Owner seemed like a great guy. We talked a bit about the city, skateboarding, Los Angeles, and…read moreCeltic. He gave me match day recs only for me to make a fool out of my self saying "I mIgHt WaNt tO fInD aN iDaH sCaRf" but he'd been transferred to Swansea months ago. anyway I got a nice shirt from them and a sticker for like £24 or something which is like $35 in America so I didn't get ripped off or anything. They have cool designs too. Next time I'm back I'll get the highland cow Ben n Jerry's dupe

Recently purchased a pair of SB Dunks from this store. I had shopped there a long time ago and…read morewould still consider myself a new customer. The customer service I received was excellent and felt very welcome from the start. Good customer service is hard to come by these days, I am pleased to say that Focus stands out by going above and beyond. I will be making more purchases with Focus in the future. A+

Boardwise is a spot on, cool ass store of surf, skate and snow wear, hidden away slightly on…read moreLochrin Place, but easy to find once you know where it is, obviously. A brilliant shopping gem to have some knowledge of if you're very good at any of the sports mentioned, or just very cool, either of the two options will do. The shop is laid out over some fairly extensive premises, and filled with sporting goodies of an advanced level, and as usual when I'm in a shop surrounded by clothing that's a million times cooler than I am, I just stand looking in awe of all the sexy plus gnarly ski jackets, which are impossibly out of my price range anyway. Although if you do come along here when the sales are on, you can absolutely grab something bargainous. You'll find tons of brands here, including Analog, Animal, Billabong, Special Blend and Addict Clothing, in menswear, ladies wear and children's sizes.

Considering it's the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh doesn't have many ski/snowboard / extreme sport…read moreshops. But Alas! There's always Boardwise! I used to come in here practically every week with my brothers, as they were really into snowboarding and roller-blading (remember that phase?!) . The other week I came in here just for a look, and I was shocked at what they had! Sure, whenever I used to come in I would sit in the corner and sulk that I wasn't getting to go to my shops so never really noticed their ladies selection. Talk about school-boy error! They have a great range of bikini's, summer dresses, flip-flops, hoodies, bags and sunglasses! Yeah it's a bit summer-orientated, but summer is on its way afterall. They have a good selection of guy's stuff too - infact, there is more for men than women, but plenty of both. I came out of Boardwise with an amazing red Quicksilver summer dress and a really bright bikini, all for under £30. It's definitely the sort of place I'll go back to, to begin my summer!

Came in here a couple of weekends ago on the tip-off from Briony. I was searching for a cycle…read morehelmet and not impressed with the style of the typical cycle helmet (I always think they look like alien eggs!) I was searching for a more skate/snowboarding style helmet to wear. 5th Blocker Skates is located above Rig Bike Shop on West Regent Street in town. I found it easily and to my surprise when I walked in I saw an old friend of mine working there! I didn't realise it is actually his partners shop but she was away on a Roller Derby bout so he was covering. Small world! I told Jim I was after a helmet and they had plenty of options ~ different makes/prices in adult & kids sizes & colours from your standard black or white ones to ones designed in a camouflage/army style, a Misfits one or even a watermelon one! Ha ha! Brilliant choice. I picked the colour/style/make I wanted and next was just to find the correct size fitting. After a few tries (I think I tried them all, just for the hell of it! Ha ha!) I found the perfect one. I went for the S-one Lifer helmet in bright pink. Jim told me that although these were a wee bit dearer (£39.99) the reason they're called 'Lifer' is that they are supposed to last you much longer than regular helmets - Jim also told me that apparently once you fall over or even accidentally drop it & it hits the floor you are supposed to replace it. I didn't know that. Before I purchased my hemet I perused the other shop wares & I was amazed by the amazing technicoloured wheels they had in stock; so many beautiful colours/designs! I said it made me want to start doing Roller Derby coz of how cool they looked! I never realised you could customise your skates so much. I also loved the cool laces, skates (kids & adults), socks (I loved the 'SCIENCE', 'BACON' and 'TOFU' ones!) and skate shorts. The Rollerbones ones, complete with skeleton hands on your bum, are excellent and I have vowed to go back and buy some (along with the socks!). If, like me, you are after a 'cooler' (or just a bit nicer) cycle helmet then I urge you to go here. I looked at helmets online & this shop sells them at a better price AND you can try them on properly for size. They have a great range too (unlike some other bike shops I looked in). This shop is brilliant and if you or anyone you know is/are into Roller Derby or rollerskating at all then this is THE place to go for all your needs. I was like a kid in a sweetie shop & I am a pretty rubbish skater but this shop MADE me want to be part of something that is clearly very cool & exciting. Go! Now!

