What a gem. I am SO happy we have this shop on Byres Road. Jim, the owner, is a bit of a legend…read more He is an artist and a real craftsman. I wandered in in looking to get my beloved shoes re-heeled. He said it would take about 20 minutes and would cost £9. I suppose that is relatively steep for some people, but considering that I love these shoes and I can finally wear them again AND the real TLC he gives the shoes - polish, shine the whole shebang, I was more than happy to pay! He did a stellar job, is incredibly friendly and chatty and has a good sense of humour. He showed me pictures of some of the repairs he's done, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the state of the shoes that some people bring in. Anything from Doc Martins to Jimmy Choo's (they were ghastly, I was shocked!), he managed to make everything look brand new, no matter how little leather was left. This would probably also be the place to come to get keys cut, glass engravings, belt notch making. I have yet to require any of these services, however, I know where I'll be going when the time comes. I am super happy with the service in this place, and can only recommend Jim and craftsmanship! The one thing you should know is that it is cash only.

The gentleman in this shop is so nice, and efficient! I ruined a heel on one of my boots the night…read morebefore; he had my boots looking spiffy in 20min. He even shined up the leather too! And the best part, two repaired heels for £8! I highly recommend this shop. If you need keys cut, shoes repaired, passports photos, or even leather work this is the place.

I must admit, I'd never noticed this place existed before... probably because I've not ever needed…read moreto use their services before more that it existing in some Diagon Alley of Shawlands. Anyway, the guys who work there are really friendly and have obviously been doing this most, if not all of their lives. Really quick service (30 minutes for a re-heeling) and very good price (£5.49) and friendly, skilled staff make this my go-to place from now on for all shoe and key-related requirements!

An excellent business, indeed. A small, local business which provides good quality work - and fast!…read moreYou can expect shoes to be repaired and keys to be cut within the day (usually). Although, do keep in mind that Saturdays are their busiest days and hence, some services can take longer depending on local demand. The staff are very friendly, helpful and honest about how well the repair can be expected to be. For instance, there are no false promises if you have left something for too long to repair. They also stock a wide range of shoe and key paraphernalia as well as zippo lighters and the like.

Located toward the harbour end of South Queensferry's historic high street, is this little antique…read moreand curios shop. Sea Kist sells antiques pertaining to all things sea related! Actually it sells a lot of bits and bobs but mostly paintings of the sea, model sea ships, old shipping equipment. I like a lot of this sort of thing, especially genuine sea faring gear, it has a real charm. I'm not such a fan of the large numbers of model ships and only mediocre quality paintings. But I definelty like this shop's focus. Antique shops can come in different varieties. There are very pretentious and snooty ones, and then there are ones like Sea Kist, welcoming everybody, affordable, honest. It certainly adds something to the street, and is especially relevant given it placing right opposite the fantastic views of the Forth and the Forth bridges.

As a young child I was always fascinated by the tales of pirates and the Royal Navy, till this day…read moreI am still very much interested in the adventures on the high seas! So as I was walking down the High Street, I could not but be drawn into this shop. This shop sells antiques which are all related to the high seas! From old water colour paintings to fabulous replica models of ships, this shop sells it! The shop is quite small inside and is well stocked with the amount of antiques it has. If you want some old seas faring equipment and travel back to the days of Nelson and Black beard, and then pay Sea Kist a visit!

Cannot believe the bargains at this Auction house! Prices were amazing. I saw a three piece suit…read moresell for £60. Deffenately a bargain hunters dream!

Dotted around the villages on the coast of Fife are little gift shops. And in Aberdour, Antiques…read moreand Gifts certainly seemed to be one of the more popular ones. The shop did not stock your normal tacky tourist rubbish but instead stocked a mixture of antiques with hand crafted gifts. In terms of antiques the shop seemed to display a lot of china, including old tea pots and also a range of old worn out cuddly bears. Additionally the shop also offered framed pictures and prints. It all seemed very nice but it was not my cup of tea to be honest. In terms of gifts there were mostly textiles. The shop seemed busy but as I browsed through, I realised that this shop probably did get a lot of people in who viewed their goods but were unlikely to buy anything. And in a time of recession these shops probably will struggle. None the less, a good shop to go to if you want to pick up an antique for a gift!