The Oak Mall really has a bit of a cheek calling itself a mall. If you have ever been to a shopping…read moremall in America then you'll know what I mean! The Oak Mall is really small (hey I'm a poet and I didn't know it!) and has really rubbish versions of high street stores. For example the Oak Malls Topshop has to be the worst branch I have ever been in! It is so tiny and doesn't have any of the most fashion forward, cool lines. There are a few of those really tacky "tween" shops that I love to hate such as Quiz, Unique and Internacionale, if that's you kind of thing, if it is, why?? The Oak Mall does have one of the few Adams stores left in the UK which is maybe worth a visit if you have kids. Also the Bodycare, Semi Chem and Sally Hair and Beauty stores are good for picking up cheap but branded beauty products. I still wouldn't say it's worth the trip out to the mall just for a hand full of sort of ok stores.

Every Saturday of my youth was spent trawling the floor of the Oak Mall from one end to the other…read morewith a large group of pals and people we just picked up on the way. Nowadays, there's more life in the deer i clipped with my car last night than in this place. Poundshops-a-plenty and near on 5/6 card shops (really?) as well the Oak Mall doesn't have much going for it. Empty shops and poor ones litter the once bustling West Blackhall St. For any Greenockian, this part of town lost its appeal as soon as it become closed over and refered to as "The Mall" - no character remains, sadly. I really hope the council pour some serious money into our local shopping centre by getting it back to basics

This is an absolutely gorgeous little shop full of beautiful things! I had a browse around here…read moretoday and was very impressed by the professional window dressing and eye-catching colourful lay-out of all the tantalising goodies inside. There is a delightful range of decorated diaries which caught my eye, exquisite jewellery, elegant handbags, Arran Aromatics, soaps and lovely scented candles something in every price range. There's a large display of top quality Christmas decorations and ornaments too. The young man who was serving there today was friendly, chatty and helpful. Definitely a place to visit to buy some gorgeous and unique Christmas gifts!

Being that my mother is from Glasgow Scotland, I just bought my first kilt ever here. What made me…read morebuy it here and not somewhere else was the service I got with regards to helping me fit into the kilt and how nice the lady from Brazil was that sold it to me. (I know I had to go to Scotland to buy a kilt from a lady that was from Brazil :-p) but anyways I really like my kilt and I would go here again and shop. I hope to be back to Scotland soon. Give tartan house a try.

we were ripped off. My wife bought 2 items and even before we got our change. My wife said she did…read morenot want 1 item. the rude girl at counter refused to give her money back. and refused to give me manager name or company number. We Were RIPPED off

Such a great and cute little store that was unique to Scotland. I highly recommend.read more

What a superb little shop, absolutely packed full of the most beautiful gifts of many kinds in all…read moreprice ranges. I loved the jewellery and bought an exquisite necklace for a friend for under £10. The girl who served me was very pleasant and she gift-wrapped the necklace beautifully for no extra charge. I wish I'd had more time to browse - I would certainly have bought more gifts and maybe something for myself too!

It's places like this shop that lend weight to the claim that 'Hyndland Street is the new Byres…read moreRoad'. Fifteen years ago Byres Road was full of individual wee shops like this; today it's all coffee emporiums and charity outlets. I discovered Owen Bissett when doing my Christmas shopping in December. It's not the sort of place that would normally attract me, but I was looking for a nice present for my sister, and their window display looked inviting, so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I made that decision. The place is a veritable Aladdin's Cave of jewellery, bijoux, craft wares, designer knick-knacks and generally precious things (preeeeccccciouuusssss!). I soon found a lovely bracelet and necklace combo that my sister was delighted with, and would probably have ended up spending a lot more than I wanted to had not common sense kicked in. There's such a wide range of really unusual things in here, it is ideal if you're looking for that 'special gift' or just want a thing of beauty for yourself. I think my favourite items were the glass bowl sculptures with the natural wood stands - these large thick glass works appear to have been melted and poured onto driftwood or tree-branch tripods, so that they have flowed into the perfect shape for the support. I have no idea what I would use one for (and I couldn't afford one anyway), they were just lovely pieces of craftsmanship. A definite thumbs-up for the most original and unusual shop in Hyndland Street, if not the entire West End. Check it out - you're sure to find something you like.

I love, love, love this shop!…read more There are far too many beautiful things in stock, be it little trinkets, unique and interesting jewellery or gorgeous ornaments (and everything else in between), meaning that you'll be tempted to clear your bank account buying everything in sight! There's something here for all budgets, which is a bonus. I bought a gorgeous necklace for myself a while back that people always comment on, and it only cost £10. Regardless of price, you can be assured that whatever you buy will always be top quality. Owen's window displays are always eye-catching and well thought out; I defy you to walk past and not at least stop for a good look! Displays are changed regularly, which is a great way to showcase the wide range of what's on offer. I highly recommend liking the shop on Facebook too, as it's an extension of the window displays. The service is always fantastic, and everyone there is so knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. They'll point out things you might like or will leave you to browse the stock without being over-bearing. It's customer service done correctly, and it's refreshing to behold. It's a great place to go and treat yourself or a loved one, be it Christmas, birthdays or just for the sake of it. It's a truly unique store, and it's wonderful to see such a vibrant independent business thrive. I really can't sing the praises of this shop enough!

