McAlipne's has been operating for years. Adam McAlpine is a watch and clock repair expert. I have…read moretaken wathces here of batteries, straps, cleaning and servicing. Watches that only need a few things done like a battery are done there and then. Once, he brought back to life a treasured moon phaase watch of mine by ordering a new logic board for it. Very few watch repair guys would be able to accomplish such a feat. He is so inexpensive. If you need watch repair, make the trip to Portobello High Street.

As a local resident I have used Mcalpines for years and have never been disappointed in the quality…read moreof the service. I was concerned that a new battery for a very expensive and exceptionally thin Zenith watch would be a problem but no it was fitted while I waited. A new strap for my other watch was also fitted while I waited. Total cost £11-50 superb value for money. Can thoroughly recommend.

A shop dedicated to ties & scarves you ask! Well, yes, Portobello has a shop dedicated just to…read morethese items of clothing! Situated on the far end of the Portobello High Street this shop does not appear very grand from the outside. Indeed, the front of the shop is quite minimal, not bland, but not trying to stand out in the crowd of shops. Inside, as you expect is a great range of ties and scarves for all. From formal to more modern ties, this shop has it all (albeit, in a limited number). Also, the scarves on offer are not just your normal woolly, winter scarves but also come in the form of silk scarves, scarves which are very much suitable for summer weather! The shop was quite quiet when I visited it, indeed the atmosphere of this quiet shop really did match its appearance. The prices are quite expensive, but for a good quality tie and scarf I would not be complaining. However, part from that, there were many stylish ties to buy, and I may even pay this shop a visit again for a classy tie.

This is another one of Angela B.'s and I's stops when we visit Edinburgh. Angela introduced me to…read morethis wee jem the last time we were venturing in the Burgh. Located in Princes Mall, next to Edinburgh Waverley Train Station, it stocks loads of cool bags. When I came through previously I was carrying my Asda bag for life plastic carrier. I was not looking cool at all and to be honest I hate carrying things in my hands as I'm always worried I will put down somewhere then leave it by accident. Here was like an "Ahhhhhh!" moment for me and they had great wee backpacks. They had ones ideal for what I needed. I was introduced to cool Prosport cartoon bags. I loved them all!!! I picked with one with a pirate lady theme. I loved it! The girl was lovely and helped me picked one where you could see my pirate lady clearly. Now my Asda plastic carrier bag now lives in my awesome sexy pirate lady mini backpack. It's affordable and they have a really good selection. They also stock travel sized bags and cases. In our case (excuse the pun) though we just head straight to our favourite Prosport bags.

Betty Bags is an independant shop in Princes Mall, which stocks...well, you guessed it! Bags…read more As well as bags, none of which are really to my taste to be honest, Betty also sells accessories and wee Japanese figurines. A strange mixture, but interesting to have a browse around, and to be honest, the mall doesn't offer much else to browse. I don't really go in for bright colours, diamanté and big chunky buckle type bags, or anything with cartoon characters on, but if you did, I'm pretty sure you could find something here. They stock quite a lot of Betty Boop (inspiration for the name, perhaps?) and Spongebob Squarepants figurines and memorabilia, which is reasonably priced for that sort of thing.

Very rude and nasty owner who can turn on you at any point. After getting a kilt made for £500…read morewhich was made to very poor quality I requested if these issues could be fixed he turned on me and said stop making issues and to get out of his shop. Ruined my event that I was going to that night as I now had no kilt for it and couldn't find one on such short notice.

Returning customer. Ian is very polite and helpful and gave me a generous discount on ex hire…read morePrince Charlie Jacket and waistcoat to complete my highland dress. Highly recommended.

I googled Fair Isle sweaters, Edinburgh & ended up buying two here. The staff couldn't have been…read morenicer & the sweaters are gorgeous. I don't wear the other boho items stocked & didn't do more than glance, but the uniquely beautiful sweaters were the prettiest I've seen - and I've been looking!

I love this place so much. I was in Edinburgh on business and when I had a day off I went around…read morethe town to explore a bit and stumbled upon this place. Not being super into wool and hand made items at the time, I bought one wool headband and brought it home (living in Seattle, you get COLD all the time). I grew to love this headband so much, that I now order headbands all the time from this place and have them shipped to Seattle. I cannot find yarn like the yarn at Ragamuffin ANYWHERE! It is so unique and thick, I would buy hundreds of headbands from this place if I could. Truly, they are so unique, I cannot do them justice in an explanation. I always tell people who are going to EDI for business to check this place out, and I will definitely continue ordering from this place as long as they let me. :)

One of the most beautiful stores you'll ever see. It is just…read morelike the Anthro.s in the States: colorful, original, and tempting! Unfortunately I thought it was to expensive there, so to come here where the prices are the same, just in pounds (as in, an 80 USD skirt is 80 GBP) it's crushingly expensive. I will save my pennies and scour sale racks. Still, I walk through Anthropologie just to feel inspired.

