Great variety of antiques and vintages from records to furniture and crystals. Love it.read more

Drum Farm is incredibly cool. It's a big old warehouse type space full of furniture and other…read morehousehold pieces spanning several centuries. It looks like the space houses the collections of a few different dealers, so the right side of the building tends towards smaller kitchy-er stuff, and the left side tends towards larger pieces. There are also loads of chairs up and random bits stuck on a makeshift mezzanine level. We spoke briefly with someone who was unloading a truck who said that stock turnover is pretty high so you could easily pop in here once a week and see new things every time. Very cool, very funky and very much full of things I want in my house.

This building used to be the local post office that had to close down due to the locals not using…read moreit enough, thankfully there is something new there to replace it. It's such a shame for a small village to have hardly any facilities available to passing trade our group was glad to see this place, that has one side that is used as an antique shop and the other for a tea room. The cafe has not got a hot food licence so can only offer sandwiches and a bowl of soup if you are lucky, we where at least able to get a good cup of tea and something to eat to recharge our batteries. My friend had a sandwich with the only choice available being cheese and tomato, but there is a good selection of home baking on display. The lady that served us was nice and chatty, that made our visit a pleasant experience.

lovely wee tearoom and secondhand shop run by 2 friendly ladies…read more We stopped in to Simpatica on the way back from a walk - and what a delight! Not only did the owners stay open a little later for us they also allowed us to bring in our wee dog and we were then treated to an assortment of homemade soup, freshly baked cakes and teas and coffees all at a very reasonable price. The two ladies running the shop are just lovely - really friendly and chatty added to the whole experience and you are surrounded by beautiful, ornate vintage homeware and oddities. It's like a step back in time this little gem of a place where your tea is served in beautiful china tea cups and saucers in a homely enviroment. Definitely worth stopping in if you are passing through / in the area.

One of only 2 stores on the Royal Mile that is still owned and operated by the same family. The…read moreowners have amassed an amazing collection of truly beautiful pieces of jewelry from a range of prices. You'll find £200 silver rings from the 90s to priceless sapphire necklaces from the 1700s. But for as exquisite as their pieces are, the owners are extremely friendly and, if you ask, will tell you all about the various eras of the Royal Mile. My fiancée tried on a gorgeous silver necklace from a 1940s/50s contemporary of Frida Kahlo, and provided us with a packet of documentation proving it. After buying the piece (it looks amazing on her) we looked up the jewelry designer and found that, frankly, they could have been charging a lot more for the necklace. We walked away with an amazing deal, a beautiful necklace, and probably the best interaction I've ever had at a jewelry shop in my life.

This jewelry store is one very, very special place. Yes, they have amazing gorgeous jewelry, but…read morethe store is way more than that - visiting this store is an experience - a wonderful experience. The kind and brilliant brothers that run the place are nothing short of remarkable. They have taught me so much about jewelry, the history of the jewelry and the area. I visit this store every time I go to Edinburgh, would not miss it.

Located toward the harbour end of South Queensferry's historic high street, is this little antique…read moreand curios shop. Sea Kist sells antiques pertaining to all things sea related! Actually it sells a lot of bits and bobs but mostly paintings of the sea, model sea ships, old shipping equipment. I like a lot of this sort of thing, especially genuine sea faring gear, it has a real charm. I'm not such a fan of the large numbers of model ships and only mediocre quality paintings. But I definelty like this shop's focus. Antique shops can come in different varieties. There are very pretentious and snooty ones, and then there are ones like Sea Kist, welcoming everybody, affordable, honest. It certainly adds something to the street, and is especially relevant given it placing right opposite the fantastic views of the Forth and the Forth bridges.

As a young child I was always fascinated by the tales of pirates and the Royal Navy, till this day…read moreI am still very much interested in the adventures on the high seas! So as I was walking down the High Street, I could not but be drawn into this shop. This shop sells antiques which are all related to the high seas! From old water colour paintings to fabulous replica models of ships, this shop sells it! The shop is quite small inside and is well stocked with the amount of antiques it has. If you want some old seas faring equipment and travel back to the days of Nelson and Black beard, and then pay Sea Kist a visit!

Dotted around the villages on the coast of Fife are little gift shops. And in Aberdour, Antiques…read moreand Gifts certainly seemed to be one of the more popular ones. The shop did not stock your normal tacky tourist rubbish but instead stocked a mixture of antiques with hand crafted gifts. In terms of antiques the shop seemed to display a lot of china, including old tea pots and also a range of old worn out cuddly bears. Additionally the shop also offered framed pictures and prints. It all seemed very nice but it was not my cup of tea to be honest. In terms of gifts there were mostly textiles. The shop seemed busy but as I browsed through, I realised that this shop probably did get a lot of people in who viewed their goods but were unlikely to buy anything. And in a time of recession these shops probably will struggle. None the less, a good shop to go to if you want to pick up an antique for a gift!

