The British Heart Foundation charity store, located on a street full of charity shops, manages to…read morestand out because of its impressive window display of the latest items available in the store. This shop is literally packed with everything you can expect from DVDs to clothes to books and bric-a-brac. As with all charity shops it's ideal to browse, and best if you aren't looking for something particular or else have a vague idea of what you want (i.e a white t shirt for a dress up). The prices are not the lowest on the street but it's still worth a browse around and in both cases that I have been in here the staff have been super friendly!

I nipped in here for a wee browse last week and it really is crammed to bursting. Most charity…read moreshops only have a couple of second hands videos/DVD's but they literally have hundreds here all very well organised and easy to browse. To be fair, if you go to somewhere like Fopp or HMV you will probably get brand new ones for cheaper but I guess you're getting a reasonably cheap item plus you're giving to a good cause so if you're feeling in a giving mood maybe head here. They had a great selection of clothes and if you take the time to browse I'm sure there's lots of pretty items just waiting to be uncovered. They also have an extensive range of knick knacks and I had my eye on a candle holder shaped like an old flip flop, one of the funniest designs I've ever seen, I'm surprised the original owner could bear to part with it.

Capability Scotland is Scotland's leading disability charity so you know that whatever you buy in…read morethis charity shop branch on Nicolson Street, the money will end up going to a good cause. This branch is well stocked with a good selection of books, clothing, shoes and bric-a-brac. The prices are also very reasonable, and by that I mean they are actual charity shop prices. I've been into charity shops where they sell old tat for £100+ which I just find ridiculous. Yeah, it's for a good cause but some people don't have enough money themselves to be that generous. The staff in this branch are also very friendly and when I popped in I was greeted by a smiley staff member and it made the shop all the more welcoming.

I love this charity shop. The staff and volunteers are super friendly and helpful…read more They have a huge stock room upstairs so it's worth asking if you're after something particular and can't find it. The prices are reasonable. The book selection isn't that big but again there is a good range of stuff. I went in looking for a few cocktail glasses and ended up coming out with 25 and a box to carry them in. They have a huge range and even more upstairs that they'll let you have the pick of if you ask nicely.

This is a well stocked charity shop with a good range of bric-a-brac and all for a good cause, of…read morecourse. I particularly like browsing through the book sections in charity shops and they had a whole section called "Old and Interesting" with some pretty old school books including old film reviews which I thought was pretty cool. The staff here are friendly and on my visit they were busy working away organising new stock onto the shelves. They also have a section with brand new items including gardening accessories such as cool watering cans and gloves. They also had a box of rubber ducks for £1.99 a pop.

This is possibly the cheapest of the central charity shops especially if you are looking for books…read more Even the best books which you won't find anywhere else for less than about £3 will be found here at £1.50 if you are lucky enough to stumble upon them. However, due to the cheapness of these items the stock moves fairly quickly so a one off visit is not always very successful. The bric-a-brac section is also very good with a selection of kitchen appliances usually available. These are very tempting at the prices and I did have to stop myself from buying a second kettle. All in this shop is cheap, but this does mean that the best items don't spend long in the shop.

I'll never forget the day I walked past this Shelter shop and spotted a huge gold batik print…read moreopened out as a backdrop for the window display. It. was. beautiful. And it was only £30, which is more than a bargain in anyone's book. Unfortunately, my then boyfriend who I was walking with didn't pick up on any of the ten or so hints I dropped on the way home, even though it was 3 weeks to christmas (!) and so sadly it doesn't belong to me. Whoever does own it, you are very lucky. And you have amazing taste. The moral of my ramble is this: whilst some charity shops' stock is not the sort of thing you'd drool over in the window, this place definitely does not fall into that category. It's like a cross between a vintage clothes shop and a one-off homeware boutique, but at amazing prices. What's not to love?!

Shelter is a charity shop, so I feel a little politically incorrect bashing it, but my complaints…read moreare totally aesthetic. The other ones on the street, namely Oxfam, Cancer Research and Barnado's are so much nicer to look at! One the one hand, the other stores may just be better at concealing the fact that all these products have been owned by someone else (a fact I'm sadly not too comfortable with) but it'd also help if Shelter was a little bit better organised. What it does have going for it is that it's not as strict on what it sells, so you could leave with anything from a tunic made in India (I did!), some cooking utensils, a book, or a colourfully sequined hat!

