Capability is one of the charity shops that usually looks a bit tired inside. The stock is, as…read morealways, really good and I tend to find nice items in here, but it's all presented in such a lack-lustre manner that I wouldn't be surprised if people almost immediately give up. It's just not a very visually appealing shop. However, let me reiterate the quality of the stock here. It's very good and prices are keen. Capability hasn't turned into some of the greedier charity shops out there with bobbled Primark tops for £8. Prices reflect the stock quality and wear and tear accurately, which is to be valued these days! As we're in winter there's currently a massive selection of coats and jackets on display. Take a look at the jewellery on offer - there are some really pretty costume pieces in the glass cabinet. Books are reasonable, but there's not much in the way of DVDs and games. Go here for the clothes and don't be disheartened by the sad decor! Rake and ye shall find :)

Capability Scotland's shop on St John's Road is one of many charity shops in the Costorphine area…read moreof Edinburgh. There's nothing amazingly remarkable about this shop - I can't say that it really stands out from the other local ones. This charity calls itself Scotland's leading disability organisation, and so buying from and giving to this shop will obviously help to support their work. The shop itself has the normal charity shop range of clothes, books, bric a brac and other miscellaneous items. Always worth a rummage to find a genuine bargain.

Disappointment. I was excited for this store…read more This store has interesting clothing to offer - some vintage some new. The prices were pretty steep. Many clothes were damaged, and the tag did not mention the damaged item. I understand that items are vintage, but it should be disclosed of the condition of the clothing. The v store was very hot and packed with people. I was unable to look at everything because shoppers kept bumping into me or cutting me off unfortunately. The clothes were not very organized either. It was hard to look through them. If they did crowd control and limit the shoppers inside, I may have had a better experience. This has been the most disappointing shop during my Scotland holiday so far.

One of my favorite vintage shops in the world! I look forward to coming here every time I am in…read moreEdinburgh. I have found some really unique pieces for great prices.

WOW!!! I drove past…read morethis shop on my way to Inverness, and I had to park to go and have a closer look. It was so f***ing cool!! It is a charity shop for save the children, but completely unlike all the others I've been in before. I felt like I was in the gift shop of an art gallery, everything is kitsch and retro, and the colours are amazing. The whole shop is decorated brilliantly and it looks like something out of the movies. Upon further investigation, I found out that the shop is owned by TV retail advisor and Save the Children Ambassador, Mary Portas, and it is infact a designer charity shop. I didn't know you could get them! I plan to spend an awful lot more time in here.

In agreement with Emily, I did a swift double take when I saw this place!…read more Towering above its neighbours in a gorgeous old building, Mary's Living and Giving looks more like a pretty boutique than it does a charity shop. Essentially, it is - boasting secondhand designer clothing and accessories, it's got some chic and often retro offerings. So you can get a snazzy outfit for a dinner party at an absolute steal of a price! With its creaky, varnished floorboards and warm lighting, it feels as though you're in Monsoon rather than in a charity establishment. The pictures toward the back of the shop remind you of who you are helping, however, making finding a bargain in Mary's an ethical choice! Gok Wan would be all about it!

It's 5 stars all the way! It's just a great spot that connects you to many different parts of Old…read moreTown. The views of the castle from here are also incredible. Especially if you want to see the volcanic plug under the castle. The best views of it are from here. It's also where you can make your way up the Vennel Steps to see the old defensive walls of the city. There are even two or three different ways that you can get to the castle from here. The Granny Green Steps are located on the west side of the square. It will take you up to Johnston Terrace where you can take another set of stairs called Castle Wynd North up to the castle. The second option is to take the Castle Wynd South path in the middle of the square which will lead into the Patrick Geddes Steps and directly to the North Steps. Another way is to walk up West Bow from the square to Victoria Street (also in Grassmarket). Take the stairway up to Victoria Terrace and then make your way up to the steps at Castle Wynd North or to the Royal Mile. You'll get a different perspective of the Grassmarket area and the castle from all angles. We visited it daily. We even passed through it on our way to Greyfriars Kirkyard via Candlemaker Row. The National Museum of Scotland is also easily accessible from here. The square in Grassmarket is the perfect meet up location. There's a lot of dark history here as well. It was one of the public execution sites that included the unsuccessful one of "Half-Hangit Maggie Dickson" in 1724. There's a bar at the square named after her. You'll also see a memorial written on the stones of the square for the last person (James Andrews) to be hanged at the gallows there on 4 February 1784. All creepiness aside, it's a very lively and active place that you'll pass through at some point. I mean, how could you not? It's an area full of beauty and history. *Updated on 5/5/2026 to correct a name.

