Beautiful department store on Princes St, with a super unique layout due to the historical building…read moreit's in. If you are from Canada, this store is just like Hudson's Bay. If you are from the USA, it's just like Macy's. Ran out of Clarins cream and stopped here to stock back up. Had AMAZING service by the rep!

Unusual, old-fashioned and charming is how I would describe Jenners. It has a maze-like quality so…read moreit's quite easy to get lost in the multitude of rooms and floors. Definitely worth a browse for a quaint shopping experience. The cafe is very good too, but extremely busy. I had a breakfast of cheese and tomato omelette with a decent cup of coffee. Not very relaxing due to the bustling crowds of people and it's a queue-up to order and pay system, so I was concerned my food would be cold by the time I managed to get my coffee, pay and grab a table. But it was warm enough and very tasty.

I've recently been checking out and reviewing some of Edinburgh's many gift shops. I came across…read morethis one today, situated at the top of the High Street, and popped in. If there was a scale of gift shops, this would be at the upmarket end. There is a wealth of cashmere items along with a great deal of tartan, amongst a small range of other clothes. I would imagine the prices would reflect the high quality of the offered product. Thankfully, this shop is not full of any of the mass-produced tourist rubbish that you find in so many gift shops. This shop is for the more discerning shopper, looking for that high-quality memento of their visit to Edinburgh. If you love cashmere, and let's face it, even the name sounds comfortable, then this place may well be one of your first ports of call. Prime location for prime merchandise. Definitely worth a look.

I actually really like this place. If you're from the U.S. then it's literally just like TJ. MAXX!…read morethis one is two story. Not too sure if they have a toilet, but I'm sure they do. It's a pretty big store. I also noticed some unique clothing, which I'm a fan of. If I had more room in my luggage then I would've bought some stuff. Haha!

Came here looking for some clothes and luggage. It was just OK and ended up not buying much. Would…read moreput this slightly better than Primark and lower than Mark and Spencer.

The store layout seemed a little dated compared to other M&S stores I've been to, but the food hall…read morewas really well stocked and the bathrooms were clean. They had some different clothing items that I hadn't seen before. Definitely worth popping in if you're in town.

Marks and Spencer is a big and well known British retailer.  As we were walking around New Town, we…read moreputzed around in this store located in a prime stretch of Princes St and right across the street from the landmark Scott Monument.  It was a very busy store on a Saturday afternoon.  It was a good opportunity though for the wife to pick up some items like shortbreads, crackers, and cookies, and such as gift boxes and at reasonable prices.  Self check-out was popular and worked well here.

Fan shop in the st James center. It has a number of floors for clothing, homeware, appliances and…read morekitchens, bedding and soft furnishings, furniture.

John Lewis is the anchor tenant of the St James Quarter shopping centre, it's my favourite…read moredepartment store in Edinburgh city centre, down to its' location, as well as being a large, modern department store with a good range of products in all categories, other than food, which is quite minimal. It's over six floors, which extends past the mall, however, it does have multiple entrances on the mall level, do be warned that you won't be able to use the same lift for all floors, for some reason to get to the higher floors, you need to change lifts, or use the escalator, not a big deal, but this isn't well signposted, and it's easy to get lost. I did like the look and feel of the store, the technology section was huge and had everything from phones to laptops and TVs, while also having an Apple section, the area overall was much nicer and more modern than other technology sections in other John Lewis stores, so a big plus. The upper level has nice views of the Edinburgh Old Town. Other facilities inside the store include a Cafe as well as a selection of men's and women's clothes, fragrances and accessories, there's even an Optician's. A very big and very good department store to serve the Scottish capital.

This M&S is so convenient! The Princes Street M&S is too complicated (the escalators confuse me)…read more And the Fort Kinnaird M&S is huge but it isn't really that well stocked. This one however, at the Gyle is the biggest one in Edinburgh and is all on one level which is good because you can see where everything is and not have to consult the directory. There is a café at the back where I finally got to try a slice of the famous lemon drizzle cake and it was well worth the wait! One of the best lemon cakes I've eaten! There is a food hall at the front which is well lit and well stocked but it is quite small. Even the Fort Kinnaird food hall is bigger! There are also 2 sets of toilets. (One at each end) and the ones I went to (near returns and customer services) were in pristine condition. There are a lot of entrances too. There is one from the Gyle centre, one from the car park into the clothing and one from the car park into the food hall. If you know what you are there to get, I suggest using the Gyle entrance because it places you in the centre of everything and everything is well signposted. Anyway, one of my favourite M&Ses.

Working at Edinburgh Park, there are not too many options for lunching or shopping apart from at…read moreThe Gyle Shopping Centre. Marks and Spencer Foodhall is definitely my go to for super tasty, fresh and healthy salads or wraps for lunch. The quality is much better than any of the cafes at the Gyle and yet is cheaper, although only option is to takeaway of course. I would say that their main groceries are dearer than your average supermarket, so I don't do my main shop there, but do keep an eye out for any specials and often end up picking up a few items. On the way to and from the Foodhall, you may find yourself browsing the main department store for any needed/wanted clothing and homeware items also. This Marks and Spencer is the biggest in Edinburgh and really is a one stop shop.