My mum collects handbags, particularly old school/vintage ones so sent me on a mission the other…read moreday to go round the charity shops to see if I could find any for her collection and if I bought them for her she'd give me the money back. I've heard that one before... I strolled around pretty much every charity shop in the city centre to no avail, it was quarter to five and I'd almost given up hope when I saw a sparkly, mother of pearl handbag in the window of this Cancer Research store. Bingo! After staring at it in the window, I quickly marched inside. Well, tried to march inside, there were still a lot of people inside but they'd locked the door as they were trying to close up. A second later everyone left and the staff grabbed their stuff and turned the lights off... it was still ten to five. I guess they must have been in a hurry to close up, maybe they had something planned but it was a shame as my mum would have really like that bag and all the other stores on the street are open till 5-5.30. Oh well, there's always next time! Peering through the window, I noticed a whole host of clothing, books, bric-a-brac and a good selection of jewellery too. Maybe next time I'll actually get to explore it inside.

One of several charity shops in a cluster on Nicolson Street. In some ways I prefer the layout and…read morelook of the others like Shelter or Oxfam more. However in terms of actually buying clothes I have bought come great things here. They seem to regularly have trousers that fit me, which is rare for charity shops which seem to be mostly larger trousers and rarely below 32" waist. Here though there have been several my size and sometimes smaller. Actually not smaller as (in adults sizes) you can't get smaller. I can currently fit into a wonderful pair of size 26 jeans from here, just got to keep it that way. Also got a coat a while ago from here. With prices like they have, you can impulse buy without regretting it when you look at your bank statement.

Forget the second hand charity bookshops you may know, this charity bookshop has set a new…read morestandard. It not only has a good variety and selection of books but also (for once) has a very good stacking and arrangement system making it easy to browse around. The prices are at a minimum and the quality of the books is good. I also really the wooden floors and layout which give it a very warm atmosphere. The people who work there are always super chatty and lovely and don't mind at all for your browsing as long as you like. Their stock is constantly renewed too. For those who don't know Barnardos is a charity focused completely on children of any background and supports them to succeed their full potential and dreams as well as campaigning for children's rights. So good books and a good cause what more do you want ?

You get a range of types of book shops throughout Edinburgh ranging from the expensive but well…read morestocked all the way to the cheap but in short supply. This book shops pretty much sits in the middle of the spectrum - you have a good range and reasonable, if not cheap, prices. It's particular highlight is its cookery books and its classic. An aged classic hardback will set you back £2, not overly cheap, but reading a hardback aged book is an absolute delight and makes you feel much smarter than if you were just reading some ordinary paperback. Even better though are the cook books - some of the best around and generally great value. In addition to all the the education books are well worth checking out as you may find something of value here for what are reasonable prices. A friendly bookshop well worth a visit.

Stunning four storey building built inside what was a former church. The Eric Liddell Centre is a…read morecharity with services for the people of Edinburgh including six suites for room hire for all sorts of events and gatherings. There's a really nice community cafe which is generally open from 10am - 4pm Mon -Fri and on Saturdays too. Their scones are some of the best I've ever tasted and they're huge too. They have a small exhibition area with information boards all about Eric Liddell's inspirational life, as well as three charity shops within the building selling babies and children's clothes (Tots Togs), books "The Bookroom" and the wonderfully named "Eric's Emporium" selling household items. It's well worth a visit!

The dancing society I help run recently held a short course at the Eric Liddell Centre. We were up…read moreon the 4th floor in a lovely vaulted room. The floor was mega slippy (good for dancing but worth bearing in mind), but due to the nature of the building it is sadly windowless. The building itself is a curious blend of traditional 19th century church and modern extention , but it works. There's a cafe and shop on the ground floor, and very helpful reception staff who were on hand to provide us with water, speakers and more. I can't speak for other events, but we definitely found the Centre to be a very good venue indeed.

What a neat spot! This historical spot is rich with stories, but also has some of the most…read moredelicious ice cream I have ever had. Get your Scottish trinkets and grab a scoop of ice cream before you leave!

I don't get this place isn't listed as an ice cream establishment, because the ice cream here is…read morenext level great! Wow! Get the award winning double cream vanilla and the raspberry sorbet! So. Damn. Good!