I used to make regular visits to The Paper Rack on my way between Edinburgh Uni buildings at George…read moreSquare and The Mound. I have some sort of messed up metabolism and need to eat about every 30 minutes. I don't like eating a lot of snacks and junk food so having a purveyor of some healthier alternative (a rare find) on my route is great. On my visits I would buy from their great selection of cereal and smoothie bars to fulfil my calorie needs. Having said this The Paper Rack does have a good selection of snacks and junk food as well as (for some reason) decent quality tinned biscuits. As has already been mentioned they also have a good selection of papers and magazines, a must for all newsagents. The staff serving me were always on the phone but managed to still be perfectly pleasant. They seemed to charge me something different every time for the same item, but it was always cheaper than the other nearby newsagent.

A newsagent's can only be so good I suppose, but with the rip-off haven of the Royal Mile just a…read morefew yards away, I really can't think of a better option round here for fags, chewing gum, scratchcards or gossip fuelled tabloids. With a selection of mags that almost rivals International Newsagents down the road, minus the foreign ones, it's very well stocked, and they also sell the fantastic Brannigan's crisps, the king of potato snacks and often annoyingly awkward to find.

Newsagents are the sort of place that you'd just visit rather than necessarily becoming a fan of,…read morehence the rating being limited to three stars. To become a fan of this place might be a bit over the top. I happened to be going past here earlier today, and popped in to see about getting a drink. In the end, I didn't buy anything, but was fairly impressed with what was offered. Whilst it may not have a massive amount of stock compared to some of the larger newsagents, I liked the feeling of space in here. The shelves are just on the two side walls, meaning that the middle of the shop is free to allow space to wonder. This may just be because the shop itself is not massive, but I often find places like this to be crammed floor to ceiling with stuff, which can be claustrophobic at times. The stock that was there was fairly standard, with a wall of magazines (maybe one of the largest selections I've seen in a shop of this size) and one of sweets, chocolate and drinks. A good little well-designed newsagents all in all!

6.30am. On my way home from a truly ridiculous festival night out. Yes home. Oooh Neal you absolute…read moreparty animal. See, my biggest problem with Edinburgh (apart from Scottish football, but that's based in Glasgow isn't it?), is that all the takeaways shut before the clubs. What the hell?! Sort it out Edinburgh. Returning to my night out, I was pretty peckish on my way home. Obviously everywhere was shut - it was 6.30am. Except everywhere wasn't shut. News plus, just seconds from my flat (hence I'd given up by now) was open! Result! I got a coronation chicken sandwich, which was actually very very tasty. So now I feel a sort of affinity with this place. They helped me out in my time of need so now I feel loyal to them. It's a pretty good newsagents to be loyal to. It doesn't sell more that it should, and it sells all the right things at the right price. It's just a bloody good newsagent

I've reviewed a few newsagents around Edinburgh and complained there all too similar. However I…read morehave to make a special mention for Latest News and in particular its excellent selection of magazines. Latest News is a large Newsagent located at the bottom of Lothian Road. The first thing that strikes you is the window display full of tacky plastic souvenir ornaments of dogs and romantic scenes. I don't know why, but these things have become commonly sold in newsagents and cheap gift shops as of late. I can understand the niche kitsch value but how you can have an entire window display of them I don't know. This isn't a complaint, but an observed oddity. The second thing you notice, once you've stepped inside, is the very large, very impressive magazine selection. Edinburgh doesn't have many shops that sell good magazines beyond the standards. It doesn't even really have a large impressive WH Smith. But Latest News fills its shelves to the brim with specialist magazines from trout fishing to doll house collecting, thus filling a niche market. I first visited when looking for a martial arts magazine I couldn't find anywhere else, and was recommended here by a friend. Sure enough they had it in stock. So if you are stuck in Edinburgh and can't find some magazine in particular, try out Latest News. They also sells sweets and newsagents standards. At the back of the shop they offer sandwiches and snacks. I should also add that the stuff are always incredibly smiley and welcoming, making this place especially endearing.

A basic post office situated on boswall drive. Will quite happily do all post office tasks apart…read morefrom unfortunately no road tax. Also includes a well stocked newsagaent which has a variety of sweets, other common foods, drinks, magazines and newspapers. Stationary also available.

This may not be politically correct, but this kiosk has "foreigner" written all over it - in a good…read moreway ofcourse! First of all, I'm one of the foreigners that have found their services extremely useful. They happen to sell several brands of calling cards - for those who don't know what these are, they're supposed to lessen the cost of calling relatives abroad, particularly in Africa and Asia. Whilst the claim of 1000 minutes for £5 seems like a steal, you soon realise they're usually worth only 300 minutes, and this is if you're lucky! I felt scammed the first time a quick chat with my mum had amounted to 100 minutes of talking...as if! Aside from calling cards, and the opportunity of the famed Western Union Money Transfer, they sell the usual kiosk staples of magazines, simple groceries, snacks and tobacco. It may be small, but it's extremely useful, and the staff have been really laid back and friendly every time I've been in there.

This location is not available. Go to the 42 Shandwick Place location which I visited and fell in…read morelove! Awesome store with a pretty good collection of items. The staff were friendly and helpful if you have a question. Film and books are downstairs. CD's are down in and to the right, while the l.p's line the middle to the back and to the left. New releases and specials are in the front of the store. Music lovers, you will not be disappointed! The special prices of some items are like icing on a cake!

Once a thriving independent with a string of shops across the country, Fopp is now a small chain of…read moreeight shops bankrolled by HMV. Whilst this branch is a lot smaller and smarter than the original Edinburgh branch on Cockburn Street, it still stocks a cracking selection of CDs, DVDs, box-sets, graphic novels, books and tee-shirts. There's no listening booths unfortunately, but a lot of the new releases come with written descriptions and the staff are usually willing to play certain album if you ask nicely. As for the stock, we're talking fantastic compilations, back catalogues, re-issues and new releases for bargain basement prices. With great Blondie, Human League, Cocteau Twins, Nick Cave, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Bob Dylan remasters for £3 each, I defy any fanatical music or film fan to come out with less than half a dozen goodies!

Out of this world is a crafts shop in the middle of Aberdour. From the window you can immediately…read moresee that it sells a bizarre selection of goods, from hats, to rugs and cards. As I entered the shop the staff member was quite chatty asking if I had come to Aberdour due to the gala week etc. Chatty, friendly staff are always a good indicator that a shop is good. As I wondered around I noticed textiles, wooden furniture, hand crafted items and colourful clothing accessories. All seemed to be reasonably priced and a lot of it seemed to be made locally. A quirky wee shop, and one I did not expect to find in Aberdour.