Me and my friend had been wandering around the whole of Edinburgh looking for a cool outfit to…read morewear. All the shops that we had ventured into were wither too expensive or didn't have a very good selection to choose from. Thankfully, our walk led us into the path of Stir Crazy and we were able to pick up some outfits here. I got a skeleton outfit and my friend got a devil costume and they were very reasonably priced compared to some of the other shops that we had went into that day. During the rest of the year, Stir Crazy also do costumes for general fancy dress and have a really good website with lots of ideas to help you think of the perfect costume. They also do novelty items to help accompany your costume as well as offering fancy dress options for children.

Stopped in at lunchtime to get an outfit for a yelp event and they didn't disappoint. The guy was…read morereally helpful and even reached the stock that was high up. I was able to get props without having to buy a full outfit. Fantastic. The shop is in the grass market which is a great location.

As Mark said, I too am glad to see a store that is a step away from mainstream Hallmark inspired…read morecard shops. Toy & Party pride themselves on not only selling toys, but also selling balloons and gifts for special occasions. They have a wide variety of stock, from massive, affordable cuddly toys to birthday cards, helium filled balloons and party favours. The toys are a step up from the type you would find in a pound shop, but not quite high street quality. Saying that, they do have childhood hero Winnie The Pooh in a plush, very cuddly large size. I probably wouldn't get a card in here since they are slightly lower end than the lieks you would find in Clinton. However, it appeals to people on a lower budget and with the choice of ornaments and gifts, is helpful to many when they're hunting for a birthday present.

It's good to see that many independent card shops and stationers ply their trade on the streets of…read moreEdinburgh, despite competition from the larger national chains, like Clintons and Birthdays. Some of them are quite good, but others slip into the 'distinctly average' category, and Toy and Party is one of those. You can find this shop on Leith's Great Junction Street, one of the main thoroughfares running from the foot of Leith Walk. Inside, you'll find a pretty non-descript card shop, stocking a range of greetings cards for a variety of occasions and events. The 'toy' section is tucked away at the back of the shop, and stocks the sorts of things that you'd see in Pound Stretcher or other such bargain shops. If you're looking for premium toys, this probably isn't the place to go. That said, the range of cards at low prices was not too bad, and the toys would suffice for making up a Halloween costume, or some other fancy dress occasion. Cheap and cheerful is the order of the day here.

I don't normally post reviews but had to comment on the fantastic service provided by Edinburgh…read moreFabrics. I wanted a length of navy elastic but was struggling to find anywhere but an online marketplace at exorbitant prices, so I was really pleased to find a range of widths, very reasonably priced with this store. I placed my order, the online invoicing was prompt and seamless, and gave lots of security reassurances. Postage was not included but was reasonable again. That all happened yesterday, and I received my items today. Really high quality materials. I cannot commend this company enough and will certainly buy from them again. Just wish I lived closer to visit in person!

This was a smaller fabric shop as compared to USA but there was so many types of fabrics. I stayed…read morein Edinburgh for ten days and for so many days I was on bus tours to many other cities so I was always checking for fabric shops. I never found what I was looking for until I called up this shop on one of my non travel days. It is down the hill going away from the Royal mile towards the library. I called first before going and they had what I needed! The team was so helpful. Thank you Scotland and thank you Edinburgh fabrics!

WOW!!! I drove past…read morethis shop on my way to Inverness, and I had to park to go and have a closer look. It was so f***ing cool!! It is a charity shop for save the children, but completely unlike all the others I've been in before. I felt like I was in the gift shop of an art gallery, everything is kitsch and retro, and the colours are amazing. The whole shop is decorated brilliantly and it looks like something out of the movies. Upon further investigation, I found out that the shop is owned by TV retail advisor and Save the Children Ambassador, Mary Portas, and it is infact a designer charity shop. I didn't know you could get them! I plan to spend an awful lot more time in here.

In agreement with Emily, I did a swift double take when I saw this place!…read more Towering above its neighbours in a gorgeous old building, Mary's Living and Giving looks more like a pretty boutique than it does a charity shop. Essentially, it is - boasting secondhand designer clothing and accessories, it's got some chic and often retro offerings. So you can get a snazzy outfit for a dinner party at an absolute steal of a price! With its creaky, varnished floorboards and warm lighting, it feels as though you're in Monsoon rather than in a charity establishment. The pictures toward the back of the shop remind you of who you are helping, however, making finding a bargain in Mary's an ethical choice! Gok Wan would be all about it!