Threads is a great little store run by a couple of lovely little old ladies. They have a good…read moreselection of threads (as the name suggests), wool and other dressmaking accessories. However the store mostly sells gifts and cards and a small collection of interesting jewelery. My favorite items in this store are the gifts for children. There are lovely little secret diaries and jewelry boxes for girls and wooden pull along toys for younger kids. Threads is a great shop to pick up an unusual gift for kids and adults alike but as with most stores of its kind some items can be a bit expensive.

Threads is a lovely wee gift shop in Kilmacolm. You can literally spend hours in here just browsing…read morethe amazing little knick knacks. This is the place to come if you are looking for an unusual, quirky gift. This shop really comes into it's own at Christmas time with all it's fabulous festive ware laid out. At the back of the shop there is a craft section which includes knitting materials, sewing etc. They also sell fabulous jewellery and gift cards too. Staff are very friendly and helpful. The only minus is the size of the shop. It's quite small but is jam packed full of stuff and if it gets too busy (and it is very popular) you'll find yourself backing into the displays!

This wee shop was a life saver as I needed a lovely 50th birthday present for my friend…read more I had been wandering around aimlessly in Hamilton not having a clue what to buy for someone who looks nowhere near 50 and acts like a 20 year old. Hmmm?! It was only when I was heading for a wee bite to eat I saw this lovely looking shop. It was like a ray of light hit me, and I knew as soon as I walked in I would be able to find "something special". The lady was absolutely lovely and a great help. I explained what it was for and she came up with a candle beautifully wrapped with a personalised tag with my friend's name and saying happy 50th. It was perfect! The shop was beautifully laid out with lots of varied gifts for all occasions you can think of. Upstairs I found out was a wee coffee shop, but it was shut the time I got there, it's only opened for a while from 9.30am - 4.30pm. The lady told me they have lots of homemade goodies and their coffee is sourced from Matthew Algie. I will definitely need to stop by for their coffee shop next time. My friend was absolutely delighted with her present, so much so, she asked me where I had got it as she wanted to get something similar for her friend's birthday. Result! I cannot wait to go back, guess who's gonna be trying out a mocha?!

This lovely wee shop stores all kinds of unique gifts which you tend not to find anywhere else, the…read morestaff are very pleasant & very helpful. Certainly worth a visit if you are looking for something special for a loved one.

A gorgeous little gift shop! I was pleased to see it here because I already went into the one in…read moreLargs and bought a lovely necklace some time ago. I don't think this one had quite as much stock but there's still plenty to choose from. Everything is laid out in a very eye-catching and tempting way - beautiful jewellery, scented Yankee Candles, glass - you're sure to find a nice gift in here! The young woman who served me recently was very nice and helpful too. Found in the main shopping street in the town just down from the post office. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am till 6pm, Sun 12 till 5pm

What a myriad of crafty stuff this wee shop has carefully displayed round it's walls and hanging…read morefrom its ceiling, there's something for everyone from glass and ceramic art, lovely picture frames and mirrors to cards and wrapping paper. Well worth a look if you are in need of a classy gift.

I do enjoy the "Smile shoplifters, you are on camera" sign which sits threateningly outside this…read moreshop. Quite frankly, anyone who shoplifts from here deserves our sympathy as opposed to disdain. But you know, I don't absolutely detest this place. OK, so I wouldn't thank anyone for a gift from here but every city has these places and quite frankly any visitor who takes the stereotypes seriously is not the sort of person I'm bothered about. After all, I'm prone to buying the odd fridge magnet when I visit a place, but it doesn't mean I think all French people eat baguettes or Belgians worship little boys peeing. The stuff in here is definitely at the lower end of tourist tat but there's nothing wrong with visitors to Central Station, situated beside here, picking up a daft wee souvenir to take home. I concur that the Braveheart nonsense is a bit grating but hey, it's one shop. At least Glasgow city centre is not peppered with them like another city I could mention.

I don't know if they tired themselves of it, or have been reading these reviews, but I haven't…read moreheard bagpipe music coming from this shop for quite some time now! I've popped in here on occasion, mostly because my boyfriend loves his poorly-made Saltire bottle opening keyring and I was trying to find a replacement for him. Another time my friend was looking for a cheesy Scotland t-shirt for his American flatmate as a gag gift. They have the usual touristy guff, Jimmy hats, emblem t-shirts, some cheap clothing, mugs and keyrings with Scottish clan names and definitions aplenty. It could be worse. I've been to lots of shops in, say, London and Paris that are way more overtly stereotypical and crude with their tourist paraphernalia. Overall, it's a decent tourist shop, nothing is terribly embarrassing or poorly made, and although there are shops that do Scottish merchandise better, this is a good place for tourists.