So! Roller Derby, eh?! After hearing friends talk about…read moreRoller Derby and seeing the movie Whip It last year, I was feeling a twinge that maybe I wanted to go watch some Roller Derby. When I finally saw my first Auld Reekie Roller Girls game in Edinburgh, I was hooked. I had fun watching it, but more than anything, I wanted to be down on that track! Fast forward to a week ago and a montage of shots of myself falling a lot, failing at and eventually managing techniques and zooming around a small track with the Capital City Rollers in Leith. Fast forward to today, and I'm in Glasgow buying my starter kit from 5th Blocker! I'm sure my story so far is very familiar to a lot of people who are into Roller Derby in Scotland. It's a good thing this story involves 5th Blocker as well! Since my phone call to them last week to check on stock, I've been met with the same welcoming, patient and friendly attitude I've encountered every step of the way so far among the Roller Derby lot. The shop is tiny and you don't have a lot of space to move around, but everything you need is there. It's a bit cold in the winter months, as their heater is janky, but that's okay. I won't say this "adds to the indie appeal" because that's a term reserved for a special kind of buffoon, but it's something i won't hold against a small shop owned and staffed by people who are passionate about the tiny but growing sport they cater to and indeed compete in themselves. This isn't sports direct or some other shop that sells gear for every sport but doesn't know anything about any of them. They do one thing, and they do it well. Hopefully, Derby will grow to the point where these great folk can expand and operate in more comfortable space, but for now they have everything they need right here. You should definitely make sure you have enough time when you come, though! And call ahead if you have a long way to go. I spent an hour and a half in there getting all my gear tried on, choosing helmets, having new wheels put on my skates (definitely pay the £25 extra to the starter kit to have softer wheels put on unless you're quite big. New wheels are much more expensive to buy after the fact! Plus, you can choose funky colours, and it's never too early to personalise!) etc. PS: vegetarians, rejoice! Not only are the starter kit skates PVC based rather than leather, but they also have vegetarian-friendly options for toe protectors for your boots. It took longer as there was already someone in trying on shoes, but you can't assume you'll be the only customer. The person in there before me was still looking at shoes and pads when I left, and that's cool too! The patience of the 5th Blocker folk seems to know no bounds! So make sure you have the time to spend, and keep a warm coat on, and you'll leave happy as Larry/ Lori. Can't wait to try my kit out tomorrow!!

Only in Scotland can you get away with calling a shop clan and not have a steady stream of…read moreenquiries into the price of your white linen smocks and pointy hoods. KKK conitations aside, this place seems to have its market and provide for it in abundance with great range in hip, hep, hop and happening gear (yes i have no idea what I'm talking about). Not really my type of thing, and judging from the look i got when i went in from a browse, its quite apparent, you can still tell that the clothes and such on sale here is of a high quality and is therefore priced to reflect. If you know someone who is into this kinda stuff and knows their tail flips from there whale tails, then you may well earn yourself some street cred by coming in here for a nosey. Why not pop on a monocle and bring your best walking cane just to weird the staff out.

This shop has all your surf, snowboard and skate board needs. Jamie will sort you out with the…read moreboard you need, a warm wetsuit, boots and binding, bearing, etc. Plus you skate shoes, shirts and hoodies, and beanies too! Definitely pop in!

Awful service, skate sizes wrongly advertised on the website, after seeking clarification on the…read moresizes advertised over the telephone before placing the Internet order, I specified which size I required on the order form as requested. Wrong size was sent, I received no response after completing the online returns form then after emailing to clarify the progress of returns request, I was told there was an 'IT problem' on the returns section on the website. After being promised a refund, I returned the skates only to then be told I would no longer be refunded and offered a credit note or exchange. Both absolutey useless as I have had to since purchase skates elsewhere and have no use for a credit note or exchange. Very rude and abrupt email communication from Gordon Topping (presumably the owner) and I am still £75 out of pocket. Would definately NOT recommend, this breach of sales of goods act is currently being looked into by trading standards.

From the owner: We are scotland's Largest Supplier of Ice Hockey, Figure Skating, Curling equipment and…read moreaccessories, selling exclusively from our shops in the largest ice rinks across Scotland, providing everything you need for all ice rink-based sports, plus we also provide and sell an excellent range of inline skating equipment.

Knowledgeable and friendly, give sound advice without being patronising. Far better service than…read moreany of the other cycle shops I have used in Edinburgh, including all of the big names.

BG Cycles stock bikes to suit everyone mountain & all-terrain bikes, BMX, off-road bikes, racing…read morebikes, sports bikes, through touring bikes to hybrid & urban street bikes. the run a great repair service. I use them when I want a new tyre and I just don't want to get all oily. They can true your wheels and replace bits and pieces very quickly and expertly. The also stock lots of skate accessories. Great staff and good prices.

