When it comes to shopping, Edinburgh has it all - department stores, friendly little boutiques, the traditional, the new, the expected and the unexpected. The main shopping area in Edinburgh is Princes Street, an architectural jumble of chain stores, department stores and bustling crowds.

It's not always the most pleasant experience, even if it does give a splendid view of Edinburgh Castle, and most shoppers seem to regard it as a necessary evil to be ploughed through on a Saturday afternoon. George Street, which runs parallel to Princes Street, is calmer, more exclusive and correspondingly pricier.

Princes Street is the location for Scotland's most famous shop, Jenners, which has a fabulous food hall. Nearby, in South St Andrew Street, is perhaps the city's most chic shop, Harvey Nichols. Much like its London counterpart, the shop sells the hottest designer labels, as well as beauty products and food.

The Royal Mile, on the other hand, is scattered with off-beat stores and souvenir sellers. The nearby Grassmarket (a trading place since 1477) and Victoria Street are packed with arts and crafts shops, bookshops and specialist food stores.

Some of the city's smartest designer stores, such as Escada, are along George Street in the New Town. The main modern shopping centres are Cameron Toll Centre, 6 Lady Road, and Princes Mall (formerly the Waverley Shopping Centre) on Princes Street. There is also a large shopping and leisure complex in Leith, called Ocean Terminal.

Be sure to break away from the crowds and the generic shops to investigate some of the stores in places like Causewayside (a mecca for antique-hunters), Broughton Street and Stockbridge.

For souvenirs, quality knitwear and traditional Scottish items, the Royal Mile is the place to shop, although stores selling genuinely attractive goods are outnumbered by those that peddle the cheap and tacky. Visitors to Edinburgh who want to take home a little piece of Scotland may be tempted by tartan fabrics, Celtic-inspired jewellery, shortbread and, of course, whisky. All these items are available from numerous boutiques and specialist shops in and around the city. 

In general, shops are open 0900-1730, with late-night shopping on Thursday until 1930 or 2000. Sunday opening is increasingly popular, particularly among the larger stores. Many shops (especially those frequented by tourists) are part of the Tax-Free scheme. Visitors must keep their receipts and fill out a claim form to have the 17.5% VAT refunded. See www.globalrefund.com for further information on tax-free shopping.