Independent shops, "edinburgh"

Skate and street wear for the boys, with labels like Stussy and Nike, Skullcandy headphones and Nixon watches; also stocks an excellent range of DVDs and is, like, the only place to go to get a new deck for your wheels. Right?

Pinky, frothy, girlie clothes and accessories for Bruntsfield's yummy mummies. Everything from high-fashion wellies to designer reductions, plus a handy wardrobe exchange so you can pick through your neighbours' couture jumble! The staff are…

Dark, incense-scented fairy cavern full of statuettes of imps, pixies and assorted gnomes. Run by a woman so ethereal she might well be a fairy herself.

Uncompromising and fully-licensed sex shop at the centre of Edinburgh's gay district. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Hosting work from new artists, this gallery/shop sells handmade pretty jewellery from textiles to pearls.

Where did you get that hat, old bean? Well, Fabhatrix, actually. Top hats, clôches, trilbies, Scottish felt hats, vintage style, silk wedding hats, red hats, bowlers, straw hats, quirky tweed deerstalkers and feather fascinators …Fabhatrix sells nothing…

Cracking little shop in the heart of Leith. Although it sells Scottish crafts, don't think for a second it's the same sort of tartan tat you'd find in the tourist zones. They also come with a splendid all-ethical produce guarantee.

Pretty cotton print frocks, brief, patterned smocks and edgy T-shirts from the likes of Eucalpytus, Yamama, Ruby Walk and Sugarhill. Certainly at the top end of the Cockburn Street price range, but still that little bit more affordable than anywhere…

Hadeel is unique amongst fair trade shops: it is focused on marketing Palestinian hand crafts. Items for sale include silver and mother of pearl jewellery, embroidered bags and purses, olive wood carvings and hand woven woollen rugs. Also stocked are…

Local designer Joey D's clothes are remade and recycled from old items of clothing. Boiler suits, army tunics and tweed jackets are embellished and tweaked into styles that vary from clubby to downright flamboyant. Make sure you take a wander through…

Edinburgh's original designer label boutique offers outrageous creations (at equivalent prices) for boys and girls from the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Yohji Yamamoto, Katherine Hamnett, and Comme des Garcons.

ReMade is a gallery shop, specialising in local sustainable design. Also fairtrade and vintage.

Gorgeous, tactile knitwear for wool enthusiasts; stock includes several hard-to-find Scottish and European designers, and there's a quirky in-house label too.

Not only content with selling the things, this place also hires out bikes and repairs them too. There's everything in between, from mirrors to mudflaps, so it's a bit of glorious biking pick 'n' mix. Perfect for the hardened pro or the enthusiastic…