out - and a good stop if you want one serious piece rather than several small ones.
Scottish Design Exchange - 117–119 George Street
If you're after real one-off gifts made by local makers and artists from around Scotland, this is the place to go - a large, well-curated space stocking a wide roster of independent Scottish makers under one roof, from jewellery to ceramics to homeware. A good place to find affordable yet not mass produced gifts and meet the artists behind them.
Unicorn Antiques - 65 Dundas Street
A genuine curiosity shop, run by the same family for over fifty years, in a basement that used to be a dairy. Brass doorknobs, china dogs, old maps - the sort of place where half the fun is not knowing what you'll come across next. The best thing, there's always something affordable - my recent buys have included a pretty side plate for £5 or a carved egg spoon for even less.
Leith
Logan Malloch - 13 Leith Walk
Art, ceramics, books, stationery and gifts, mostly sourced from Leith, Edinburgh and the wider Scottish makers scene. An easy, unpretentious browse if you're heading down toward the Shore - beautifully laid-out store and very good for gifts.
Bard - Custom Lane, The Shore A curated shop and gallery dedicated to Scottish design, based inside Custom Lane, overlooking the water. Strong on textiles and homewares, and worth the walk down to Leith on its own. I love the vibe here, it's part gallery, part curiosity shop, part artisanal showcase.
Pascal & Co - 20 Albert Place
Vintage clothing, homewares, antiques and objets d'art, each piece handpicked, repaired and restored rather than simply resold. Based in a small delightfully decorated shop run by the delightful Asta - follow her on Instagram! I've bought everything from kitchen kitsch to a Jaeger skirt, a beautiful blanket coat and the oh the knitwear, so good, If you like good things, made well, a visit here is real a treat.
Worth the trip out of town
Araminta Campbell Atelier - South Queensferry
Not in Edinburgh proper, so you'll need a car (or taxi) and a booked appointment rather than a walk-in - but if you're serious about textiles and have a free afternoon, it's worth the detour. Beautifully curated space, with textiles, looms and all based in a charming little castle of a house. Book ahead through her website before you go.
If you'd rather have a curated edit sent straight to you - or a gifts curated specifically for you or your event - that's exactly what Made Scotland is there for: gifts and hampers sourced directly from independent Scottish makers, shipped anywhere in the UK.
Alexandra Borthwick is a journalist, editor, and founder of Made Scotland (madescotland.com), an online store helping individuals and businesses find beautiful Scottish-made gifts - including bespoke corporate gifting.