Great skatepark for rollerbladers, but for BMXing i find its a let down. Large ramps and half…read morepipes. Cannot quite rememberr where in Dundee it is but i think we found it very hard to find even with directions printed out. Sometimes there are good competitions on and other events.

This skatepark is arguably one of the top 5 skateparks in Scotland. It is a decent sized park with…read moresome moveable ramps. There is room for loads of lines to be made on all disciplines. They have loads of hire equipment available for all sizes. Only downside to this park is there is far too many young people on scooters who do not understand skate park rules (both written and unwritten) there is sessions that are made specifically for scooters and sessions for beginners, which personally I feel should be just for young people only and other sessions made for older people with more awareness. It's a danger to the young people. The best times to go would be when school kids are still in school...there has been many a time where I have had a 2 hour session to myself during the weekday. The price is very good and it's cheap to hire the equipment too. Out with the skatepark there is a nice cafe upstairs with access to a viewing gallery. There is lots of after school clubs both on the park and off the park, when schools are off on holiday there is many things for kids to do like week long coaching, movie days, cinema days, arts and crafts, the list goes on.

Sports clothes have been consistently fashionable over the past few decades, from Lacoste to more…read morerecently an obsession amongst youngsters with skater and snowboarding fashion accessories (I used to wear DC's and I suck at skating, case in point.) But Nevissport, rather than being a trend follower or setter in this field, stick to providing practical and durable gear for the outdoorsman or lady. The first floor is dedicated to Berghaus and big, cosy Tresspass jackets which definitely do the job if you're out camping. What's more, in Nevisport they are affordable, and valuable when you consider how much these jackets and trousers can withstand in extreme conditions. Upstairs, they have a larger selection of jackets and shoes I suppose are considered fashionable, but rather than being purely for that purpose they are making the sport cool - this is mainly in the snowboarding section by the way. If you've ever snowboarded or surfed, you can be sure that these trousers are so good at trapping in the heat you would never wear them for any other reason other than to speed down a snowy terrain or lunge yourself into the ocean. There are some cool boards, wetsuits etc, and other accessories you will undoubtedly need such as gloves. There's also a section dedicated to hillwalking and mountain hiking, where you can purchase hooks and ropes and so on. It's a good outlet handy for the outdoors fanatic set in the centre of town, so they need not take an adventure before they set off merely to pick up the bare essentials! What's more, while the staff are helpful they don't watch you like a hawk while you have a gander. The only downside of visiting this store for me is that I get bitten by the adventuring bug and feel like a bore since I'm not climbing munroes on my weekends off! With ranges a half an hour drive all around Glasgow, I don't feel like I fully utilise this beautiful landscape nature's provided my city-dwelling ass with. Saying that, should I ever want to breathe the air on top of Ben Nevis or ever take up snowboarding with my boyfriend this store will provide me with everything I need!

Nevisport are one of the few hiking and mountain shops that I willingly enter. The staff are not…read moreintrusive, and I can browse the waterproofs- which, frankly, are more to keep me dry in town on a Saturday that on the side of a cliff face- without revealing my ignorance. However, when I finally do ask, they, like all outdoors shop assistants, know their stuff. They have the full range of outdoor gear, will take time to make sure that you get a good pair of boots- unsurprisingly, considering how critical these are for even the shortest hill walk. Staffed by enthusiasts, it avoids being a cold, specialist shop.

Terrible quality clothing at expensive prices. Bought a pair…read moreof trousers there several years ago for around £50 - wore them half a dozen times before they started fraying at the waist. About 4 months ago, I needed a top at the last minute and it was the only place open nearby. Paid £30, wore it a few times, then a hole appeared at the back near the top of collar. Absolutely terrible quality. Won't set foot in the place again.

I'm not really an outdoors-y type person - I grew up in the country, so I'd like to think I'm not…read moresome creton who can't appreciate a good fleece, but that doesn't mean you'll find me parading through Kelvingrove wearing a rucksack, with a compass in one hand and a walking stick in the other, talking about the topography of the present landscape ("mostly grass, with the odd can of irn bru. Tretcherous!"). When you walk into Fat Face you are immediately greeted with their 'survival' stock (do necklaces really count... really!?). You've got to give it to them though, for such a small store they have actually packed it full of stuff. Women's clothing, men's clothing, kid's clothing, boots, 'survival' kits, accessories... ooft. It has it all. The clothes aren't AMAZING or the height of fashion - they'd do the job - but they aren't exactly my cup of tea (especially when they come at quite a high price). Like most places on Byres road, everything comes at a price. I once bought a thermos mug for my sister, which cost me, £23 no less. And no, it didn't make the coffee for you either. Troubling, isn't it? I'm slightly skeptical - it is nice for a one off gift every now and again - maybe it's worth a look if you need outdoors type clothes, and have lots of pennies to spend? I don't know, but it doesn't really cater for me, I'm afraid.