Hello! When did this wee gem spring up?…read more It's not really wee, and it looks new - I'm guessing it's only been on Cockburn Street under a month. Old Town Context is a refreshing, traditional store on Cockburn Street, steering away from the style of the tourist traps on the Royal Mile to offer alternative gift ideas. They have some old English, French and American advert poster art, cards, stationery, gifts, mugs with pin ups on them, clocks made out of recycled glass drinks bottles - a very eclectic and classy selection. Its inspiration is clearly from bygone era's, and I was very impressed with their postcard range. They also have some cracking cards and original prints with cats on them. These cats are wearing kilts and rugby shifrts, quoting Burns and other Scottish poets within the print. It's a very odd idea but entirely up my alley. Overall a very enjoyable shop for the family. It's difficult to walk out of here without buying anything.

I am glad that my 200th review is on this hidden gem... actually it isn't that hidden, but I have a…read morefeeling that lots of people just walk right on by. In a very different and almost vintage way, it is a souvenir shop. I say that because there were lots of prints, cards, coffee mugs of the city and various British 'things', but they are not the types of souvenirs that you would find in the every single store on the Royal Mile... yeah, you know what I mean. I loved the different prints of the city, my favourite was a very art deco-ish print highlighting the castle in a yellowy-orangish hue against a dark background. They had it as a large print, a card, and a coffee mug. I am now kicking myself that I did not buy it. If you love globes or tin signs, they have loads of them! If you are looking for a different kind of souvenir for someone... or just something for yourself, stop in here because they have some really wonderful items.

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.

Such a cute gift shop. I got some really nice cards and they had a great selection for Scottish…read morechocolate that made great gifts for my family. The cardamon and bramble chocolate was a favourite!

A great little shop for interesting books, journals, cards and stationary…read more Definitely worth a look!

I really don't know why I like this place. I shouldn't. You shouldn't. No one should. It should…read moreoffend you. It's everything wrong with Japan. Over the top, offensively cute, bright sparkly anime characters of every form (as long as it's a cutesy or perverted form). Cutie House basically sells toys, key rings, ornaments, bags and jewellery, of popular Japanese characters in the West like Hello Kitty or Pukka. There is also some Nintendo and Studio Ghibli characters represented, that I can appreciate a little more. They also sell some goods relating to more popular Western animations like Nightmare before Christmas and the ever incredible cult classic, The Moomins. In my heart of hearts I still know this is all tacky commercial tat using up precious Earthly resources, but somehow its kitsch value overwhelms me. One word of warning: this shop is almost as small as my dignity after purchasing something from it. Don't enter in any greater number than one. It really is tiny. A quirky little shop that somehow manages to charm me. I imagine if I spent anytime in Japan these feelings would quickly subside, but for now Cutie House, you win.

Cutie House is super DUPER kawaii, enough to make your eyes bulge at the trinkets inside…read more This place is bursting full of bubblegum Japanese pop gifts, mainly of the keychain or small necklace variety. The walls are lined with the biggest collection of Hello Kitty and Domukun I have ever seen in my life in such a small place, and the vast majority of stock is tiny. This place is home to everything from Mario figurines and small cuddly toys to Snoopy, Chinese lucky cats and even some mini Dragonball Z figurines. Gifts are pocket sized and ususally around the £5 mark. I love the cute little baby Spiderman guys in here and when I was younger Cutie House would've made me burst with joy. A great gem to take your kids, but you'll enjoy it, too! If I ever find use for an elephant figurine, I will make room for it on my mantelpiece.

Highly recommend this shop. Supports local artisans. Whimsical gifts and cuteness abounds. Wry…read morefriendly staff. Hard to go in and not leave with something beautiful.

Thank goodness it's only August. If it was late November or December, I'm sure I would have tipped…read moremy bank account into the red splashing out on Christmas presents in the Red Door Gallery! A gorgeous boutique near the bottom of Victoria Street, Red Door sells all kinds of irresistible, DIY gifts from limited edition screenprints, tote bags and tea towels to sock monkeys, stuffed toys and Tatty Divine jewellery. Everything seems to have been made by hand by talented artists and there's a strong proportion of cute and kitsch things that should appeal to indie kids and arty farty types. To top it off, they sell adorable wrapping paper and stationary - including glow in the dark and scratch and sniff cards - making Red Door a one-stop shop for memorable presents.

What a great store! I walked in to wander around and boy did I have a successful day. At first I…read morepurchased the coolest pillow case with swimmers on it and then on the way out I bought a waterproof backpack. Not only is it good looking but a necessity for rainy locations. Although I don't remember the names of the 2 women working in the store they were fabulous. They were not pushy about making purchases but they know the inventory well and can speak to the quality and answer questions you have. They were very friendly and even went above and beyond to help me locate a place in Scotland not related to their store at all. Such a great store with unique items of quality, value and various price points so I'm sure a local or visitor to Edinburgh can find something great.

If I could do minimalist and keep my house tidy.. this shop is what I'd want my living room to look…read morelike.. airy, lofty, filled with funky prints, quirky coffee table books and gorgeous ceramic bowls, plates and mugs.. Prices are actually quite reasonable for the 'designer' aspect of things. Good place to look for gifts for those who have everything they need..

