154 Accessible Edinburgh: A Festival Guide Shopping 155
Blackwell’s Bookshop
0131-622 8222; http://www.blackwell.co.uk; 53-62 South Bridge; 9am-
8pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri, 9.30am-8pm Wed, 9am-6pm Sat,
noon-6pm Sun; all South Bridge buses
The city’s principal bookstore covering all subjects, including a
huge selection of academic books. It’s listed as wheelchair-
accessible on Yelp, but we have no first-hand testimonial.
Godiva
0131-221 9212; http://www.godivaboutique.co.uk; 9 West Port;
10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-5.30pm Sun; bus 2
This unconventional and innovative boutique specialising in both
vintage and modern cutting-edge designs won Best New Design-
er prize in the Scottish Variety Awards 2010, and is committed to
ethical fashion. It’s listed as wheelchair-accessible on Yelp, but
we have no first-hand testimonial.
Ian Mellis
0131-226 6215; http://www.mellischeese.co.uk; 30a Victoria St;
9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Wed, to 7pm Thu-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun;
buses 2, 23, 27, 41, 42
Scotland’s finest cheesemonger purveys the best of British and
Irish cheeses. This is the place to purchase traditional Scottish
cheeses, from smooth Lanark Blue (the Scottish Roquefort) to
sharp Isle of Mull Cheddar. There’s also a branch in Stockbridge.
It’s listed as wheelchair-accessible on Yelp, but we have no first-
hand testimonial.
Joyce Forsyth Designer Knitwear
0131-220 4112; http://www.joyceforsyth.co.uk; 42 Candlemaker Row;
10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat; buses 2, 23, 27, 41, 42, 45
The colourful knitwear on show at this intriguing little shop will
drag your ideas about woollens firmly into the 21st century. Ms
Forsyth’s trademark design is a flamboyant, flared woollen coat
(can be knitted to order in colours of your own choice), but there
are also box jackets, jumpers, hats, scarves and shawls. There’s
a 3 ½ inch step into the shop, but the door shouldn’t present a
problem.
Kilberry Bagpipes
0131-556 9607; http://www.kilberry.com; 27 St Mary’s St; 8.30am-
4.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat; buses 35, 36Makers and retailers of traditional Highland bagpipes, Kilberry
also sells piping accessories, snare drums, books, CDs and learn-
ing materials. It’s listed as wheelchair-accessible on Yelp, but we
have no first-hand testimonial.Mr Wood’s Fossils
0131-220 1344; http://www.mrwoodsfossils.co.uk; 5 Cowgatehead;
10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat; bus 2Founded by the famous fossil hunter Stan Wood, who discov-
ered ‘Lizzie’, the oldest fossil reptile yet known, this fascinating
speciality shop has a wide range of minerals, gems, fossils and
other geological gifts. There is a low step of the front door, which
is usually not a problem for wheelchair users. However, manage-
ment has a portable wooden ramp that can be used if necessary
for power chair users. There’s a small raised area at the back of
the shop that is not wheelchair-accessible.Pie in the Sky
0131-220 1477; http://www.facebook.com/pieinthesky72; 21 Cockburn
St; 10am-6pm; bus 6Gorgeous vintage and alternative fashion and accessories. It’s
listed as wheelchair-accessible on Yelp, but we have no first-hand
testimonial.Underground Solush’n
0131-226 2242; http://www.undergroundsolushn.com; 9 Cockburn St;
10am-6pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, 10am-7pm Thu, noon-6pm Sun;
bus 6A paradise for searchers of new and secondhand vinyl, this place
has thousands of records – techno, house, jungle, hip-hop, R&B,
funk, soul and 45s – plus a (smaller) selection of CDs, T-shirts,
videos, books and merchandise. It’s also a good place to find
out what’s happening on the local music/clubbing scene. It’s
wheelchair-accessible.