This Christmas, whether you’re filling stockings, spoiling someone special, or seeking a unique gift, Edinburgh’s independent shops are brimming with treasures.
Edinburgh’s Christmas Market is undeniably enchanting. With twinkling lights, funfair rides and the scent of mulled wine wafting through the air, it delivers on festive sparkle. But just beyond the crowds and carousel rides lies a different kind of seasonal experience that’s rooted in the city’s independent spirit.
Across Edinburgh’s neighbourhoods, a variety of small, unique shops offer a more personal, and sometimes more peaceful way, to do your Christmas shopping. Whether you’re looking for something tasty, thoughtful or tuneful, these local gems provide the perfect alterative to the market’s hustle and bustle.
Festive feasting – food and drink gifts
For food and drink lovers, Edinburgh’s independent shopping scene is a feast in itself.
As Scotland’s oldest delicatessen and Italian wine merchant, Valvona and Crolla is a wonderland of cured meats, antipasti and fine wines – ideal for putting together a luxury hamper gift. With three branches across the city, including I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers – Morningside, this is a place for cheese lovers. Find rich nutty wheels and crumbly wedges, all ready to be wrapped up for the discerning cheese connoisseur.
Those with a sweet tooth should swing by The Marshmallow Lady, where pillowy, handmade marshmallows come in wild and wonderful flavours. Chocolate lovers meanwhile should head straight to Mary’s Milk Bar in the Grassmarket, where artisan chocolates make perfect stocking fillers. While Drinkmonger in Bruntsfield curates an extensive selection of craft beers, rare whiskies and flavoursome gins which are ideal for toasting the season.
Home comforts and gorgeous gifting
If you’re after something to dress up the house, gift a plant, or simply wrap something beautiful, Edinburgh’s independent shops are rich in character.
Curiouser and Curiouser (with outposts in both Bruntsfield and Broughton Street) is a go-to for whimsical prints, ceramics and hand-picked design pieces. At the Scottish Design Exchange on George Street, local makers take centre stage, with everything from hand-poured candles to bold jewellery. For the young, or the young at heart, Harburn Hobbies on Leith Walk is a treasure trove of model kits and miniatures, and a nostalgic delight for creative minds.
How about something to jazz up your festive wardrobe? Lily Luna in the West End specialises in contemporary jewellery, fashion accessories and textiles made by independent makers; Moira Patience creates unique pieces of jewellery designed around rare and natural gemstones, while Clarksons of Edinburgh are known for their Celtic jewellery.
If you’re buying for a green-fingered grower, Seb’s Urban Jungle and Green Meadows and Green Leith all offer lush plant life and eco-friendly gifts that bring green joy to dark winter days.
For the book lovers
In a city named the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, bookworms will find their own wonderland scattered across Edinburgh, with an array of both new and second-hand bookshops to while away the hours in.
The award-winning Portobello Bookshop is known for its author events and community focus, while Argonaut Books in Leith is a great place to browse for new releases while enjoying a coffee. Stockbridge’s Golden Hare Books – another award-winning bookshop – stocks a great selection of new books for adults and children, and at the Edinburgh Bookshop you’ll find a fantastic children’s section. If your bookworm can’t get enough of romantic fiction, they’ll find the stock in Book Lovers Bookshop, “the first brick-and-mortar Romance Fiction bookshop in the United Kingdom” simply breathtaking.
McNaughtan’s Bookshop in Leith is Scotland’s oldest second-hand and antiquarian bookshop, so you can be sure of finding something very special here, while both Tills Bookshop and Armchair Books are worth exploring for their large selections of second-hand, collectible and rare editions.
Find more page-turners in Edinburgh’s best bookshops.
Sounds of the seasons – music shops
For the musically minded, the city’s vinyl and instrument shops hit just the right note.
Umbrella Vinyl and Thorne Records offer hours of browsing, from indie rarities to classic rock. Underground Solution is packed with dance music on vinyl and CD, plus decks and DJ equipment, while VoxBox Music is a treasure trove for second-hand finds. The aptly named Elvis Shakespeare is a great spot for preloved records, CDs, and tapes, as well as books, comics, and DVDs.
If you’re seeking a gift for a musician, look to Stringers of Edinburgh for bowed string instruments like violins, violas, and cellos, or The Wind Section for brass and woodwind instruments and accessories. While Rikki’s Music Shop on Leith Walk has been selling a variety of musical instruments for almost 40 years.
Find out more about Edinburgh’s much loved music venues, bars, places of interest and record shops in The Edinburgh Music Map.
This festive season, yes, do visit the city’s Christmas markets, but be sure to leave room on your shopping planner for discovering the magic of Edinburgh’s independent shops.
This project is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
