This is a quirky wee treasure trove, full to its original rafters with gifts, cards, homeware,…read morejewellery and accessories. If you're lucky you'll spot its resident cat roaming around and adding to the loveliness of the place. I always pop in for a wee look around when I visit Portpatrick and I tend to bring home some lovely jam and gifts for friends and family. There's a real community feel about Portpatrick and I've heard that Campbell's restaurant across the road gets its ornate and handmade cutlery from the Lighthouse Pottery. Some things are a little on the pricey side, but that's often understandable when you take a look at the care, attention and detail put into many of the hand-crafted gems on offer.

Well, as I often say, you can never have enough room for gifts. Or something like. Well, after a…read moretrip to this perfect little gift emporium, I might just have proven them right...I was entirely tempted to buy the whole shop. Right from the moment I opened the shop door, and that beautiful sweet scent of some astounding fragrance hit me right up the nose, I knew this was going to be a titillating visit. Filled with mental notes to self, such as, 'Oooh, check out those handmade cards over there, complete with little sequins in the shape of hearts and stars!', and 'Ooooh, they have such pretty napkins', and indeed 'Bags. I don't need a bag. Wait, my sister needs a bag for her formal. Oooh baby'...yes, it was a tumultuous experience for me. In an incredibly good way. Not only does Home have the most exquisite gifts and greetings cards, but it also encompasses the luxury (yet affordable) home decor end of things, with the likes of dining tables / chairs, dressers and cushions available to purchase. And if that's not enough, they offer a wedding list service, a flower arranging service and a gift wrapping service. Arriba! Yes, thank you every much to anything and everything. I love it all.

From the owner: Gorgeous gifts for all occasions including new born babies, weddings, birthdays or merely a lovely…read morethank you for that someone special. Our ranges include East of India, Yankee Candles, Maxwell Williams, leather gloves, stunning jewellery & beautiful scarves. We also stock lovely gifts and furniture for the home. We offer a gift wrap service, wedding lists, unique floral arrangements, as well as numerous items that can be personalised.

This is a surprise find in the small town of Wigtown, which is 6 miles from Newton Stewart,…read moreWigtownshire. On first glance this appears as a relatively decent gift shop however when you proceed inside you will find a trove of smashing gifts, books and very special used books. The staff are helpful and friendly and you are sure to something for any special occasion from new arrivals to a special birthday. Looking towards the second hand books there are a vast variety of children's books through to the rear of the shop. These range from your run of the mill to your rarer collector's items. If you are in the vicinity then well worth the visit.

This is a brilliant little card shop which I almost passed by the other day. Something in the…read morewindow caught my eye so I went in to have a browse. I'm glad I did because I found some good quality greetings cards and gifts, thus solving some birthday and Christmas problems for me in one fell swoop!! The cards are gorgeous and nicely categorised. There are many super little gifts to buy including delightful cuddly toys. As you'd expect, you'll also find beautiful gift bags, tags and wrapping paper. Best of all, the lady in there is lovely, very cheery and friendly. I have put this shop on my list of places to revisit the next time I'm in the town!!

Laxey Woolley Mills is a charming gem of old world artisan and craftsmanship, and a must for anyone…read morevisiting Isle of Man. The owner still weaves everything traditionally on a loom. Laxey Wollen Mills is also the only place in which someone can purchase authentic Manx Wool clothing and home goods whether in Manx Tartan or other classic patterns. They also sell sheep skin rugs and shearling outerwear. I have many wool rugs (blankets, if you're American) and a shearling hat from Laxey Woollen Mills that I absolutely love. I had a few blankets shipped back to the US and nothing is more warm and cozy then having a woollie from the Isle of Man to hide under on a cold winter night. When you visit the Woollen Mills be sure to visit the art gallery on the second floor to see local artists exhibiting works of art inspired by the island. To make an afternoon of your visit, finish up at the Tea Room and enjoy fresh, homemade and locally sourced sandwiches, soups, and tasty treats (located on the second floor).

Laxey Woollen Mills is the only remaining mill on the Isle of Man. I always stop in to purchase…read moregifts for friends. Beautiful pure wool scarves start at approximately £15 and up. Throws, sweaters (aka jumpers), caps, kilts and more! It is not inexpensive but these are handcrafted items which will last a lifetime. This is the real deal, not mass produced. Many items are available in the blue 'Isle of Man' Tartan. A nice tearoom is located on the 2nd floor (no lift). There are a couple of other shops in the building, a gift shop upstairs and women's clothing downstairs. The people who run the Woollen shop are friendly (say hello to Rick the dog!). There are also very cool bronze (?) sculptures around the carpark, worth a look! Make sure you visit the nearby Laxey Wheel while up that way.

I do like the items this wee shop sells, ornaments and gifts, but I can tell you that if you walk…read more200 yards into the high street you will find them cheaper....and considerably cheaper online. I bought a wine box with gadgets for £22 in pretty things and within one week Lidl had the exact same thing in for £9.99. I was hopping mad..shop around.

This shop is amazing! It has cute souvenirs for cheap prices, and the cutest jewelry! If you are…read moreever in Ayr I definitely recommend going to this shop, it's for tourist and for natives, definitely worth a look! The owners are so nice as well. Overall a nice, cheap shop to get the cutest/coolest stuff!

A lovely wide and soft, sandy, beach which is over a mile long and safe for swimming or walking…read more There are picnic areas and many benches along the promenade and marvellous views across the River Clyde to Arran, Aisa Craig and Kintyre. Plenty of parking spaces in the huge car park. It's not far to walk into the town from here and the nearby harbour is also a pleasant place to visit for a stroll (or a sail if you have a boat)!

It is a very nice shop and cafe in the quiet village of Thornhill. It is the best one within a 10…read moremile radius of anything. Quality of food is great, and they serve their products in dishes that they sell in the shop. They pull their own espressos and have a great variety of baked goods. We had their hot smoked salmon pasta and venison burger. They were both a little less than £9 each. The pasta was cooked al dente and had plenty of smoked salmon through it which made it almost too salty. The venison wasn't too dry but the bun was a bit too big for the patty. The shop has some very nicely curated products mostly dish and glassware, a nice baby section and a wall of skincare. You are bound to find a very nice gift for someone or treat yourself with something nice.

First of all a great name, see what they did there? It is a craft/gift shop so they went and called…read moreit the "crafty" fox, double meaning and all that. Although I may be reading way to much into it. Anyway back to the review, after getting a leaflet through the letter box about the Crafty Fox I was intrigued, they call it a "hidden country gem" and that sounds like something I would write so I thought I had better check it out. The building itself is stunning, it used to be a bank but has been refurbished, although it still looks like a bank from the outside, inside has been decorated like a stately manor. Being that It resembles a manor it is certainly up market, selling luxury items. It is certainly charming with each item appearing to be hand crafted. This is not only a gift shop, it also has a Coffee Shop that sells a selection of delicious pastries. After browsing the shop you will feel right at home whilst eating a scone and sipping tea. The staff are warm and welcoming and you will feel like heading up the stairs into the bedroom and never leaving the Crafty Fox.

Recently visited the Crafty Fox at Balloo and was very impressed! Its a beautiful old house that…read moreused to be the Northern Bank - its been decorated beautifully and has the biggest selection of 'gorgeous things' everything from pottery to jewellery to clothes and baby things! Bagged myself some lovely mugs in the style of emma bridgewater - only a fraction of the price! Will defintely be back.