I always say this about shops of this nature, but fairy ornaments etc remind me of the wicca craze…read morethat hit in the mid to late 90s. Perhaps Charmed and Buffy saw that trend flying into my high school, and I distinctly remember my then best friend's room looking not unlike this shop. Shops like Enchantment are becoming fewer and further between, but it's nice that this one still does well. There are little pewter ornaments of delicate garden sprites, elves and fairies lining the shelves of this place, and dangling from the ceiling in abundance. If you're into pixies, healing stones and a touch of magic, then you'll like it. My mum likes ornaments like these and it's a great wee resource not too far from the Royal Mile if you're looking for an impish wee pressie. It's a nice change from seeing green ornaments in the shape of Loch dwelling monsters.

Enchantment is very enchanting indeed and as soon as you walk in you are surrounded by fairy…read morefigurines, crystals and various other magic related items. I can imagine this place would be ideal for people who are into alternative healing therapies with their range of crystals on offer and the whole shop has a very peaceful, tranquil feel to it. It's a little bit different to your average shop and I can't see myself ever needing anything from it but if fairy's float your boat, then why not?

Hello! When did this wee gem spring up?…read more It's not really wee, and it looks new - I'm guessing it's only been on Cockburn Street under a month. Old Town Context is a refreshing, traditional store on Cockburn Street, steering away from the style of the tourist traps on the Royal Mile to offer alternative gift ideas. They have some old English, French and American advert poster art, cards, stationery, gifts, mugs with pin ups on them, clocks made out of recycled glass drinks bottles - a very eclectic and classy selection. Its inspiration is clearly from bygone era's, and I was very impressed with their postcard range. They also have some cracking cards and original prints with cats on them. These cats are wearing kilts and rugby shifrts, quoting Burns and other Scottish poets within the print. It's a very odd idea but entirely up my alley. Overall a very enjoyable shop for the family. It's difficult to walk out of here without buying anything.

I am glad that my 200th review is on this hidden gem... actually it isn't that hidden, but I have a…read morefeeling that lots of people just walk right on by. In a very different and almost vintage way, it is a souvenir shop. I say that because there were lots of prints, cards, coffee mugs of the city and various British 'things', but they are not the types of souvenirs that you would find in the every single store on the Royal Mile... yeah, you know what I mean. I loved the different prints of the city, my favourite was a very art deco-ish print highlighting the castle in a yellowy-orangish hue against a dark background. They had it as a large print, a card, and a coffee mug. I am now kicking myself that I did not buy it. If you love globes or tin signs, they have loads of them! If you are looking for a different kind of souvenir for someone... or just something for yourself, stop in here because they have some really wonderful items.

We liked it because it wasn't like all the souvenir shops - we are flying out tomorrow and wanted…read moresouvenirs that felt more personal. They had unique items including coin purses, jewelry, scarves, some mugs that didn't look like all the rest .. just a lot of great things in a tiny space.

Gift shops are my Achilles' heel, and Edinburgh has a wonderful selection of them…read more Curiouser and Curiouser is full of lovely artwork and prints, gifts and other things you never knew you needed until you walked in here. They also offer a fantastic bespoke framing service. A few years ago I was looking for a very specific size and design of mirror. I asked for help on Twitter and Curiouser and Curiouser saw this and replied offering their services. I went into the shop, they made a framed mirror exactly as I wanted and of fantastic quality. If you are ever around Broughton Street area then I definitely recommend you popping in here. And maybe go to Treacle for some food after :)

Why am I only just discovering this little gem today?!…read more A stop off in Edinburgh is always great fun, and a wander along Broughton St is always great. Today the highlight of the wander was coming across this place. Filled with lots of cute and wonderful things - from books on how to knit zoo animals, greetings cards, ceramics and prints and artwork with price tags that won't break the bank. It appears to be a small family business and the staff are pretty relaxed and more than happy to chat; but the dog didn't seem all that interested in what was going on. I bought some prints for my living room, a book on print-making and a ceramic bowl for my coffee table. I could easily have purchased most of this shop. So if you're in search of a special card or gift, I can't recumbent this place any higher!

