An extensive independent shopping directory

Festive Spirit Independent Shopping

Our top picks for gift buying in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee

EDINBURGH

BOOKS Rare Birds 13 Raeburn Pl Much-loved independent bookshop championing women authors – their subscription service offers an ideal gift, and their advent calendar (inc. books) is an annual sell-out. rarebirdsbooks.com

Ginger & Pickles 51 St Stephen St A thoughtfully selected range of kids’ books, with beautiful titles ranging from baby to young adult – plus a small stationery selection. gingerandpicklesbookshop.com

Argonaut Books 15-17 Leith Walk Leith’s community bookshop, with a diverse stock and programme of in-person events. argonautbooks.co.uk

Lighthouse Bookshop 43-45 W Nicolson St Edinburgh’s radical bookshop – the place to find nonmainstream, politically engaged writing. lighthousebookshop.com Tills Bookshop 1 Hope Park Cres This secondhand bookshop overlooking the Meadows specialises in rare and antiquarian books. tillsbookshop.co.uk Golden Hare Books 68 St Stephen St A cosy space filled with a finely chosen selection of writing, art books and children’s titles. goldenharebooks.com

Armchair Books 72-74 West Port Family-run secondhand bookshop with the city’s best About page: ‘staffed by Edinburgh’s finest book people who brave the shop’s untraceable noises and unique microclimate.’ armchairbooks.co.uk Typewronger Books 4a Haddington Pl Edinburgh’s smallest bookshop and Scotland’s only typewriter repair shop! Selling books, independent publications, zines and associated merch. typewronger.com

Photo: Florencia Viadana

DESIGN, HOMEWARES & GIFTS An Independent Zebra 88-92 Raeburn Pl A hub of independent designers/makers of homewares, prints, furniture and gifts from across the UK. anindependentzebra.com

Handsel 336 Leith Walk An independent one-stopshop for art, homewares, jewellery, cards and zero-waste products. handsel.uk

Logan Malloch 13 Leith Walk Art, books, ceramics, greetings cards, plants, stationery and gifts mostly sourced in Leith, Edinburgh and wider Scotland. loganmalloch.com

Bard 1 Customs Wharf A brand new shop celebrating Scottish craft and design, with the noble mission of sharing local work on a global stage to show there’s more to us than tartan shortbread tins. bard-scotland.com

Flamingosaurus Rex 22 Bruntsfield Pl A dynamic, multi-functional gallery, shop and art space. flamingosaurusrex.com

Blunt Knife Co 41 Thistle St Centrally-located social enterprise shop selling zines, books, pamphlets, art prints, stickers, postcards and more, all made by independent artists and organisations. bluntknife.co

Image: courtesy I.J. Mellis

I.J. Mellis Winekraft 6 Brandon Terrace Organic, biodynamic and natural wine shop. winekraft.co

I.J. Mellis 30 Victoria St; 6 Bakers Place; 330 Morningside Rd The OG of Edinburgh cheesemongers, Mellis focus on small-scale farmhouse producers alongside a range of wines and artisanal foodstuffs (also in Glasgow, 492 Great Western Rd). mellischeese.net

Red Door Gallery 42 Victoria St Long-standing hub for local artists’ prints, artworks, crafts and jewellery in prime sight-seeing location. edinburghart.com

Curiouser & Curiouser 93 Broughton St, 106 Bruntsfield Pl Art, framing and gift shop with two locations in the city. curiouserandcuriouser.com

FOOD & DRINK George Mewes 3 Dean Park St Cheese! Excellent cheese! They sometimes give away samples and mulled wine when the Christmas queue is too long. georgemewescheese.co.uk

Beerhive 24 Rodney St A carefully-chosen selection of beers, wines and spirits with a local emphasis. thebeerhive.co.uk Cork and Cask 136 Marchmont Rd Thoughtfully sourced wine, beer and whisky. corkandcask.co.uk

Cornelius 18 Easter Rd; 128 Leith Walk An Easter Road institution that has branched out to Leith Walk, Cornelius stock the very best wine, beer and spirits. corneliusbeers.com

Salt Horse 57 Blackfriars St Centrally-located craft beer shop and bar for all your beer fan gifting. salthorse.beer

Lupe Pintos 24 Leven St (also 313 Great Western Rd, Glasgow) Specialist deli supplying Scotland with hard-to-find Mexican, American and Spanish ingredients, for all your hot sauce and taco needs. lupepintos.com