Grassmarket is located in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, just behind Edinburgh Castle. It's one…read moreof the oldest parts of the city, dating back to the 14th century. it is a popular area of the city today, just as it has been for many years. The Grassmarket is one of the most vibrant and charming neighbourhoods in Edinburgh and it's not a place you want to miss. However, one of the best parts about visiting this area are the views you'll get of the castle! Lined with buzzing bars, restaurants with worldwide flavours, delicious coffee shops and eclectic shops, the area's winding streets are a delight to explore at your leisure. Take a historic walking tour. Free historic walking tour maps are available from the local pubs and shops in the area. You can read or listen to the audio history of the area here. OR Visit the Greyfriars Bobby monument and grave site of a devoted little dog.

Lovely vintage pieces.. From clothing to toys to furniture and crockery.. This new addition to…read moreLeith Walk is well worth a look see and having a poke around... Tho prices more in line with vintage/antique shops than junk store... Had to resist buying a sideboard or record player..

I'm a huge fan of vintage but I HATE being lured into a shop on the promise of vintage and being…read morefobbed of with repro rubbish. Those were the days is the real deal. One if the best ranges of authentic 50's dresses I have found to date, gorgeous fabrics and properly constructed. These beauties are priced under the £200 mark. Some great deals on proper vintage clothes from the 50's, 60's and 70's at reasonable prices and some name items here, including a gorgeous, full length black Ossie Clark for Radley piece - sadly not my size and out of my pre-pay day price range :-( Well worth a visit for vintage fans!

On first impression, this was a really beautiful shop. We were only in for a short visit but I…read morecouldn't help but be dazzled by the glamorous dresses in the window display. On closer inspection, it all seemed a little over-priced. I've seen similar pieces at vintage fairs for a fraction of the price. There was a light peach camisole cropped throw-over for £35, which I'd honestly seen in Barnardos recently, only in a slightly more pink colour, for just £5. Vintage, is understandably, a pricey business because there's a lot of special things to be found and I don't mind paying that bit more for a vintage dress or a really special piece of clothing. But when it comes to second-hand sweaters and cardigans, they really shouldn't amount to Topshop prices. I can get similar items at vintage fairs and charity shops for far, far better prices. That's not to say Those Were The Days wouldn't be great for a special occasion but this time round, we just wanted a quick browse and found even the cheaper, more basic items to be overpriced. I like my vintage shop music to be vintage too! So a bit of 1920's jazz or swing would have made for a better atmosphere over the Coldplay thay had playing. Regardless, we were given a friendly welcome and I'm sure it's somewhere I'd give another chance if in that part of town and looking for something special.

This oxfam is one of the best charity shops in the areas for books although this comes at a cost as…read moreit is also one of the more expensive charity shops for books in the area. Personally I think the extra money is worth it in the quality of books you get here. Of the book sections you obviously have fiction books and this is a good selection of good fiction books (you often get a lot of rubbish in some charity shops), but the standout sections are the Biographies, Education and Travel section. If you are into books and want specific types of books rather than just wanting a book to pass the time this will be more your shop. If you are the latter then there are cheaper places to go. I would recommend coming here, being more of the former, as the books here are great books - just the other day I got an autobiography and a cook book I'd wanted for ages, both the sort of books that don't come around very often and I was greatful for them even though they did cost a fair bit more than books elsewhere.

This is one of the two Oxfam shops on Clerk Street, which sells books, whilst the other specialises…read morein clothing. I'm always impressed at how organized both shops are, and it's so pleasant to be in there an hour can pass without one really noticing. On a recent visit, the books of the display shelf made me giggle; they were copies of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer! With the new movie Ecilpse in cinemas, any other book store would have done the same, and you get the feeling Oxfam's attempting to narrow the gap so that shoppers can feel as though they're in a first hand bookshop! I did wish I'd come here when I started my Twilight collection, as I'd have saved a lot of money; most of the books in here are in fantastic condition, and at an average of £2 a copy, any frayed pages will certainly be overlooked by me!

