12 Days of Christmas in the Grassmarket
Independent, individual and interesting... Leila Williams finds all she wants for Christmas in the Grassmarket and its surrounding streets...
1.
Christmas for mum is in the bag at Hawico. Always a winner with its classic and gorgeous luxury cashmere made in Scotland.
2.
My dad is nuts about all things sci-fi so I find a treasure trove of niche sci-fi classics at TransReal Fiction – daughter points for me.
3.
In a bid to master winter style, it’s a treat for me with a stop at Fabhatrix for a new winter hat. They make it exactly as I want it in the store’s basement studio. I also throw in a gorgeous scarf from family run business Calzeat just to finish the look.
4.
A spot of late night shopping and instead of blitzing the present list, I max out on a long session of rummaging in WA Armstrong. It’s vintage at its best and a favourite haunt for the weird and wonderful.
5.
An old school satchel from the Cambridge Satchel Company will suit my sister. I might even throw in a couple of accessories if she’s really nice.
6.
Forget the gimmicks; we take knitwear seriously in our household and traditional Scottish numbers made by the family at Bill Baber are right up our street. A whole new meaning to Christmas jumpers.
7.
As a big fan of the made-to-measure tweed clothing at Walker Slater, the independent store on Victoria Street is always on my radar. This time I find the perfect tweed jacket in the ready to wear collection.
8.
Searching for something different to wear on Christmas Day and I find it in Godiva. Now I’ve got a cute little number with a vintage twist, made by an independent designer.
9.
Purple Glamour is a one stop shop for exquisite and unusual jewellery, home decor and gift ideas – how fortunate are the handful of friends who make it onto my gift list, I’ve got lots of treats for them.
10.
In a bid to not be outdone as the joker in the family I stock up on an array of games, jokes and magic tricks at Aha Ha Ha Jokes.
11.
Christmas isn’t Christmas without a sumptuous cheeseboard so after spending time with the cheese experts at IJ Mellis I’m ready to relax by the fire with lots of cheese and a glass of wine.
12.
Merry Christmas! And a peaceful 2018 from the Greater Grassmarket area. Come visit throughout December for late night shopping and free events at the weekend.
Photography: Cloud Catchers