The Royal Lyceum Theatre is a stylish venue and popular amongst the many cultural, theatre-goers…read morewithin Edinburgh. It's well proportioned and pleasantly comfortable, ensuring an enjoyable viewing experience. Furthermore, the Lyceum has a tremendous reputation for the quality of its productions and is invariably packed out during the Edinburgh festival season. I'd highly recommend all those who enjoy their trips to the theatre to grab a programme listing, find a show they want to see and get themselves along there.

Why can I not find a costume shop like the one that was in roseburn Edinburgh. I called all others…read morebut they were closed down or no answer. I need a mask and costume for a ball. I'm a bigger than my dancing days due to illness. But this is a joke

If you are into crafts and have a knack for getting down to decorating your own cakes then this is…read morethe place for you. Located surprisingly on this street in Newington it's a crafts makers dream and I am always impressed with the window display. Having said that twice I have been in here I have been treated with a frosty welcome. I asked if they had any fun glitter/sequins and the girl glared at me and replied they don't. I was finding it hard to find anything in this store, even though I do like hunting around places I felt like I was being followed and made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I suppose it comes with being one of the few places of the area that to my knowledge specialises in crafty supplies. And I guess for that reason prices are quite high. Taking into account that you can find most of this stuff for less at other shops the thing that makes this shop appealing is the fact that everything is in one place and it a nip in may inspire you for your next crafty attempt or cupcake frosting- that is only if you are into stuff like that.

From the outside, this place looks like a girly aladdin's cave full of everything you could ever…read moreneed to plan any kind of party imaginable. On the inside however, the shop is rather claustrophobic and cluttered, so much so that even turning around requires planning and ballerina-esque agility for fear of knocking over boxes of sequins or a pyramid stack of rolls of ribbon. I made the mistake of going 15 minutes before closing time, and the owner did very little to hide the fact that she was looking forward to getting me out and closing up for the day. I was only looking for something for a fancy-dress party, but had I been planning an important party or wedding (as a huge chunk of the shop's stock is aimed at) I would have gone elsewhere without a second thought. Whilst the service isn't first-rate, if you're into your arts & crafts or cake-baking, this is probably somewhere you should pop into; likewise if you're looking for invitation stationery. Just don't expect a smile or a hello when you get there.

Small friendly shop. Variety of board games for all ages. Table top role play and minis plus…read morepaints. Had a great chat with the staff and found not only some stuff for myself but also got some gifts to bring back for others. Liked it was in a quiet part of town away from all the tourist chaos and that it was a small business store and not a big box location. Highly recommend.

Ask your average Edinburgh resident where or what Black Lion is and they will probably point you…read moretowards the zoo. Ask your average nerd and they will point you towards Buccleuch St. If war-games, role-playing, board games, trading cards or anything of that sort is your thing, then Black Lion Games is the place for you. Don't be put off by its dark dingy exterior and grated windows, inside is bright fresh (newly refurbished) treasure trove for your inner child and suppressed imagination. There is nowhere else in Edinburgh quite like it. Black Lion should be intelligent-geek central. Given its relatively small size, the shop has a great range of stock. If they don't have something in, they will order it for you promptly. There is a nice variety of role-playing books, from well known games like Dungeons and Dragons and World of Darkness to less well known and independent games. The owners will be happy to help, and won't patronise you if you're just looking for a chess set and don't know what a level 20 Tarrasque is. The shop also supplies war-game miniatures and card games like Magic the Gathering or Legend of the Five Rings. To complement this nice dice, paints and other accessories are available. However if poring over vast tomes of rules and rolling dice isn't your sort of thing, there is also a great selection of classic and new board games and traditional games like chess, dominoes and backgammon. The staff will also be happy to get you started on a new hobby and games are sometimes run in the shop too. Don't be intimidated by nerds in their own territory, this place is worth a browse even if the closest thing to "Magic: The Gathering" you've got so far is the Beltane Fire Festival. The cost for board-games, role-playing books and miniatures always gears towards the pricey, but with the fluctuating popularity of such things, and the ever erratic role-playing market, Black Lion does a good job of just keeping itself going. It's also one of the few local, businesses like it, not just in Edinburgh but in Scotland and across the UK. A cool and original shop. Highly recommended.