The Scottish Antique and Arts Centre made me feel like Alice. - It really does feel like some kind…read moreof wonderland; an emporium of the nostalgic, with room after exciting room. A huge part of me loves the mystery of something pre-loved. - And the SAAC definitely got this part of me giddy. Seriously. This is legitimately a vintage clothing, music, jewellery, glass, furniture, EVERYTHING shop. The place is HUGE. And they have a cafe and gift shop. You could really lose track of time, and even then, you'd feel like there was more to see. I didn't want to miss anything, and I've already planned my next visit, alongside a list of folks who I know will love it as much as I do. Price-wise, yes, antiques can be expensive business but if you're planning to buy a gift for someone special, then you could most definitely stay within budget. The jewellery section was absolutely stunning with an amazing amount of choice and a variety of prices too. Equally so, if you're looking for something really really special and prepared to spend that bit more, you won't be stuck for choice here. - There are just so many beautiful things I felt free to wander and, whilst staff walked around the centre and CCTV was in operation, it wasn't intrusive and it didn't make me feel uncomfortable. You could visit just for the sake of visiting and make a real day of it, and even go to the cafe afterwards. - Something I've a feeling I'll want to do again and again and again.

Ooooooh - a treasure trove !…read more Whether you're looking for something in particular or just fancy a dig around in some antiques, SAAC is a great place. They do furniture, books, paintings, jewellery, clothes, old toys, coins, postcards - heck, just about anything! And when you're done there's a wee coffee shop there too. Brilliant for a rainy day or for hunting down that prize chesterfield furniture.

I loved this little shop! the ladies were friendly & I found some lovely pieces of Staffordshire.read more

This place reminded me of a junk shop but this one was a little better, there was a few old items…read morehere but not quite antique this is overall a good unusual shop that has something for the collected of old and retro items

Let me tell you a story about a wicker chair…read more Breezing by on a Tuesday afternoon, I was drawn to Courtyard Antiques not just because of its beautiful back lane building, but by a conveniently placed, quaint wicker chair sitting pretty by the shop door. On closer inspection, I realised said chair had caved in at the side - tragic, since it was The One (as far as chairs go anyway). It's a lovely moss green colour with embroidery on the seat. Not being put off by appearances and seeing its potential (I sound like a talent scout - for chairs), I ventured inside to ask the lady how to fix it. What followed was bizarre and wonderful. She had a look at the article, diagnosed it as having been run over, and then offered to give me it for free since she couldn't bear looking at its disfigured side. Insisting that I shouldn't but thanking her for her generosity, I eventually ended up leaving with the battered airloom since she wouldn't let me leave it. Vowing to love it, I wandered half a mile down towards Morningside before ditching the chair in apple blossomed suburbia (Grange Road). It was heartbreaking, leaving the chair spurned and rejected like that, but I had to review...I had to review. I also stay in Glasgow and don't drive, you do the math. Hours later, I got caught with a pang of guilt. That chair had survived since the 50s (so I was informed) and there was a light shower...I had to save it! Hurrying way back westward, the chair was (unbelievably) still there! School kids had not ravished it, dogs had not pooed on it, and no one had snaffled it up. I carried it back and offered it to another antique stockist nearby who is now storing it for me till next week. How lovely are those people?! He didn't even think I was ridiculous for waddling about for miles with a chair...he didn't bat an eyelid. I should've really spared you that story and talked some more about Courtyard, but I had to tell somebody! On with the rest of the review...it's a very classy establishment and looks like an old extended living room. Sometimes looks like a drawing room in parts (that'll be the Georgian tables and Victorian dressers). There's an eclectic assortment of stock very neatly and lovingly placed around the store. Prices vary depending on what you're buying but everything is in mint condition, so it's an investment more than anything else. I'm not just five starring because I got a free chair out of this. It's great to come across somewhere professional and tidy, where the staff really care about the stock. That's why, despite its flaws, I'm gonna love that chair forever - because even bfore its accident it was well maintained by a woman who is passionate about her job and her customers! Conservation For Chairs - it's my new chairty.

A lot of antiques shops can from the exterior seem a little oppressive, uninviting and almost…read moresmugly looking down on you and encouraging you to walk past on the basis that it's unlikely you'll be doing more than just browsing. I'm not too offended, because this is largely the case, though I do still like walking round antiques shops, just on the off chance I'll stumble upon something that I simply must have or that will prove to be unbelievably useful which I would have never found elsewhere. However, as you can probably tell from the photo, this place has more of a relaxed feel to it and feels inviting even to a self confessed browser like me. Once you've ventured into the shop you'll find that this is your stereotypical antiques shop with a wide variety of items on display ranging all the way between furniture and little trinkets. As antiques shops go this is the best kind - the kind you can spend ages searching through before unveiling some hidden treasure. Quite frankly it's a pleasure just walking round and you are likely to find something that will catch your imagination enough to encourage a purchase.