This shop has almost all art supplies you may need. They also have a student discount which is a…read morepro. All the stock is very good quality and hence comes with a slightly higher price than you may find say in a supermarket. Keep your eyes peeled for notices for various art classes and art exhibitions. They have a very big selection of these amazing Japanese marker pens, which I can never get enough. The shopkeeper is lovely and chatty, and if you can't find anything, it's best to ask, because the shops small size makes it quite crammed with stuff. All in all, a great place to quench your artistic thirst for equipment, and with the student discount it makes it a bit more affordable.

For a capital city with a large art school, Edinburgh has a sore lack of art supply shops. So this…read moretiny store is one of your few options. I am just so pooped out by this shop, it only really has the basics and I find their pen and paper stocks too limiting for my needs. My main huge bug bare is the staff. They seem to have a broom up their asses and talk down to you. Aka I'm asking for something specific, I must know what I'm doing, please dear god don't patronise me in your shop. I end up walking to the art shop in the ECA as it's cheaper, has more paper stock and a couple of the staff are super helpful.

Despite some other reviews, I wanted to check this place out. I was greeted by one of the owners…read moreshortly after entering and had a pleasant conversation with her and the student who is working there while at uni. They had a nice selection of Shetland yarn that I can not get in the US. They truly were a pleasure. So glad I stopped in.

I went to this store during a recent visit to Edinburgh, despite the nasty reviews on Yelp. How bad…read morecan it be, right? Well, it was not bad at all. The ladies in there were very nice and helpful, Thank you! To all the haters out there, back off! I will be back.

I know it's a little bit late buying diaries for 2010 now but that's exactly what I did on my visit…read moreto Paperchase yesterday, they had all their diaries of all sizes reduced to only £1! Now I just can't resist a bargain so I bought myself a pretty 2010 organiser that will come in handy for my new term at Uni and will keep me on the right track for my dissertation work. I also purchased another diary reduced to £1 from £10 and it has plenty of space for writing so I'm sure I'll be able to fill it no problem with inane ramblings and doodles. I also bought my mum a birthday card which is shaped like an no.5 Chanel perfume bottle and was very reasonably priced at £2.50, I also got a couple of graduation cards for my friends who will be joining the real world in a matter of weeks. This store is quite deceptive as it looks really small from the outside but it's absolutely massive and no matter what kind of stationary you're looking for it is more than certainly here. The staff are really friendly and I was easily here for a good 50 minutes getting lost in all the stationary but nobody seemed to bothered and I felt relaxed just taking my time to browse.

Paperchase is great for picking up cards, gift wrap and stationery when you perhaps want something…read morea little different than the usual. The store feels quite stylish and the stock definitley has that sort of hip/trendy feel. It can be a little expensive, but you are paying for nicer designs and better quality. I bought a gorgeous Wedding Album in here as a gift as well as some beautiful photo frames. I also picked up some great Christmas decorations in their January sale at a very reasonable price. I always buy my notebook and pens for uni here, probably not the best way to spend my student loan but I do like the designs. Also when I ran an event I picked up some great art supplies here for posters and decorations, and received some student discount. I bought a laptop bag here in one of the quirky designs (I think it was around £12), and after a few weeks the strap broke. I returned it without the receipt and the staff were so helpful and apologetic. The bag was out of stock but they let me choose another one, no problems. I was chuffed at the good customer service here. I always find myself going in for a browse when I walk along George Street, definitely one of my favourite shops.

I'm not exactly a budding professional artist but even I have a good time in Greyfriars Art Shop…read more Situated right by Greyfriar's Church, the Art Shop is in a great central location. Feeling like its aimed at the art student (it is near the art college after all) the shop is practical and professional selling genuine tools of the trade. It's a small and sometimes crowded shop but with a decent selection of goods considering. Prices however are quite high but so is the quality. Expect to find paint, pencils, a selection of arts and craft materials as well as glitter, paper, card and anything else you could want for making homemade Christmas cards! The owners know what they are talking about (which you won't find in Tesco's stationary department) and can offer advice. It also offers a handy student discount. Charming gift vouchers are available too. A nice and practical art store, if not a little too crowded and a touch expensive at times.