This business is in the road to Edinburgh Castle that so many tourist trek to. There is nothing…read morewrong with this establishment per se. It's one of the many businesses that cater to tourists with Scottish themed merchandise, not locally made. The locals miss the prior local business. The prices were okay, but not great.

Obviously this shop is made for tourists (like me) and has some of the best real estate in…read moreEdinburgh on the Royal Mile. Even though it is touristy, it has an extensive selection of quality scarves and other wool/cashmere products. I purchased a scarf that cost something like £30 and i absolutely love it. The wool is great quality and warm but breathable and the perfect length. There is a wide range of tartan scarves at various price points. I contemplated visiting Johnstons of Elgin but their scarves are more than I'm willing to pay since I don't get to wear it more than a few times a year in Southern California. My little scarf has gone with me to the beautiful Highlands and goes with me on every trip to Scotland or colder climates now and I'm very happy with it. Service was efficient and polite as it tends to be there.

Casablanca is an utterly delightful card shop just off the tourist beaten track in Newington…read more Selling a number of quirky gifts, from old fashioned wind up toys and wooden snakes to gorgeous girly ornaments, there's something for everyone inside. They have some older, refined styles of cards, gift wrap and gifts but a lot of their collection is contemporary and funky. It's fairly big inside so they have room for a lot of stock, and you could lose yourself for a good while in here deciding what you want to buy for a loved one. Personally I loved their tiny candles in porcelain heart candle holders - five for 2 pounds was a steal! They would be great for birthday parties or for dinner soiree's. All in all, it's a lovely shop with lots of variety, and I'm glad the name of the store enticed me in! What's a store like you doing in a place like this? It's bringing a great selection of gifts and quirky collectables to the community of Newington, that's what!

Casablanca is a nice gift shop. Pure and simple. It's not somewhere I would personally come and…read moreshop, other than for presents for others perhaps. But I still appreciate it. Glass ornaments, fridge magnets, wall hangings. It's a pretty eclectic range. Gifts on offer here are usually of better taste (as opposed to tatty), a little pricier and probably geared toward middle aged women. Although this is a generalisation and as Marj points out in her review, there is something in here for everyone, making it very pleasant to browse in. They also sell a nice range of arty gift cards. When I was looking around the owner was having a pleasant conversation with a fellow browser who must have been a complete stranger. Her welcoming and friendly attitude was a nice touch. I expect this is the sort of place that goes out of its way to help.

Shipped in less then 5 hours, amazing service and came with a personalised thank you card with…read moresweets xx

From the owner: Our warm & welcoming shop is filled to the brim with beautiful things for you and your home. We…read morehave an eclectic mix of fabulous furniture, homewares & gifts. Full of fabulous finds, beautiful cards & some locally made goodies. We also have Chalk Paint, a gorgeous no fuss furniture paint.

The Smart Stork is definitely for the more sophisticated child!…read more I like to think I'm all grown up, but I couldn't resist heading in there as I'm a sucker for any pink and mini sized! This is probably the only toy store in Bruntsfield, and when one walks past the initial room, which is filled to the ceiling with toys and games galore, there's the most adorable children's clothes section in the back. The clothes are exactly what I picture children wearing; pastel colours, cute and innocent looking! I have no children, and had a little too much pride to buy myself any toys, so I have no idea of the price range, but I just have to stress how adorable this shop is.

The Smart Stork is yet another cute children's clothing boutique in the Bruntsfield area. If you're…read morelooking for gifts for newborns then this is the kind of place you could get gorgeous presents or christening items that they can keep until they're older and think back at their younger years. They stock all manner of toys, pictures, room decorations, teddies, christening mugs. Most of the toys you wouldn't give to a terrible tot to play with but keep them for decoration, perhaps on a shelf in their room. You could spend ages in here "oohing" and "awwing" at all the cuteness on offer and although it's not the cheapest store, the prices reflect the quality and I wouldn't begrudge paying the prices for the beautiful items for sale here.

