After mailing some postcards and breakfast at The Painted Rooster on the morning of Friday 19 July…read more2019, I was on my way on foot to Holyrood Park to do some hiking. I had packed some food and decided that if I passed a small store on the way I would stop and see if they had any last food item(s) I wanted for a morning of exploring. Nearing St John's Episcopal Church, I was seeing the stores thin out and spotted Tesco Express. I slipped into the store and quickly looked through the offerings. I went with a small snack/candy item. There was a short line, which while standing in I noticed a small case of Krispy Kreme donuts. I did not get one of those, but it was a reminder I was going back to the United State of America the following day. Oddly, or goodly depending on one's perspective, it made me want to stay in Scotland more than go back to America.

Euan at Princess st store is a very valued member of staff always very polite, patient and service…read morewith a smile. He should have best staff member badge and a day off :) well done as you are young and this is rare.

The is a handy and ubiquitous convenience store chain we saw throughout Scotland. The best thing…read moreto me is that their ATM's had the best rates for ATM cash. Their rate was the current 1.35 USD/GBP exchange rate plus only a 3.95 GBP charge. Other ATM's I tried at the airport and at a bank wanted about a 1.55 USD/GBP exchange rate which equates to a ridiculous 15% fee! Otherwise, we like convenience stores like this during our travels for items like bottled water and such.

Sainsbury's on West Port, not too far from Chalmers Centre, in Edinburgh was the first grocery…read morestore I went to in Scotland. On my second day, first morning, in Scotland (6 July 2019), I was looking to get a few food items for the day before picking up my rental car and was aware of this store as I passed it the evening before on foot when going to get dinner. The store was bigger on the inside than it looked like on the outside. Sections were well set up and easy to navigate and peruse. I was particularly impressed with a bakery/fresh-baked breads section at the back of the store. In the United States of America, the stores of an equivalent nature might have hot dogs or donuts available, but not fresh-made bread. I got a few items and went through self check out. It took me a couple tries to get the payment right, but everything worked. Worker(s) were friendly.

Almost by default, Irvine's is my newsagent of choice on the Royal Mile, as on principle I refuse…read moreto put up with old misery guts that works in The Scottish Grocer just a few doors down. It's exactly as you'd expect from a newsagent, stocking papers, mags, sweets, drinks and fags. There's also a few Scottish bits and bobs for sale, but it doesn't appear to be the main focus. It's a very small shop, so there's not a huge amount of choice, but the friendly atmosphere keeps their noses in front of the rest.

As Gavin has already mentioned, Irvine's isn't the largest newsagents around but boy to they know…read morehow to make the most of the size and it's full to bursting with goodies. I popped in here the other day for a magazine to read on the train and some chewing gum and I also noticed that this place has a really nice friendly atmosphere. As far as newsagents goes, this one is pretty darn good!

Quick easy convenience store in Wales. Carries most items but I prefer Aldi or Adsa in Wales.read more

Oh! I thought this was a Metro. It's so much bigger and better-stocked than its little cousin down…read morenear my house that I just assumed it must be. (What world is this that I am able to make unconscious assumptions about the kind of Tesco I'm in? Ugh.) Anyway. It's bigger and better-stocked. That's why I thought it was a Metro. It's also pretty tidy most of the time and last time I went in, there was a nice young man from Stoats giving away free samples, which was fun. The tills are fairly well laid-out... I don't really know what else there is to say. It's a Tesco, and just a Tesco, and it's got nothing particularly out of the ordinary to recommend it, but it's juuuuuust fine.

Get your bits and bobs for the festivals (Recommended)…read more Pros: This store / information office is a great one stop shop for finding your feet at the festival. They have all the details on the plethora of shows and performances going on and the staff are very friendly and helpful - they seem to be genuinely interested in helping you make the most out of the festival. Cons: The range of goods for sale is limited - they could expand the merchandise quite a bit. It is a little out of the way too but this does mean that it's usually not heaving like the rest of the city in August.

It does what every other Tesco's does. It's cheap (ish) , it has loads of stuff that you might…read morepossibly want and it has very accommodating opening hours. But any time I have bought my lunch there, it feels like some kind of compromise of price over taste. Still, just because the food is manky, it shouldn't reflect badly on the shop staff who always seem nice, if a little harassed due to there being two tills, two self service tills (one frequently breaks) and not enough staff for a busy shop.

