One of only 2 stores on the Royal Mile that is still owned and operated by the same family. The…read moreowners have amassed an amazing collection of truly beautiful pieces of jewelry from a range of prices. You'll find £200 silver rings from the 90s to priceless sapphire necklaces from the 1700s. But for as exquisite as their pieces are, the owners are extremely friendly and, if you ask, will tell you all about the various eras of the Royal Mile. My fiancée tried on a gorgeous silver necklace from a 1940s/50s contemporary of Frida Kahlo, and provided us with a packet of documentation proving it. After buying the piece (it looks amazing on her) we looked up the jewelry designer and found that, frankly, they could have been charging a lot more for the necklace. We walked away with an amazing deal, a beautiful necklace, and probably the best interaction I've ever had at a jewelry shop in my life.

This jewelry store is one very, very special place. Yes, they have amazing gorgeous jewelry, but…read morethe store is way more than that - visiting this store is an experience - a wonderful experience. The kind and brilliant brothers that run the place are nothing short of remarkable. They have taught me so much about jewelry, the history of the jewelry and the area. I visit this store every time I go to Edinburgh, would not miss it.

Cavanagh may be the size of a cupboard, but it is crammed to capacity with curiosities from all…read moreareas. I was enticed in by the vintage signs lying at the door and the postcards in a box outside. I managed to find a motley assortment of 80s horrors all from Athena card shop (which I remember, so I must be getting old). At the time my mum loved that place but seeing all the old cards was a blast from the garish past. Flicking through I saw some supposed page 3 models with mullets, and stripey colours sitting side by side that should never be mixed. 5 for 50p, you say? I'll take them! Maybe these postcards should've been left in the can along with Olivia Newton John's Let Get Physical music video, but 80s gore aside Cavanagh's Cave is packed with so much more. From 70s ornaments to military regailia, the exceptionally friendly owner says he "tries to collect a variety of antiques", and he seems to have succeeded. The shop is orderly and although some rarities are more expensive, there were some lovely brooches on sale for a fiver. The owner is as interesting as the stock and is very informed on antique collecting. He was very courteous and willing to help and his store was well organised. Although it is small it has an amazing range of jewellery, most of which is displayed in the window, and there are some beautiful trinkets if you take your time to seek them out. Lovely jubbly!

Wonderful little cubby of a store. Wife enjoyed the jewelry, I enjoyed the militaria! Found some…read moregreat cap badges and a wonderful WW2 era Royal Scots Glengary. Wife found two vintage rings and a necklace. These gems of stores are getting harder and harder to find. Go and support this wonderful family owned business.

I was instantly attracted to this shop by all the antiques lined up in the window. The brooches and…read moregorgeous porcelain ladies galore made my eyes bulge in awe. It's very small, but utterly brimming with stock. It makes me feel like I'm in someone's attic, it's very personal. The collection ranges from old 1920s pocket mirrors to beautifully binded books, with nouveau inspired flowers running up the spine. The woman stationed behind the desk is absolutely lovely, and although it is an intimate setting she leaves you free to browse without badgering you to buy. The brooch collections are surprisingly cheap and she has a box full of antique postcards. There's something melancholy about rooting through a box full of heartfelt scribblings from another time, but it is nevertheless interesting. For film makers and art projects at least the donated, personalised cards and monochrome photographs would come to a good use. A Pandora's box of yesterday's treasure that you would willingly open if you're into well preserved, pretty bygones.

Its a small shop, ideal for a browse, especially when you have time to spare. The stock is sort of…read moreoverflowing and you can find all sort of trinkets, jewelry, memorabilia, books. Downstairs you will find a lot of books, packed everywhere. It gives you the idea of the place where one mans rubbish is another mans treasure and you can spend an age in here. Most definitely worth a visit if antiques and rummaging through such stores is your thing.