I'm no artist. Ok, no, that's an understatement. When it comes to drawing, I stick to stick…read morefigures. And I do that badly, too. This doesn't, however, mean I don't aspire or fantasize. I sometimes buy myself pretty pens and pretty paper (I'm a letter-writer) and I have a strange obsession with gold paint. I went through a period of pathetically imitating King Midas, without the tragedy, that is. I found a payphone in a bin and painted it gold. Just because. Anyway, Greyfriar's Art Shop has all of the above (the pens, the paper, the gold paint). Of course, it has more than just gold paint. They have bronze, too! And all the other colours real artists use. But, in any case, I come from a family of artists, and so this shop is always one I have to take my family to play at. And I do mean play. So, if you're on a search for art supplies (good quality art supplies) and happen to know a student kicking about Edinburgh (you're bound to find one: we multiply like the plague), then fill up here.

If you want spray paints, this is your place. A gigantic range of colours on offer, it's like being…read morea kid in a sweetshop! As well as the paints and markers, there is also some interesting artwork by local artists adorning the walls, alongside other trinkets for sale which would make nice gifts. They also advertise an artist for hire service for graffiti art workshops/classes and custom artwork which could liven up some dull spaces in the city. The member of staff was also helpful and polite in answering some novice questions about graffiti art... A recent makeover means there is also some nice design work on the frontage and more artwork on display - a nice surprise on revisiting. One good reason to come and have a look at this part of the Cowgate!

Great shop specialising in Graffiti/Arts products which are always well stocked - staff very…read moreknowledgeable and happy to help. Nice range of gifts and clothing which are frequently changing. There is also a gallery space at the front of the shop with prints and originals which is nice as it suits budgets large or small. The shop also appears to have had a bit of a revamp recently with a new layout/products - see picture attached. I think they also offer graffiti classes and commissions. Definitely worth a visit!!

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!

The Works is like a mish mash of random, cheap books, toys, calendars and art supplies with the odd…read moretourist tat thrown in. It is stupidly cheap and that is reflected in the crap that they sell. However it does come in handy for buying cheap books or colouring pens for my nephew. There is sometimes some good cook books in here also, as well as some quite odd books but I'm sure there is a market for it. The shop is generally consumed by rather odd people who are peeing themselves with excitement over all the bargains and take their trip to The Works quite seriously. I bought a friend who was in love with Kylie Minogue the unofficial calendar from here, he wasn't too impressed.

I had always assumed this place was just some tourist shop so never really bothered looking in-…read morethat was, until I actually needed to buy some touristy stuff to take back with me to Australia. This place is a mish-mash of so many awesome things! Tourist shop- check. Discount bookstore- check. Arts and crafts shop- check. Random kitchen items like blenders and grills- check. It was just so much fun exploring this shop! I managed to nab a few gifts to take back with me and I'm seriously impressed at the discount books on offer (brought a whole bunch of children's books on special and Joe Wicks Lean in 15 for £10!) Honestly, I'm not quite sure what category this store would fall under, but since I had such a great time exploring I'm giving five stars! Highly recommended, the prices were more than reasonable and given the stock available you'll likely end up finding something you didn't realise you needed.

Tiger's new store is finally here! They have moved out of the derelict St James Centre and into…read more.. the dark and gloomy Waverley Mall. While their new location isn't in my favourite shopping centre, I'm just glad that they listened to my pleads so that I wouldn't have to be without my Tiger while they demolished the St James Centre. The new store is a bit smaller than the old one at St James but the aisles are less cramped and since not many people know about it yet, it is nice and peaceful. The store itself is clean, bright and the staff from the previous store have been kept on which is good because they were always cheerful when I visited the old store. The selection of stock that this store offers is great. The gift aisle was booming, as was the craft aisle. I managed to find my beloved chunky felt tips and quirky novelty gifts and pay for them with no bother at all. The cash desks are conveniently located at the front of the shop, which is so much better than the old store, where they were in the middle of everything causing a huge blockage. I will be continuing to shop at Tiger. They also have a fancy new name and instead of being called Tiger, they are now Flying Tiger Copenhagen! Talk about being fancy!

This pottery situated on the further edge of New Town is more an artists studio than just a shop…read morethat sells pots. It was started by a Janet Adam about twenty years ago, and along with several other potters, she makes and sells the most beautiful pieces! I've been aware of the more typical clay pottery, but the finished products are so expertly done and refined, it's difficult to believe they've been wholly hand made. The pots vary dramatically from one potter to another, and they're so intricate I couldn't imagine them actually being used for anything practical! We're now on the verge of the festival period, and for the next month or so, it'll be possible to head over there and see exhibitions of the artists at work! However, I'm more keen to get some one on one tuition, which they offer, as I can imagine it would be heaps of fun!

There are 6 potters working out of this little shop and all with different mediums and styles so…read moreyou are sure to find something you will want to take home. Their price are not bad and they even have a seconds area. Good place to find something for a gift or new for your own home.