Awwwwww! That is exactly what I thought when I popped into Bohemia the other day. This children's…read moreboutiques just screams cuteness and many of the toys are too nice to let your terrible tots play with, they'd be better used as ornaments. They had a huge section with wooden and fabric food and I was tempted to buy a cuddly banana but seeing as I'm not under 3 I thought it was best not to as I'd probably end up wondering why I'd bought it in the first place. They also had a wooden cake stand with a wooden cake display on it, it was gorgeous! There was also a good selection of Eric Carle toys and books and as I love the Hungriest Caterpillar this was a huge plus for me. In addition the children's clothing and toys there's also a small ladies fashion section with a rail of pretty tops and dresses. In addition to this there's a little vanity table that has Paul and Joe make-up displayed on it beautifully. I also have to mention the staff who were lovely and really friendly, when I popped in it was two girls working and they couldn't have been nicer, chatting away to all the customers and making everyone feel really welcome indeed, very knowledgeable about the products and seemed to really like working here too. Definitely deserving of five stars.

Bohemia is another one of those shops I try averting my eyes from when I walk by. Because things in…read morethere tend to be just a bit too pretty. And I'm not the only one who thinks this. My friends and I always try very hard not to ogle the shop on our walk from Scotmid to my house and vice-versa. We avert our eyes because things in there are pretty and not cheap at all. Sometimes, though, there are those rare occasions when there's something at a reasonable price. My flatmate and another friend bought me a gorgeous dress for only 15 pounds, while most dresses there are in the 40 pound price range, if not more. They also sell children's clothes. I'm not sure if this is specific to the Marchmont area (there are lots of middle-class parents in this area as well as students). The women who work there have always been really kind to me. The dress my friends bought me had a tiny fault and they sent it off to get repaired at the tailor's for me. I don't know if this was standard, but I'm just glad I didn't have to argue about it at all. I'm not a fan of confrontation, you see. So if you do have some money to spend, this is a great place to get something, as the shop advertises, bohemian and dressy.

I presume the name Out of the Blue is meant to send the message that this shop is full of assorted…read moreitems that will surprise you and come across as a bit different, and I would agree that in this case, the shop pretty much deserves the name. There is a wide selection of most gift related genres here, so if you're in a rush to buy someone a present and this shop is nearby, I'd definitely recommend having a peep inside, because you're sure to find something. There are some quirkier items to choose from, like a cheese door wedge (who wouldn't laugh if they saw that in someone's house...no...just me?) and other novelty gifts like a clock, bottle stopper or lip gloss complete with crazy design of some kind. If novelty doesn't do it for you, then there are also plenty of play it safe, people pleasing options, with some pretty trendsome accessories for the home and some awesome women's Irregular Choice bags. There are also office accessories and other manly items like cufflinks, Top Gear and Superman merchandise, plus the eternally can't go wrong option of a good old scented candle for the ladies.

Wow. There are so many gift shops in this area, in fact, there are loads in the whole of Edinburgh…read morebut am I tired of them? Absolutely not. I am an absolute sucker for gift shops, even if the purchase I end up buying is a gift for myself rather than someone else. Out Of The Blue stocks what you would expect from such a store; handmade cards, gift wrap, candles, cuddly toys, home accessories, toiletries and other quirky little keepsakes that make perfect presents and are also good fun to browse. As an avid gardener I was immediately drawn to the cute gardening tools on offer and had to resist temptation as I was actually on a mission to get a gift for a friend. I ended up leaving with a little set of cupcake shaped lip glosses that I'm sure my friend will love, they were very reasonably priced and the staff were really friendly and helpful too.