There's a Tesco Express at Fountainbridge that offers a wealth of variety for the local student…read morepopulation. The fresh sandwiches come in a vast range of unusual fillings, fillings I had no idea Tesco even offered. They have all the essentials and enough space to whisk around at a steady pace and get your weekly shopping done. I wish Holyrood's Tesco Express was more like theirs. They're like the Express that Tesco forgot, still packing sandwiches like Just Ham and Just Cheese. As a regular (and the Duke) it's embarassing. The aisles are narrow, there are pillars everywhere and they don't stock anywhere near what other Expresses and Metros in the near vicinity do. The fridges have the most random array of fresh meats and ready meals, the rice and pasta section is about two shelves big, woeful, just woeful. Given the amount of colleges, universities, offices and residential areas around, it beggars belief why they didn't buy a bigger space, or at least re-design the space they have.

Stopped off here to pick up some groceries and snacks. It has a decent variety of food but not the…read moremost orderly store and the employees seemed grumpy which was unusual given my experience with others in town.

This Sainsbury's Local store is in a useful location on Shandwick Place, just off Princes Street in…read moreEdinburgh city centre. The selection is mixed, they have a great to-go food and drink section, which includes a Costa Express machine, however, the stock of essentials and groceries wasn't too good while being at the usual inflated convenience store pricing. The layout of the store was easy enough to follow, but due to the presence of security gates, you will need to go through the checkout area even if you don't buy anything, which can be a pain, especially if there's a big queue and the item you wanted to purchase is out of stock. There are a couple of hotels nearby, so this can be a great stop to get a couple of things to take back to your room, without having to travel far, but better alternatives for sure around the city. 3*

As you stroll down Links Place and stare across to the Links Convenience Store, you might just…read morethink that this is another typical newsagent, one of many in Edinburgh. However, take a closer look and you will discover that this place offers a little extra, something a bit more than your regular newsagent! That little extra is that this store offers hot and cold snacks! Yes, this store has expanded from its base in newspapers and sweets/crisps business and has added another dimension! You might be thinking great, however a word of warning, the hot filled rolls (bacon, sausage etc) aren't that great, they are pretty bog standard (the rolls themselves are pretty good though). I never tried the cold rolls but I would imagine they would be pretty similar in quality. Cheap and cheerful comes to mind, and to be honest a hot roll, along with a packet of salt and vinegar crisps and a can of irn bru, isn't that bad for lunch. And it certainly isn't that bad going for a typical newsagent!

good custamer servis go ther every day .xread more

Quite a random shop, if I'm completely honest, but still great. It's somewhere between a…read morerun-of-the-mill corner shop that you nip to for a pint of milk and a newspaper, and a swanky deli where you go to treat yourself at lunchtime. Unlike a lot of corner shops, the pasta salads they sell here actually have more pasta in them than mayo, and they're all really fresh. I'm not 100% sure if they're made on site but they definitely taste home-made. The best thing about this place though is their bread selection - those huge big cristy loaves that you have to attempt to slice yourself (but never can) and are perfect for dunking in soup, fresh ciabattas, bagels, and of course the good old sliced loaf in a bag. If you're trying the Atkins diet, I'd recommend you stay well away from this place as just the smell alone will make you want to undo all your hard work. It's a little bit more expensive than your bog-standard corner shop/newsagents (which is why I only gave it 4 stars), but it's worth it.

Salut is quite an odd, out of place shop. Located just on the edge of George Square, it ought to…read moreattract lots of students popping in for lunch or buying something for their dinner on their walk home from classes, but whenever I have been in, and I have been in a fair amount, I have always been the only person in the shop. By far the greatest aspect of this store is the enticing display of breads and pastries by the window which taste delicious. The rest of the store just resembles the average corner shop. A lot of the food seems to be imported so it is quite expensive for what it actually is - I bought a tin of tuna here for £1.30. Salut sells all the essentials and I will occasionally buy fruit from here. I find the service slow and feel that servers posses a distinct lack of interest in the shop.

Another of the EUSA shops located smack bang in the middle of Pollock Halls. Snacks, drinks,…read moreEdinburgh University related paraphernalia, note pads....you get the picture, its all here. Does everything you would expect from a student shop at reasonable prices. You wont find any bargains here but you will find a well stocked convenience store, and for this purpose it will do just fine.

I came to the Pollock Halls EUSA shop all the time when I was there in first year, it was a huge…read moresaviour when it came to impromptu nights out where alcohol was needed and needed fast- before the 10pm licensing laws limit. The shop is also a good place to go for lunch and offers a good range of sandwiches and other snacks such as crisps and sweets. They offer a meal deal where you can get a sandwich, crisps and a drink all for £3. During exam period the shop stocks up on energy drinks, which I found myself helplessly becoming addicted to; and it was pretty cool that they reduced the cost of Relentless during the exam period to £1. The shop is a real convenience for students who cannot be bothered to venture out of the confines of Pollock Halls and even offers stationary and blocks of lined paper. They also sold fruit, which I don't imagine sold very well seeing as most people stole several pieces of fruit from the JMC canteen!