Hatches, Matches and Dispatches is very much in fitting with the elite of Bruntsfield's finest…read morestores. A showcase to stationery designer Jeffrey Gardner, it would be my first stop for personalised invitations if I had a wedding or Christening to plan. It is very much aimed at this market, with gorgeous, pretty and tasteful cards and notebooks to be found across the store. It also doubles up as a stockist of Steiff bears, which are the creme de la creme of teddies amongst collectors. This range, teamed with with dainty, ornate stationary, gives the shop an air of innocence, like the days of Winnie the Pooh and friends. It's got that twee vibe, but in a good way. Classic would be the best way to describe it. Although I would say this shop's forte is suppling specialised stationery for momentous occasions, it's worth a look if you're just browsing for an elegant gift.

Hatches, Matches and Dispatches is one of the best little shops in Bruntsfield, with its unique…read morestock and quaint shop. They sell handmade stationary and gorgeous gifts which are different from those which you would normally come across. This store stocks the stationary designs of Jeffrey Gardner, which includes beautiful writing paper and personalised notes. My favourite aspect of Hatches, Matches and Dispatches is the lovely Steiff Bear Collection which they have available. With the little yellow tags which the bears have in their ears, it is easy to recognise a Steiff bear, and although they are a rather pricey, they are absolutely gorgeous and this store sells a huge range of different bear designs including Winnie the Pooh, Rupert the Bear and Panda's. My dad bought me a Steiff bear from Hatches, Matches and Dispatches a few years which is gorgeous and currently sits on my desk! Hatches, Matches and Dispatches is the perfect little shop to pop into to buy cards, stationary or gifts for someone which are of excellent quality. They frequently have sales of their stock which is a great chance to grab a bargain gift.

Small but perfectly formed, Curiouser is my favourite shop in Brunsfield because it has an awesome…read moreselection of stationery and cards, really trendy home wear, beautiful jewellery and they even have a framing service, (which I am yet to take advantage of!) I pop in quite often (I have a stationery problem) and I rarely leave empty handed. They're really great for getting in new stock and are fantastic at sourcing cool stuff I've never seen before, which makes it ideal for buying gifts (even for one's self...) This is actually their sister shop, the original shop is called Curious & Curiouser is based at the bottom of Broughton Street and it's just as great!

From the owner: We are an independently run gift and framing shop based in Bruntsfield. We stock a wide range of…read moreproducts including gift cards, art prints, stationery, books, jewellery and homewares. We also offer a comprehensive framing service. You can find our sister store at 93 Broughton Street.

Paper Tiger is one of those shops that you go in for a look, and come out buying something you…read moreprobably don't need. Paper Tiger has been trading in Edinburgh for over twenty five years so they are obviously doing something right. They sell a wide range of unique cards, stationery, wrapping paper, notebooks, diaries, books and gifts. The stock is all top quality, and is reasonably priced too. The cards are so much more than your cheesy Hallmark cards, perfect for that special someone. The gift wrap selection is amazing, my favourite is the map of the world design. They also have a wide selection of different notebooks. Notebooks for things you didn't even know you needed a notebook for! I bought a travel journal from here and its great, its such a pretty book and of a good quality. They have a good range of travel goods. Funny little things like little packs of travel soap and travel kits. There is also a few travel books which are quite interesting. The gift selection is full of random little knick knacks which are usually quite humorous but you will probably know someone who each gift is perfect for. Its hard to describe how nice everything they sell is, its much better to go to the shop and have a browse. I challenge you not to buy something!

Don't be put off by the slightly budget-looking name sign of this shop. Inside it's pretty much…read morewall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with anything vaguely related to gift wrapping, stationery and gift cards that you could ever need. Almost like a version of Paperchase that doesn't take itself too seriously, yet still stocks good quality stuff. But although it's good quality, it's pretty pricey as is usually the case with specialist shops. If the person you're buying for is really into writing and would appreciate or even notice that it's good stuff. Otherwise, if it's just for a run-of-the mill birthday card you might not want to bother.

The Write Stuff is a petite but very comprehensive stationary stockist. It sells a good number of…read morePost-It's, envelopes and small office equipment, but also has a number of pretty notebooks worth perusing. Card shop worthy, they would make nice little gifts for special occasions, or even sketch books! The shop assistants are very friendly and keen to help but being fairly small in size and self explanatory, you should be fine. With a bit more than what you get in local post offices, the Write Stuff will keep you sorted for emergency stationary situations.

The only reason I went into this shop was due to its slightly humorous name! Yes, it does not take…read morea lot for me to venture into any new shop! Inside, the shop is pretty small but very well stocked for all your stationary needs! I wasn't out to buy any pens but I somehow I ended up buying some, but they were not that expensive, actually they were on the cheap side. The staff were friendly and quite chatty which adds to what is already I think I pretty good stationary shop! This shop has everything you need to fill up your pencil case and you will then certainly be writing with the write stuff!