Let me tell you a story about a wicker chair…read more Breezing by on a Tuesday afternoon, I was drawn to Courtyard Antiques not just because of its beautiful back lane building, but by a conveniently placed, quaint wicker chair sitting pretty by the shop door. On closer inspection, I realised said chair had caved in at the side - tragic, since it was The One (as far as chairs go anyway). It's a lovely moss green colour with embroidery on the seat. Not being put off by appearances and seeing its potential (I sound like a talent scout - for chairs), I ventured inside to ask the lady how to fix it. What followed was bizarre and wonderful. She had a look at the article, diagnosed it as having been run over, and then offered to give me it for free since she couldn't bear looking at its disfigured side. Insisting that I shouldn't but thanking her for her generosity, I eventually ended up leaving with the battered airloom since she wouldn't let me leave it. Vowing to love it, I wandered half a mile down towards Morningside before ditching the chair in apple blossomed suburbia (Grange Road). It was heartbreaking, leaving the chair spurned and rejected like that, but I had to review...I had to review. I also stay in Glasgow and don't drive, you do the math. Hours later, I got caught with a pang of guilt. That chair had survived since the 50s (so I was informed) and there was a light shower...I had to save it! Hurrying way back westward, the chair was (unbelievably) still there! School kids had not ravished it, dogs had not pooed on it, and no one had snaffled it up. I carried it back and offered it to another antique stockist nearby who is now storing it for me till next week. How lovely are those people?! He didn't even think I was ridiculous for waddling about for miles with a chair...he didn't bat an eyelid. I should've really spared you that story and talked some more about Courtyard, but I had to tell somebody! On with the rest of the review...it's a very classy establishment and looks like an old extended living room. Sometimes looks like a drawing room in parts (that'll be the Georgian tables and Victorian dressers). There's an eclectic assortment of stock very neatly and lovingly placed around the store. Prices vary depending on what you're buying but everything is in mint condition, so it's an investment more than anything else. I'm not just five starring because I got a free chair out of this. It's great to come across somewhere professional and tidy, where the staff really care about the stock. That's why, despite its flaws, I'm gonna love that chair forever - because even bfore its accident it was well maintained by a woman who is passionate about her job and her customers! Conservation For Chairs - it's my new chairty.

A lot of antiques shops can from the exterior seem a little oppressive, uninviting and almost…read moresmugly looking down on you and encouraging you to walk past on the basis that it's unlikely you'll be doing more than just browsing. I'm not too offended, because this is largely the case, though I do still like walking round antiques shops, just on the off chance I'll stumble upon something that I simply must have or that will prove to be unbelievably useful which I would have never found elsewhere. However, as you can probably tell from the photo, this place has more of a relaxed feel to it and feels inviting even to a self confessed browser like me. Once you've ventured into the shop you'll find that this is your stereotypical antiques shop with a wide variety of items on display ranging all the way between furniture and little trinkets. As antiques shops go this is the best kind - the kind you can spend ages searching through before unveiling some hidden treasure. Quite frankly it's a pleasure just walking round and you are likely to find something that will catch your imagination enough to encourage a purchase.

Castle Antiques is a very spacious antiques emporium selling a range of wares, from chairs to fancy…read morevases. It has some gorgeous, huge bowls and a number of fancy plates from many eras. They had some Georgian chests of drawers last time I visited that looked in pristine condition, not to mention massive figurines that would look great in a swanky conservatory. The vast majority of the stock in here is big and grandiose. For that reason, it's expensive and arguably a bit more bare than other antique dealers I've been to. I like rummaging about in places that are more cluttered than this, so with its specialised stock Castle Antiques didn't appeal to my scavenging instincts. Saying that, quantity over quality often prevails and the furniture in here is in fantastic condition. Although Castle Antiques wasn't for me I can appreciate that it's a great place to visit if you're a keen collector. It's an easy store to browse around. You don't feel like huge boxes are going to topple over on your head! With their fancy plates and old, elegant cabinets it's specialised enough to appeal to experts and enthusiasts of antiques.

Had a wonderful experience in this quaint " double " shop. Upstairs is managed by a very…read moreentertaining older woman who could have her own television show, she is so dry witted and funny. I could have stayed there all afternoon listening. Lots of vintage / antique items, all of them very reasonably priced. The second, larger shop is downstairs, managed by her son. He was charming and delightful, the store was full of beautiful items, again, at nice prices. Such a lovely store, well worth the visit. The owners are such a pleasure to speak with and it's easy to find a treasure there !

