We made a lunch stop here on the way home from our brief but brilliant summer holiday in Galloway…read morelast week. A word to the wise about deciding to have lunch in Castle Douglas on a Saturday: don't arrive too hungry. Since CD now has official designation as a "Food Town," people come here in DROVES for lunch at the weekend. We waited quite a while at a different cafe, but left to look for something more immediate before we began chewing off our own arms. Enter the Designs Cafe... We walked in at the street level and passed through the shop and down the stairs to get to the cafe. I found the dining area surprisingly large and the menu far more expansive than I expected. There was a soup of the day and a lovely assortment of toasties, panini, salads and a few hot mains, not to mention several tempting cakes in the pastry case. We sat outside, as it was a gorgeous sunny day (where was this weather on our camping holiday, hello?!) and devised a game plan: toasties for the boys, just soup for my husband and a cajun chicken wrap with guacamole and a side salad for me. I walked in to place our order. A few minutes later, the most beautiful toasties I had ever seen in my life appeared on our table, along with the lovely items we grown-ups had ordered. My wrap tasted fabulous, and I sneaked a little spoonful of the soup, which also met with my approval. A quick look at the boys' empty plates (except for the mustard and pickle garnish) showed that they enjoyed the food, too. The general consensus is that the food looked and tasted great, and was quite satisfying. We left full and happy - a lovely experience.

Impressive café excellent coffee, cakes and light meals. I have to highly recommend this…read moreestablishment; I consider it the best in Castle Douglas. The gift shop has a superior selection of books and a fascinating selection of goods.

I LOVE this shop. They have everything from wool, to paint, to precious stones…read more The staff are all really nice, and helpful. The only down-side, is that the shop's too small for everything in it, so it's a bit difficult to manoeuvre my daughter's pram around the shop (only the bottom floor - no lift).

This is a quirky wee treasure trove, full to its original rafters with gifts, cards, homeware,…read morejewellery and accessories. If you're lucky you'll spot its resident cat roaming around and adding to the loveliness of the place. I always pop in for a wee look around when I visit Portpatrick and I tend to bring home some lovely jam and gifts for friends and family. There's a real community feel about Portpatrick and I've heard that Campbell's restaurant across the road gets its ornate and handmade cutlery from the Lighthouse Pottery. Some things are a little on the pricey side, but that's often understandable when you take a look at the care, attention and detail put into many of the hand-crafted gems on offer.

This is a large stall in the covered market. Great for haberdashery (not many places left which…read moresell this kind of stuff). Lots of buttons, ribbons, bells and other stuff which is very handy if you're making fancy dress costumes for your kids. Also sells knitting wool, feather boas, beads and card making stuff. Much cheaper than going to chains too. Helpful staff.

From the owner: Haberdashery and yarn in the heart of Carlisle. Situated in the historic Carlisle market hall we…read moreguarantee to cater to all your haberdashery, card making and knitting needs at affordable prices. With stores across Britain its no wonder we are Britain's leading haberdashers and yarn merchants

This is a great little traditional shop stocking all the wool and cotton you could ever want…read more A dying breed, this is a gem of a shop which should become protected! They stock a number of different brands of wools in every colour you can imagine. They also sell some knitted products including baby products and shawls. The owner will also knit to order!

A lovely little surprise of a place in the heart of Ambleside. It makes a welcome change from shop…read moreafter shop of walking gear, Beatrix Potter souvenirs and other tourist shops. There are 2 floors full to the gunnels of all kinds of products from great British designers as well as some other cool Europeans ones too. All modern, funky little unique designs from the Sedburgh Soap company Bud Duck, the Big Tomato Company, Suck Uk who produce the most adorable Salt and Pepper Bots and quirky stationary products from Takkoda, to name just a few. Some of my favourite finds in the store were the cookie stamps, adorable magnets in the shape of sparrows and Babbushkups, a trio of Russian Doll inspired glasses.

I love this store... mostly because they have such an assortment of items that I can find something…read morefor everyone I am shopping for... and myself of course. I particularly love the journals/books. Last time I purchased a Listography journal, this time I purchased a journal that gives you hundreds of topics to write about. Not just any kind of topic, but things like: Write a love letter to a person you dislike, What would you buy from the SkyMall catalogue and why?, or write a ransom note. More stuff to keep me from actually being productive! I also purchased a humorous Mother's Day card (my mom is American, but I feel the need to send her a card on British Mothering Day as well... lucky she is, two Mother's Days in one year) and a coffee mug for myself that says 'BLIMEY' and on the back it explains that it is an exclamation of surprise. Better than any tacky tourist souvenir shop. Of course there were a lot of things that I did not purchase, otherwise I would not have been able to have a very luxurious lunch... and dinner, but it is hard to narrow it all down. For example, the 'Poo Log' and the 'What My Poo Tells Me" books would be fantastic purchases for people like my brother, but completely unnecessary. If you are looking for others, souvenirs, or just something for yourself... bypass everything else and stop here!

Sweet little quilt shop in thr middle of nowhere on the way to Edinburgh. The signs are fairly hard…read moreto see, but its worth the stop in. A sign warns you that there are " Free range children" about so drive carefully. Once inside there is a spectacular(if small) assortment of lovely colorful fabrics perfect for making that spring or other seasonal quilt. In the other room you'll find other fabrics designed for more sturdy household uses. The ladies here were very friendly and the lap dog was a delight.

A lovely little shop with everything you need for needlework. I visited this shop attempting to…read morefind a gift for someone. I didnt really know what I was looking for but the shop assistant was very helpful and accommodating. Despite being an older lady she was quite happy to run up and down ladders retrieving products for me to have a look at. The shop was very well laid out despite its small size and awkward dimensions. Needlework isnt something that I am personally interested but I easily found the perfect gift and a look around the shop certainly captured my imagination. If I was looking for similar goods in the future this would be the first place I would visit.

From the owner: A traditional haberdashery shop. We also sell wool and yarns and patterns. We run an alterations…read moreservice and act as agents for Buccleuch Cleaners.