Locavore 118-126 Dalry Rd (also 349 Victoria Rd, Glasgow; 134 Renfrew St, Glasgow; 449 Dumbarton Rd, Glasgow) A social enterprise selling a wide variety of local organic produce at affordable prices. locavore.scot

Great Grog 2 Dalkeith Rd Specialist in local and international craft beers and wines. greatgrog.co.uk

PLANTS Grow Urban 92 Grove St; 8B St Vincent St A leafy haven for all your plant gifts inc. hand-painted pots, cards by local artists and terrariums for your low-maintenance plant gifting. growurban.uk

Moss and Fern 84 South Clerk St Plants and gifts, including dried floral arrangements, art, prints and homewares. mossandfern.shop

Rose and Ammi Flowers 2 Gillespie Cres Bespoke wreaths and beautiful pots. roseandammiflowers.com

Green. Meadows 137 Buccleuch St A modern take on a tropical plant shop with social and environmental sustainability at its core. Sister shop Green. Leith at 55 Elm Row. greenplantshops.co.uk

RECORDS Slow Progress Records 53 Blackfriars St Old Town record store specialising in alt-rock, indie-rock, punk, hardcore, emo, post-rock and modern pop, plus coffee and plantbased doughnuts.

Ilium 100 Marchmont Cres A coffee shop also selling retro and vintage clothing, records and books. iliumshop.com

Underground Solu’shn 9 Cockburn St Edinburgh mainstay for dance music on vinyl, decks and DJ equipment – it could not be more centrally located. undergroundsolushn.com

VoxBox Music 21 St Stephen St An independent selling pre-owned vinyl discs and CDs, plus books and music memorabilia. voxboxmusic.co.uk

Assai Records 1 Grindlay St Staff-favourite specialists in vinyl, turntables and music merch with central locations in Dundee (33 Union Street) and Edinburgh. assai.co.uk

Image: courtesy Grow Urban

Grow Urban Christmas & Hogmanay Guide

Image: courtesy Category Is Books

GLASGOW

BOOKS Mount Florida Books 1069 Cathcart Rd With an aim to stock the best in literary fiction, poetry, politics, cookery and more, Mount Florida Books are dedicated to reinvesting profits into literary and literacy projects in Glasgow. mountfloridabooks.com

Category Is Books 34 Allison St This is a space for the LGBTQIA+ community to learn about, be inspired by and share in the founders’ love of queer books, art, history, activism, writing and storytelling. categoryisbooks.com

Good Press 32 St Andrews St A workers’ cooperative dedicated to the promotion, distribution and production of independent or self-published printed matter, plus bookshop and risograph printer. goodpress.co.uk Ripe Mags Barras Market, Moncur St This specialist in magazines and photo books is based in the iconic Barras Market. instagram.comripe_mags

DESIGN, HOMEWARES & GIFTS Fat Buddha Store 81 Queen St Urban clothing, hip trainers, accessories and spray paints, in a store reflecting street culture. fatbuddhastore.com

Forty Clothing 11 Royal Exchange Sq A Scottish brand dedicated to producing high-quality, affordable streetwear clothing with an edge. fortyclothing.com

The Blankfaces 427 Great Western Rd

Category Is Books

The UK’s first clothing label aimed at ending homelessness – each of The Blankfaces’ designs is inspired or created by someone who is or has experienced homelessness. theblankfaces.co.uk

The Woom Room Barras Market, 244 Gallowgate A creative platform supporting the Glasgow art community, The Woom Room sells prints, original artworks, accessories and clothing by local artists. thewoomroom.com

South Block 60-64 Osborne St The shopfront of WASPS studios. Supporting all manner of creatives, from visual artists to jewellers, homeware crafters and clothing manufacturers. southblock.co.uk

Image: courtesy RISOTTO presents also available). gallusalice.co.uk

Wild Gorse Pottery 684 Pollokshaws Rd Wheel-thrown, contemporary stoneware in beautiful colours made and sold in Glasgow’s Southside. wildgorsepottery.com

Ruthven Mews Athole Gdn A warren of tiny antique shops and small independents in a lane behind Byres Road – a joy to explore.