She and I, we have a strange friendship. She invites me into her home on occasion - she never comes…read moreto mine. Each time, I am quietened. For example, I will pick up a cushion, and she will casually mention its value. I'll quickly replace it, blushing. "Sorry," I say. "I'm just... it's really pretty." She smiles - laughs actually - not a tinkling, vanishing laugh, but a proper laugh full of sparkle and fun. "It's fine," she says, with a wink. But I've put the cushion back too straight. This is not a house of straightness. As she bends to re-skew it, back to the perfect angle, just so, I notice the way her dress falls. It's elegant. It's quirky. It's colourful. Oh, for a dress like that. The coffee table is laden with enormous books: Berlin. Photography. Seasonal Pies. Spaces... Spaces? They're beautiful, and they don't look like they've ever been opened. They are there to be on the table. The table, likewise, is there to bear their unread weight. A candle in a tin, too, wide, with three wicks, which have never been lit; a fresh, fruity aroma hovers around it all the same. I turn to comment on the beautiful smell but she's pulling on a patchwork apron over her beautiful dress. It messes up her hair a little bit, improves it somehow. "Let's make a cake!" she laughs - that laugh again - and pulls me out into the hall by my arm, starting to make for the kitchen. I wonder vaguely if she ought not to perhaps try making one of the Seasonal Pies instead. I nearly trip over a padded fabric doorstop on my way out, a paisley and polka-dot letter "A". Ah. Her name stops doors from closing. Of course. "I'm - I'm sorry," I stammer, un-straightening the A, checking it for a mark where I've kicked it. No. Thank goodness. "Actually, I - I have to be heading off again pretty soon." I seem in danger of knocking everything, and yet there's so much room here. Spaces. "But you never stay!" she cries, with a playful pout. "I've got these pecans to use up, you know..." "No, really, sorry, I know, ha. Um." I shrug. I'm trying now not to be standing on the rug. Has anyone ever stood on this rug? She probably stands slightly above it. "Oh, spoilsport," she grins. "Ok, off you go then. See you next time, Cressida!" "Thanks. Bye. Thanks. Bye, Anthropologie." She waves to me from the door, an embroidered oven glove on her hand, as I walk out into the street, holding nothing in mine. Already I regret leaving - already I want to go back in - already I will visit her again. I turn to wave back, but the door has closed.

Fishing. It's not a…read moresport I have ever tried, to me, it looks quite boring and you rarely ever catch a fish. So I seemed like the right sort of person to have a look in at Portobello's shop for fishing enthusiasts, Mike's Tackle Shop! Located on the high street of the Portobello, the shop is located right at the heart of the area, and certainly stands out from the crowd. When I entered I was suddenly faced with waders, fishing rods, camouflage clothing, baits and many accessories for those who like fishing! For someone who does not like fishing or has ever tried it, I was shocked by the prices of things, fishing is not something which is cheap certainly! The shop looked very professional and had many items which were clearly designer gear (designer gear in the fishing sense). I would imagine this shop would be the ideal place for beginners or experienced fishing enthusiasts to go to get all their equipment and bait for a Day's fishing!

The fishing rods in this store are pretty good value for what you get,…read more but on the other items such as fishing lines and accessories are on the expensive side. Shelves are half stocked most of the time.

Rusty Zip is a spin off of Armstrong's, and has all the quality of the vintage outlet crammed into…read morethis compact shop. Armstrong's is sprawled out in a vast space, but I quite liked being able to pick through the packed railings in here without having to travel too far! Garments are nicely ordered, well displayed (as you would expect from an Armstrong's store) and have the same fun, frilly vintage appeal. There are spangles galore, not to mention a decent selection of beaten up cowboy boots. It's worth noting that the clothes shipped off to this outlet are considerably cheaper than in Armstrong's proper, with sparkly 70s disco boob tubes coming in at a fiver! They had some nice leather jackets cheaper than I've seen elsewhere, and a good selection of clothing for guys. They had some great offers on denim shirts - if you buy a denim jacket you get one for free! The shirts were dirt cheap as it was and with denim making a big comeback this season, I can see their Lee shirts selling out faster than a speeding bullet. The staff were friendly and relaxed, going about their business while leaving me free to browse. It's a bit more laid back than Armstrong's and with more bargains. Love it!

As previous reviewers have mentioned, the Rusty Zip is a little sister of Armstrong's, one of the…read morebiggest vintage clothes stores in the City. The Rusty Zip is quite small but crammed full with garments, trinkets and accessories. I personally am a fan of their leather post man bags.My flatmate loved their shoes, which were in very good condition, and not to mention affordable, considering they were leather boots. Their cashmere jumpers are quite nice, and they have a good selection of men's clothing as well. Prices vary depending on the garment in question, and their are some true vintage pieces in here. Whether or not you would ever wear them, or if you question if vintage shops are just over-priced second-hand shops I will leave that to you. I still like the quirky finds in this shop and it's down-to-earth attitude to it's stock. (they even have 70's disco glitter boots for your Abba fever party- not just brand stuff)

Martha's l would describe as a retro shop than actual antiques shop,…read more Plenty of branded products such as ashtrays and wade figures can be found here as well as books and records. Even though I am well into my antiques the items are not old enough to tempt me to buy. They have selective opening times when they want.