Shopping, Edinburgh

Favorite thing: go shopping at Almondvale. This is just opposite McArthur Glen and is very different so it's nice to see the two in one day if you have time. Almondvale is your typical shopping centre. 2 floors of shops like Index, bargain books, internationale etc. It's not really different to shopping centres in most cities but it's a nice change.

Fondest memory: The man in the black polo-neck jumper! lol. We were sitting having coffee in a little cafe (Rendez-vous: see below) when the most gorgeous bloke sat down at the table beside us. We couldn't keep our eyes off him, and were glad that our coffees were too hot to drink. Anything to keep us there longer!!

Favorite thing: go shopping at McArthur Glen, Designer Outlet Centre. Again this is a bit out of town (in Livingston) but wow you should see it! It's Scotland's largest designer outlet, and even just looking at it from the outside, you can tell it's a good quality place. It has big name shops like Jaegar, Ted Baker, Armani Collections and also a Marks & Spencer outlet, a Body shop depot (which is absolutely brilliant), Thorntons, Levi's and many many more. The prices are very much reduced than in shops elsewhere although in some places like Armani's, it's still very expensive. The shopping centre is lovely and I would have bought more but I didn't feel too good (self inflicted!!). I'd love the chance to go again. If you have chance to visit, take it! Just remember the shopping centre closing times. The times vary slightly depending on the day. Most shops there close at 6pm everyday (including Sunday) except on Thursday when they're open till 8pm. They open at 10am everyday except Saturday when they open at 9. Restaurants tend to close later in the evening. There's a big car park and also plenty of cashpoints. There is even a 8 screen cinema complex at the same place so you can see a film after shopping, if you have the energy! For more information, see McArthur Glen Designer Outlet

Fondest memory: Upstairs in the centre are a selection of cafes and restaurants. We had our dinner in Spudulike (see below). It was lovely.

Favorite thing: go shopping at Kinnaird Park. I did this on my first day in Edinburgh. Had to get 2 buses there but it was worth it. Kinnaird Park, known locally as The Fort, is a lovely retail park and is a few miles outside the city centre. There's a variety of shops to visit but not many places to get food. We spent ages walking round looking for somewhere to get lunch. We were just thinking we'd have to buy sandwiches from Boots when we found a McDonalds. Good old McDonalds, always there when you need them! Kinnaird Park also has the one and only 'Pilot' shop in Edinburgh. It was great - we don't have Pilot shops at home and this one was massive. Pilot, for those of you who don't know, is a brilliant woman's clothes shop and it's quite cheap too so now I have a lovely, new, purple top! There are also shops like Topshop, Next, H&M and Toys r us. It's quite a new shopping centre and there are still lots of empty business units. It'll be great in a few months or so when the new shops are there.

Fondest memory: Finding all the latest albums on cd for £9.99 in Comet! I just had to buy Hearsay's new album and support them in their early days...

Fondest memory: was just hanging out with my friends. I remember having a quick lunch at a 3-story Burger King on Princes Street. I also remember going on a tiny shopping spree buying presents for my family back home. This included buying an assortment of chocolates in the Menzies store for myself. Long live Cadbury! ;)

Fondest memory: was discovering all the little alternative shops along Princes Street. April '96 was the start of certain trends, such as the hippy 'Girl Power' revival - all the shops had hippy-themed clothing and accessories. It was also the start of alternative-coloured nailpolish (ie: blue, green, glitter, etc). It was here where I purchased several accessories for my sister.

Favorite thing: This is the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre. We walked into the shop part of the building looking for some whisky fudge but discovered it was more expensive here. They have a huge selection of whiskies for sale but as it is in the heart of the tourist area, I would check around for prices before you buy. We did not take the tour.