Mr Ben Unit 6, Kings Court, 101 King St A longstanding favourite for vintage fans, a treasure trove of 80s tracksuits, sequin dresses and souvenir jumpers from the Glasgow Garden Festival. mrbenretroclothing.com

Risotto Studio The Glue Factory, 22 Farnell St Scotland’s leading risograph studio, producing vibrant stationery, calendars, prints and subscription services for the gift that keeps on giving. risottostudio.com

Hoos 715 Great Western Rd An eclectic mix of homeware, design and lifestyle, from Nordic design houses to beautifully crafted pieces by local artisans. hoosglasgow.co.uk

Welcome Home CCA, 350 Sauchiehall St This shop in the Centre for Contemporary Arts celebrates contemporary craft and design from a range of artists based

RISOTTO

in Glasgow and beyond. welcomehomestore.co.uk

Decadent Riot 11 Park Rd An alternative gift shop in Glasgow’s West End which promises to deliver ‘everything for those punks in your life’. decadentriot.co.uk

Velvet Moon 1203 Argyle St A lifestyle boutique supporting local artists specialising in cards, clothes, homewares and accessories. instagram.com/ velvetmoonglasgow

Gallus Alice 1017 Argyle St Glasgow’s premier destination for gifts for dogs (human Minted 105 King St Specialists in vintage streetwear from Stone Island to Carhartt. instagram.com/mintedshop

Orzel 678 Dumbarton Rd Menswear store specialising in brands with sustainability and quality at their core. orzel.store

Re-Jeans Studio 3, Rogart Street Campus, 4 Rogart St Based in the Barras, this gender-neutral fashion label reclaims and repurposes old jeans to make new denim products. rejeandenim.com

Image: courtesy Paulin

Paulin Beautiful, locally-made watches and accessories. paulinwatches.com

Doyenne Skateboards Glasgow’s very own women-run skateboarding brand created to celebrate and promote diversity in the determined pursuit of equality and unity. doyenneskateboards.com

FOOD & DRINK Valhallas Goat 449 Great Western Rd Subtitled ‘liquid treasures’, you’ll find a fine selection of beers, plus wine, Cuban cigars, handmade chocolates and a range of interesting spirits valhallasgoat.com

Roots Fruits and Flowers 455 Great Western Rd Local institution serving generations of Glaswegians flowers, fruits and organic foods. rootsfruitsandflowers.com

George Mewes 106 Byres Rd Serving all your fine cheese needs. georgemewescheese.co.uk

Lupe Pintos 313 Great Western Rd The Glasgow branch of Scotland’s premier Mexican, American and Spanish specialist deli. lupepintos.com PLANTS Glasgow Plant Mama 70 Bell St Everything you need to grow your own urban jungle indoors. glasgowplantmama.com

Blooms 182 Dumbarton Rd Serving all your botanical needs, from plants and fresh blooms, to stylish pots, seeds and dried flowers. bloomsglasgow.co.uk

RECORDS Strip Joint 956A Argyle St A vinyl-only record store located within a pizza joint. stripjointglasgow.co.uk

Monorail Records 12 97, Kings Court, 95 King St

Paulin

Another Glasgow institution, Monorail have been promoting the Glasgow music scene in their space adjoining vegan-friendly bar Mono for over 20 years. monorailmusic.com

Love Music 34 Dundas St Queen St station-adjacent rock music specialists stocking new and used CDs, vinyl, plus material by unsigned artists. lovemusicglasgow.com

Some Great Reward Unit 2, The Cooperage, 674 Pollokshaws Rd Independent record store plus takeaway coffee shop on the Southside! somegreatreward.scot

DUNDEE

BOOKS The Book Attic 93 Perth Rd Dundee’s independent bookshop, with a particular focus on local writers and interests. twitter.com/bookattic1

DESIGN, HOMEWARES & GIFTS Dundee Contemporary Arts Shop 152 Nethergate A well-curated selection of design pieces, artworks, homewares and knitwear, with an emphasis on local talent. shop.dca.org.uk

V&A Shop 1 Riverside Esplanade Design gifts and specifically-commissioned pieces by Scottish designers and curators engaging with exhibition themes. shop.vandadundee.org

Kist 151 Perth Rd An independent with a focus on Scottish makers, quality, handmade, sustainable and beautiful design. instagram.com/kistdundee

Volk Gallery Keiller Centre, 3 Chapel St A repurposed nappy machine selling monthly-changing artist commissions for £3 a pop. volkgallery.com