This is very much a traditional charity shop, much as you would expect with it being the oldest…read morecharity shop in Edinburgh as its shop front boldly proclaims. By this I mean that you have the majority of the shop dedicated to clothes, a small book section and some old tapes, Cd's and DVDs. It's main asset is its staff who are all very friendly. It's fairly typical, everything is reasonably cheap, but what I feel lets it down is the fact that it doesn't specialise. In this area you have specific charity shops and I can tell you where to get most of the items this shop sells cheaper if you are willing to visit a load of shops. All round this is pretty good for value, but in no area does it excel which means that if you want something specific you can get it cheaper elsewhere.

I bought one of my most hilarious items of clothing here. A pastel pink and purple and blue jump…read moresuit. Which I assume must be for pregnant women, 'cause my midriff just swims around in it. I mean, I didn't buy it because I planned on wearing it loads. I bought it for a pink-themed party. And then it became my study suit. I figured that if I wore it, then I'd be too embarrassed to walk out of the house and procrastinate. It lasted for a while, but then I remembered that dignity and I had not kept in touch for a while and that plan went WAY out the window. This place is pretty cool, and pretty standard as far as thrift shops go. What's great is that there's a Thrift Shop 2 somewhere around the corner (I spotted it when I was taking a cab home from the airport and I went through Polwarth and was wondering if this was number 2, where was number 1, which evidently, is this one). Long-winded tangent. Apologies. Prices are standard, wellies are plentiful. The staff has never openly laughed at how ridiculous I looked in the clothes I'm wearing. Which brings me wild comfort. Perhaps they're just trained in laughing quietly on the inside.

As a fan of charity shops I had to pay a visit to the local Salvation Army shop in Inverkeithing…read more The window display had children's toys and dated nineties clothes on offer. And as I entered the charity shop I could see that there selection of items was quite limited. The shop is not large and this obviously impacts upon the amount of stock they can put on the shop floor. Not a lot of the goods caught my eye, apart from some old board games I used to play and some old books that were on offer. I didn't buy anything but I did put some money in the charity tub. The main problem that charity shops have in towns like this, is that they can only get a limited amount of stock, and unlike in the city, these shops are stuck in an age where only families and elderly people tended to visit them. It's a shame and hopeful this shop will soon modernise itself and raise money for a good cause!

I've been living in Leith for over 6 years now and thought it was about time I checked out my local…read morecommunity centre! Leith Community Education Centre is based on the first floor of the Newkirkgate shopping centre, at the bottom of Leith Walk and is apparently one of the busiest community centres in Edinburgh. Approximately 3,000 people use the centre every week! It has a decent sized sports hall, a smaller hall, 4 general purpose rooms, crèche, public computers with free internet access, lending library and a wee café. They have loads of groups using the space from youth groups, literacy support, carers support, outreach teaching, help with stopping smoking and support for people with a learning disability, dance classes, drama groups, history groups, art classes, martial arts and children's movement classes. One group I notice on the poster board was 'Gleeith' the new community singing group in Leith! Brilliant! Not something I'll be joining with my crying cat voice, but I love the play of words! So I ventured there one snowy evening to try out a dance inspired class called 'Stretch and Tone'. You the enter the centre via the external steps and across a balcony, which could be tricky to find if you didn't know the area. The centre was fairly utilitarian looking (most community centres are) but there have designed quirky windows features into the modern scheme which adds a bit of interest to the building. The class was good, but sadly only 2 of us braved the snowy conditions, but I'm glad I did, I felt 2 inches taller after it! I picked up the centre brochure upon leaving so I may well return and check out some of the other classes they have available soon.

been coming here [member] for over 19 years. superb staff , a very good cafe, a bit worried about…read morewhat i read on leithsucks.net on there latest member of staff who is about to 'join the team' this centre caters for adult classes, bowls, art class, dancing. the full list is very long. there are also youth clubs-[ separate male / female.] and a satuarday special day when virtually all kinds of dancing [highland, tap, modern.] all for children. if you are a parent, you must get youself along to see everything that this centre can provide!