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So often these days, the parades of shops in cities, suburban high streets and out of town malls have an identikit look – the same old names serving up the same old products everywhere you go.
Even the coffee shop where you set down your bags mid-morning may give you a distinct sense of déjà vu: yet another outlet in an all too familiar chain. Fine, when you want to make a quick dash for school shoes or ten pairs of white briefs, but far from inspiring…
There are still places in Scotland, however, where originality thrives and shopping is a delight. These are the market towns or seaside resorts where you can still find an old-fashioned ironmonger or sweetie shop, where there’s a chance to explore the studios of talented artists and craftspeople, and where you’ll discover the sort of unique speciality shop – run by passionate and knowledgeable owners – that attracts eager customers from hundreds of miles away.
Quality of life is what brings artists and entrepreneurs to these thriving communities – lovely scenery, impressive architecture, fascinating history – and it’s what makes them terrific places to visit. Not only is the shopping interesting (and the parking a doddle), but when you walk into a coffee shop or hotel, you’re likely to find somewhere with real character and a menu you won’t have seen a hundred times before. And when the boot’s full of shopping and you have had an excellent tea, there will probably be a picturesque stroll along riverbank or shore to enjoy, or perhaps a cultural treat. There are active traders’ associations in many towns who put out information to help you find your way around.
As a way of adding sparkle to an autumn weekend, and with Christmas around the corner, there’s nothing to beat a good browse among lovely things to buy. Here is our guide to some of the best shopping hot spots in Scotland.
99.....PEEBLES
Easily reached from Edinburgh, it is big enough to have several of everything – jewellers, children’s shops or shoe shops – offering lots of choice.
103.....KELSO
Handsome town with a racecourse nearby, so there is a traditional sporting edge to the shopping in its elegant market square.
105.....MELROSE
With an ancient abbey on its doorstep, Melrose is effortlessly beautiful and is especially strong on antiques and homewares.
107.....PERTH
A city with a heart, so you can find all the high street chain stores, as well as high quality speciality shops in its quainter streets.
110.....NORTH BERWICK
Trains from Edinburgh mean the resort has year round character, excellent attractions and serious shops as well as seaside frippery.
113.....AYR
Historic port and seaside resort with a sense of its grand past. Some shops have been in existence for a century or more.
115.....TROON
A home of golf, so this is the kind of place where wives enjoy the shops while their husbands are out on the links.
Donald Trump has unveiled his ambitious plans for a golf Mecca in the north-east of Scotland. These new golf destinations may be welcomed by the tourism industry, but are they good news for the Scottish game and the country as a whole?
