Small friendly shop. Variety of board games for all ages. Table top role play and minis plus…read morepaints. Had a great chat with the staff and found not only some stuff for myself but also got some gifts to bring back for others. Liked it was in a quiet part of town away from all the tourist chaos and that it was a small business store and not a big box location. Highly recommend.

Ask your average Edinburgh resident where or what Black Lion is and they will probably point you…read moretowards the zoo. Ask your average nerd and they will point you towards Buccleuch St. If war-games, role-playing, board games, trading cards or anything of that sort is your thing, then Black Lion Games is the place for you. Don't be put off by its dark dingy exterior and grated windows, inside is bright fresh (newly refurbished) treasure trove for your inner child and suppressed imagination. There is nowhere else in Edinburgh quite like it. Black Lion should be intelligent-geek central. Given its relatively small size, the shop has a great range of stock. If they don't have something in, they will order it for you promptly. There is a nice variety of role-playing books, from well known games like Dungeons and Dragons and World of Darkness to less well known and independent games. The owners will be happy to help, and won't patronise you if you're just looking for a chess set and don't know what a level 20 Tarrasque is. The shop also supplies war-game miniatures and card games like Magic the Gathering or Legend of the Five Rings. To complement this nice dice, paints and other accessories are available. However if poring over vast tomes of rules and rolling dice isn't your sort of thing, there is also a great selection of classic and new board games and traditional games like chess, dominoes and backgammon. The staff will also be happy to get you started on a new hobby and games are sometimes run in the shop too. Don't be intimidated by nerds in their own territory, this place is worth a browse even if the closest thing to "Magic: The Gathering" you've got so far is the Beltane Fire Festival. The cost for board-games, role-playing books and miniatures always gears towards the pricey, but with the fluctuating popularity of such things, and the ever erratic role-playing market, Black Lion does a good job of just keeping itself going. It's also one of the few local, businesses like it, not just in Edinburgh but in Scotland and across the UK. A cool and original shop. Highly recommended.

I have shopped at Wonderland Models numerous times. Selection of models is amazing, with a number…read moreof bargains to be had. Staff have always assisted me with open and honest service, even if it meant me spending less. I will be visiting again next week and already looking forward to going.

Wow! So many rooms of treasures!!! If you are a affectionado of model anything, this is the place…read moreto come. It's so fun to wander the neighborhoods wherever you are visiting to stumble across local businesses that are also dedicated to their particular craft, love, hobby, etc. I bought several of the cardboard models for stocking stuffers and had to resist buying a VW van one for fun because the suitcase is full of treats already. Wonderful helpful staff as well make this shop an absolute must stop and buy!

This place looks friendly and fun from the outside and, surprisingly, isn't full of middle aged…read morevirgins. The guys inside are enthusiastic about their hobbies which include model railways and scaled buildings. I find the doll's houses with the miniature furniture a bit creepy and perplexing, but there must be people out there who are into it. They also sell model planes and cars in all their intricate parts along with glue, paints and DIY intstructions. None of this is really up my street, but I can understand the attraction to creating something detailed and impressive from scratch. It's all quite expensive, but you're paying the quality and the realism of the products. I doubt I'll be back here, but if you're into this stuff then it'll be a great place to meet like-minded people.

I went in here with a rather eccentric uncle once a long time ago - as it's one of those kind of…read moreplaces. I then went again more recently to find a model of my boyfriend's 1984 Mercedes 200 123. Which they didn't have, but it gave me the opportunity to browse the range of tiny little models that opened my eyes to a world of craftsmanship I didn't even know existed. Trains, cars, boats, planes, all perfectly scaled down. Wonderful. They do have an online shop, but where's the fun of that? The internet certainly doesn't take me back to my childhood, but tiny figurines do, also falling out of trees takes me back but that's nothing to do with anything.