Tilted Duck 9 Dock St This small vintage boutique is a stone’s throw from the V&A. tiltedduck.co.uk Le Freak Records 159 Perth Rd Underground record shop, seller of new and used records and self-proclaimed ‘home of The Dolphindog’. lefreakrecords.co.uk

Hayley Scanlan Shop 186 Perth Rd Original pieces from local fashion designer (and Netflix star) Hayley Scanlan. hayleyscanlan.com

Arkive 36-40 Seagate Stockists of urban fashion, streetwear and footwear, also housing Ozzy’s skateboard and BMX shop. arkiveclothing.co.uk RECORDS Assai Records 33 Union St Staff-favourite specialists in vinyl, turntables and music merch with central locations in Dundee and Edinburgh (1 Grindlay St). assai.co.uk

Thirteen Records 13 Union St Independent used record shop from the staff of former Dundee mainstay Groucho’s. thirteenrecords.co.uk

PLANTS The Botanist and the Bee 40 Whitehall St Dundee’s first ‘indoor only’ plant shop! thebotanistandthebee.com

Photo: Julie Howden

Advertising Feature Shop Local

Photo: Jay Dawson Support your local shops and venues this festive season

Photo: Jay Dawson

The Stand

When The Stand rst opened, their manifesto included creating a list of genuine comedy fans to make sure they charged them the fairest possible price. The membership scheme evolved from this idea and is still strong today with over 1000+ members. It entitles the holder to advanced show announcements, discounted tickets and member exclusives for just £15 a year. thestand.co.uk @standcomedyclub

Shelter

From mouth-watering Fairtrade chocolate and pre-loved partywear to a new festive range of Christmas cards, gift wrap and crackers, Shelter Scotland’s online shop has everything you need this festive season. Plus, every order made will help in the ght against housing injustice. Shop now at shelterscotland.org/shop ©Shelter, the National Campaign for Homeless People Limited 2022. Registered charity in England & Wales (263710) and Scotland (SC002327).

Image: courtesy of Edinburgh Printmakers

BLUDGE

BLUDGE is a queer-owned “online-o e” run by a WSET-certi ed cork dork who likes drinking and talking about wine ad nauseam. We’re based in Leith – where we o er regular tastings – but we also deliver wine all over mainland GB. Check us out for all your wine-o needs: bludge.co.uk or @bludgewine on all our socials!

Edinburgh Printmakers

The wide-ranging artwork for sale at Edinburgh Printmakers showcases stunning prints from its archive as well as from its current print studio members – meaning it’s impossible not to nd art to your taste! If you visit in person, you can also explore a range of homemade gifts from local makers too. edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/shop

The Queen's Hall

Treat your loved ones to the gift of live music in 2023. The Queen’s Hall is Edinburgh's best music venue, with a varied programme across all genres. The intimate and idiosyncratic building plays host to everyone from international superstars to up-and-coming local talent. They o er email gift vouchers valid for three years – the perfect last-minute gift for the music fans in your life. thequeenshall.net/gift-vouchers

Image: courtesy of Macastory

Macastory's Jack and the Beanstalk

Join Ron, Ferg and Claire as they take you on a great big Christmas cracker of an adventure in Macastory’s storytelling panto Jack and the Beanstalk (2pm, Sat 17, Sun 18, Thu 22 & Fri 23 Dec). Fifty- ve minutes of perfect panto patter, full of all the usual panto fun, excitement and laughs, specially devised for a young audience and their parents… it’s a BIG story for LITTLE people! Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High St, Edinburgh; scottishstorytellingcentre.com

Image: courtesy of Fruitmarket Image courtesy: Dundee Contemporary Arts

Fruitmarket Bookshop

This Christmas spending time with people feels more important than ever, so in the Fruitmarket bookshop the focus is on thoughtfully selected books, gifts, and activities that you can share with those you love. Shop our artists' editions and books alongside Japanese stationery, jesmonite candle holders and hand-poured candles that are luxurious (but also kind to your bank balance). fruitmarket.co.uk

DCA Shop

The shelves of DCA Shop are full of festive gift inspiration, from jewellery, craft and design by Dundee and Scotland-based makers to contemporary homeware, books and games, and limited edition prints created in DCA Print Studio. Shop in person at Dundee Contemporary Arts or order online from shop.dca.org.uk