Harvey Nichols or Harvey Nicks as it is often referred to, is a large department store, just…read moreoutside St James Quarter in Edinburgh city centre, a large department store in a grand building, this is a nice place to shop if you're looking for something a little more premium with a selection from food to fragrance. The store feels high-end so is fancy and well laid out, and the staff are friendly, with many creams and products on hand to test out before purchase. The store closes at 6 pm between Sunday and Wednesday, opening an hour later between Thursday and Saturday, regardless I feel this is far too early for a large department store in a big city, the shopping hours are not well catered to workers, and those who prefer to head out in the afternoons. There are places to sit and take a break while shopping in the store, which I appreciate, and the vibes inside the store are very nice, overall, with some nice products, so it is well worth a look in if you have time while shopping in Edinburgh. The store has five floors, including a Brasserie and Bar on the Fourth Floor, with impressive views of the city, including the Old Town. 4*

At the very top of this mall there is a terrace overlooking St-Andrews monument. It's really cool!…read moreMy friend and I got some drinks and some chips and had a great time. I got a margarita frozen and they were very generous with the alcohol! The chips came with this really delicious dipping sauce (and only cost 4 pounds). Would really recommend grabbing a drink here.

Order Number APPHOF40000071407266. Worst experience ever,…read moreplaced order on line 31st may, paid nearly £300 for next day delivery, no delivery or communication so made contact on the 3rd June, no direct talk contact only chat, said i had to wait 3 to 5 working days for a response as they was busy, i have had to chase everyday for a response and every time a different reply, nobody knows what's going on, i am nearly £300 down, my Fathers birthday was on the 8th June no present or money to purchase something else, 14th June today last response, saying delivery was lost and refund 3 to 5 working days, so this will go over a weekend so doubt i will receive anything in my account at best 22nd June. A month of hell, being told anything but the truth. I have been using HOF for years but this is the end for me. This could happen to you so be aware.

Standing on the same street as Edinburgh's staple department store Jenners, this House of Fraser is…read morea bit of a wallflower in comparison. It doesn't boast the ornate fronting of Fraser's in Glasgow, or the glorious facade of Jenners through here. But you don't go to a shop to look at the front of it for hours - you are presumably there to spend money. Inside, Fraser's is very easy to get lost in. When you emerge from the fragrance and beauty section blasted in perfume (not quite, but you can ask for a sample), you can wander up to the designer clothing sections. It's lovely and the staff are great. It's a bit too pricey for me at the moment since I am rooted in my poor pauper postgrad student status, but one day I aspire to be able to buy some pretty frocks from here. And to be overly indulgent on perfume, and not feel shy to get one of those make-up makeovers that they offer in store because I will be able to afford the products by then. Their products are of great quality, hence the price, but for folks like me, we'll just have to make do with the immense 70% reductions in the mid-season sales.

I've never usually been a huge fan of Semi-Chem's, I find them a little bit stuffy, disorganised…read moreand most of the products not really to my taste. Now and again you can find a few diamonds in the rough and oh boy have I found a good 'un. My friend recently bought a tub of St. Moritz fake tan from here and for a 200ml bottle it was only £2.99, holey moley! Being a bit of a fake tan snob, I was a little sceptical. I've always used St. Tropez. I've recently become complacent in my bid for a sunkissed bod' and have been trying out various instant tans. Rimmel sun shimmer? Yuck. Beyond Bronze by Fake Bake? Even worse... came off on my clothes and when it started raining I looked like I had polka dot skin. Heck, I should start a fake tan blog! I popped on the St Moritz fake tan last week and I can honestly say that it's just as good as St. Tropez and it's instant! With a mitt, it's super easy to apply and as long as you give it a good rub in, it does streak either. I had to go and buy a few bottles for myself. I found myself in this neck of the woods scouting around Costorphine and popped into this well stocked branch of Semi-Chem... to my delight they had St Moritz by the bucket load and I didn't hesitate in picking up four bottles. Awesome.

Love Primark, especially and specifically their international locations. This one in Edinburgh…read morereminded me a lot of the Amsterdam store. It's spacious and bustling with multiple floors (women/men/children). There's a plethora of options to shop from clothes and shoes to accessories and fragrances. It was difficult to find an employee to ask questions as they easily blended in with shoppers. There was also a self check-out section, which I appreciated being able to bypass the long lines for time's sake and only a few items to purchase. I would stop in again without hesitation whenever I visit the area again.

Found myself in need of a hoodie while on vacation and knew I could find it here! Prices are crazy…read morelow and they have a huge selection for everyone. I just wish they would find their way across the pond....