The Number 1 Bead Shop/Mylers Emporium is a mixture of crystals, jewellery, beads to make your own…read morejewellery and there's also a selection of Scottish inspired art work. My interest when I popped in here the other day was with the jewellery. I used to work in a jewellers in Glasgow and I always meant to take up an evening course in jewellery making but have never got round to it. I was curious about the jewellery making class here which is a one off class that costs £20 and during the class you are supplied with all the materials to make your own necklace, earring and bracelet set which you get to keep. There was a really friendly young man serving when I popped in and he told me all about the course and was very informative on all the stock when I was browsing. They have an excellent selection of beads in all different colours and made from various different materials, all very reasonably priced. If you are into jewellery making then in addition to buying the beads from here, you can also get the tools and wires here too. At the front of the shop there's also an excellent range of stunning crystals which are perfect for gifts or a treat for yourself as they'd look great around the house. Overall, an excellent shop, with great stock and friendly stars. I will definitely be back, hopefully to sign up for the jewellery making course!

Normally I would just pass by a Bead shop, as I am not particularly interested in doing "beady"…read morestuff, but on this occasion I was drawn into the No 1 Bead shop by its shop window display of colourful jewelry. I took a fancy in their selection of bracelets for a reasonable price and decided to walk into the shop for a good look around. After rattling on their door and still not being able to open, I realized (after a very embarrassing moment of self observation) that the door was locked and you had to ring a bell to be able to be let in. There was a very nice man behind the counter who acted very swiftly. He was also very efficient in showing me all their jewelry and making suggestions. With the bracelet there also came a corresponding little gift box and I was able to chose from a limited selection of colourful empty boxes. In the back of the shop I saw a massive collection of different beads (forms and colours) and there were a few people browsing. As mentioned, my experience with beads is pretty much nil, but I give this shop a 5 star until I will find another shop to compare it against :-)

Okay so Games Workshop is a chain store but as most uber nerds will know, every Games Workshop is…read moredifferent. If you don't know already, the Games Workshop (or GW) is a UK based retailer which sells their own line of war-gaming miniatures across several table top based games collectively known as "Warhammer". In short Warhammer is a fantasy/sci-fi battle game in which the collector buys models, constructs and paints those models, puts together armies and plays an opponent in what amounts to very complicated Chess with a lot of luck thrown in. Sound overly complex or just weird? Not if you're basically ten years old at heart. One reason for writing a review for this GW is that I believe it's a great place for getting "the hobby" started. Every GW offers starter games to people who are starting to collect or are just simply interested. I have witnessed several games here and the staff seem particularly good at teaching the rules simply and emphasising the core of the game (particularly to younger players). In general the staff are really chatty and helpful. My collecting of Warhammer has been a bit on and off over the past couple of years due to the financial burden, but the staff are always eager to catch me up on the latest news. Some GW can come across as a bit overbearing, with local players always camped there and staff protective over their little club. This GW has never seemed like that and I am always comfortable walking in and asking questions or just browsing. It's also a great location, smack back in the middle of the Royal Mile. The stock is more or less the same as in other GW, with the various major games including popular The Lord of the Rings battle game. Having said this I seem to have been especially lucky in this shop in finding what I have been looking for. A great Games Worksop with helpful staff and a friendly atmosphere. Good for those already into the hobby, those just starting out or those even remotely interested.

Dabbled in these games once upon a time but had neither the patience nor the geek-factor required…read moreto become a 'gamer'. Did love painting the wee models though. As far as Game Workshops go the Edinburgh outlet is pretty solid. Small compared to others around the country but the seem to have an active community that game there frequently, the staff have always been friendly and helpful and continue to be so, and the artists in house are a talented and creative bunch. Do still love a neb in the window to see the creative aspect of the hobby. Prices - as always - however are stratospheric. Very glad the hoby didn't stick...!

Its a big shop full of creative stuff catering for all types of crafts and hobbies…read more The one complaint might be that although they touch on many different crafts, they dont specialise too much in any. Probably ok if you dont specialise and are looking to try new things, but perhaps not catering for those past the beginners stage. Another drawback is that as they are located in the edge of town retail park, they are not that easy to reach unles you have a car.