This was a word of mouth discovery for me. I heard about it from a friend who heard I was going to…read morebe walking on the New Town side of Edinburgh (a rare occurrence) and decided I should check out this cute little antique shop. And I did. And it was pretty much just what I expected. It's just below ground level, so you have to go down some staircases to get to the shop, whose front is layered with antiques: maps, fur coats, etc. This area, for some reason, is peppered with antique shops. I'm not quite sure why, but I'd put money on it being an area full of richer older folk. It's the only reason I can come up with, anyway. And I'd say it's pretty logically sound. Inside the shop you'll find a cluster of unidentifiable objects. Unidentifiable because you don't really want to pick up an antique to figure out what it is, in case you end up dropping it and breaking it. And there are signs around the shop that tell you to ask the shop owner, a sweet old man who sits in the corner of the shop looking preoccupied. My friend and I did spot some sweet cactus earrings, but decided not to purchase them as they cost 7 pounds. Definitely worth a wander in. There're loads of nooks and crannies that hide mysterious antiques.

This dinky antique shop on Cockburn Street reminds me of someone's attic as it really is a treasure…read moretrove waiting to be explored. It may be small in size but it's packed with antiques as far as the eye can see. My favourite thing about this shop is their excellent range of jewellery in the window. It changes all the time and there are always pieces that catch my eye. When I walked past last week I saw a stunning eternity style ring with diamonds and rubies, it was stunning! I also saw a few other bad boys with diamonds set in them, bling bling! In addition to jewellery they also have beautiful decanters, busts, old money, silverware and various other antiques. Well worth a browse!

It can be very easy to doubt a shop when it gives itself a name that appears to be on first…read moreimpressions a bit of a juxtaposition, but if you come here, as advertised on the shop front, you will genuinely find affordable antiques in the sense that they are good value for money and not excessively priced. The stock held here is almost exclusively furniture, so don't come here expecting to find any trinkets or general items of interest smaller than a chair. However, for the items it does stock, it does do rather well. Take one of the sideboards on offer for example. This was a piece that really caught my eye, simply because it's a fabulous piece of craftsmanship and quite obviously a cut above what you would normally find. Although the side holds a slight defect in the form of a cosmetic crack it's still great value at just under £400. Now I know you're thinking that it's a lot of money, because you can pick up a flat pack sideboard for £250, but consider not only the difference in quality and atmosphere generated by these items, but also the fact that in ten years your flat pack sideboard will be falling apart and worth very little whereas your antique will be a slightly older antique.

I stumbled across Affordable Antiques the other day and I really enjoyed having a browse around…read more Selling mainly antique furniture there is a great selection on offer and the friendly shop owner advised me that they get knew stock in every week so it's always worth popping back if you're looking for a new wardrobe or dinner table. There were lots of wardrobes and I imagined stepping inside the intricate designs to find myself in Narnia or buying an old writing desk to find a 100 year old love letter hidden in a secret drawer. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of the products on offer and if you're looking to furnish your home then this place is a good shout.

When I was first taken (dragged) to this tiny shop on Candlemaker Row I was all ready to go on one…read moreof my rants about shops that sell things and stuff. Crap you don't need. Stuff to fill your house with stuff. I'm really glad I bit my tongue for a second. This place is incredible. I mean, I've never been big on antiques, it's not my thing. But some of the things in Still Life make you want to fill your house with stuff. And it's cool stuff too - there are copper kettles and china tea sets (very kitsch, darling), old movie posters, coal buckets, garlic stores. It's piled high to the ceiling with antiques - in fact it's a little too full. It can be a little daunting, and I was terrified of breaking everything. The other reason to visit is to just chat with the guy who runs it. Full of antique knowledge and just generally good conversation, he won't pressure you into buying anything. You might just feel compelled to, though.

Still Life is one of the smallest but busiest antique shops in the citry…read more Busy with stock, that is! You have to stay still in Still Life because if you move one inch, that wall of crockery is coming crashing down on your head. I do love a crammed antique store, though! The owner is super friendly and although the space is intimate, you are free to browse without being forced into buying anything. I wouldn't know where to start describing the variety of stock they have - it all seemingly dates from a mixture of eras, pre-Victorian period onward. So prices vary according to what you're buying and how old it is. But most notably, this shop has enough crockery and mugs to throw a tea party for the population of China. So although it's small, you could easily spend a good half hour sifting through the mountain of chintzy airlooms, and probably come up for air with something gloriously quaint. They have some lovely books, including a gorgeous Constellation Spotter's handbook from the Victorian age. The stargazer in me might go back to buy it.