I really needed some kind of notice board and from being there from previous experience I know they…read morelegit have everything you could want. Anyway so I looked a few other stores which where more convenient to get to, and to no avail I chose to go to a store that I know would have it. Such great variety. Lovely staff. Laura, was amazing she's really friendly and had a laugh with her. Great experience and would recommend anyone with Arts and Crafts or general purpose needs to come here. Not just a girls store too lads

While in town entertaining some out of town guests, we stopped in every Christmas shop we possibly…read morecould as our friend is an even bigger fan of Christmas than I am. This shop, while quite small, is packed full with various types of Christmasy things like ornaments, stockings, and loads of nick knacks to fill up any room of your house! Even though this isn't my favourite of the bunch we stopped in to, I do love the feeling it gives me when I walk in- all sorts of happiness and joy is felt just at the sight of the ornaments and the sound of Christmas music. If you're looking for Christmas stuff any time of the year, this is definitely one shop to venture to. Make no mistake, all the prices are relatively the same from shop to shop, so if you see one, buy it. It's more than likely bound to be the same price at the next shop.

A Christmas themed shop right bang slap on the historic Royal Mile. Jackpot!…read more I've enthused in one of my other Christmas shop reviews about how I become some sort of juvenile, santa and magic believer when the calendar hits the 1st December, and I'll do the same here. Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe gives you the opportunity to open a door and step into a world of enchanted, sparkly delights, where Christmas happens all year round if you want it to, with the shop space being your winter wonderland arena, where you can marvel at all the decorations and visualise your future tree, even if it's scorching hot outside (unlikely). There are some beautiful decorations here, which include an Alice in Wonderland and a historical range, with the adornments leaning towards the classic side of Christmas tree decoration rather than being super modern, but I like the traditional side of the festival season, so that suits me.

I enjoyed finding this shop while visiting Edinburgh. There is something for every fossil lover…read morehere.

When I was younger I was fanatical about my Treasures of the Earth magazine collection. I can feel…read morethe excitement coming back to me in waves of the day a new mag was released, and thus I could own a brand new gemstone! Mr Woods Fossils appeals to that side of me which I've never fully grown out of. I thought it was too unusual a store to pass by, but I didn't expect to find so many relics in here! Not only does this unique shop specialise in fossils, but they sell massive pieces of pyrite, amethyst or quartz. There is a whole section dedicated to minerals of all shapes and sizes. I never thought I'd go shopping and find a place where I could buy a piece of meteorite. Not only are they great for collectors but a piece of moon rock would make a rather significant and romantic gift if you're feeling inventive! Prices on quirky keepsakes such as the Mars rock vary but make Mr Woods a very unique place to shop indeed. With its stock ranging from shark tooth necklaces to massive pieces of minerals, it's more like a museum than a store on the Grassmarket. Need a 13500 year old bison jawbone? Then come on down to this fossil hot spot!

I am not a numismatic myself. If you don't know what that word means, you're probably not one…read moreeither. It doesn't refer to some sort of respiratory disorder, nor to an obscure sexual perversion - it's actually the term for someone who collects coins. Collects them in a deliberate, hobbyish sort of way, I mean, and doesn't just continually accumulate annoying piles of coppers at the bottom of their purse. Anyway. If coins are your thing, the Edinburgh Coin Shop is an obvious destination for you. It's a decidedly old-fashioned shop, with its peeling painted sign, gloomy interior and grime-encrusted windows, but inside is a wealth of small monies, and I get the impression that the people who run it know their stuff, and will be probably be able to answer any coin-related enquiries that you care to throw at them.

Hidden down a small and little-used laneway is the Edinburgh Coin Shop. So small you'll miss it if…read moreyou blink, so non-descript you might not know you've found it even while standing directly outside, it has a potent mixture of old-world charm and a greasy, under-hand, second-hand purveyor of anything, no questions asked. But this shop holds marvels of history, ancient coins medallions dating back to the Greeks, Romans and beyond. For a handful of change or a note or two, you can own a hand pressed silver Tetrobol from Histaea on the isle of Euboea from the 3rd century BC. Nothing brings human history into such sharp relief as exchanging coins of current mintage for those of long lost civilisations. Even if you do not intend to shop, the Coin Shop is definitely worth a look.