Six must spend shops in Edinburgh

Although the shops on Edinburgh's famous Princes Street can be a bit of a disappointment, you only have to shift a block away to George Street to find glamorous boutiques and upmarket emporia.

Elsewhere in the city, it's often the smaller traders on the backstreets which capture the imagination: look out in particular for knitwear designers, antiquarian booksellers, jewellers and arts and crafts galleries. Kristina Pentland from travel publisher Rough Guides, explores Edinburgh's shopping gems.

Jenners
The grande dame of Edinburgh shops, this old-fashioned department store has overseen the comings and goings of Princes Street for more than a century. It's the oldest department store and often dubbed "the Harrods of the North". Modern designer labels now set the tone. (48 Princes St. www.jenners.com)

Corniche
This small but perfectly formed boutique sells interesting ladies' and men's designer wear straight from the catwalks. It's a treasure-trove of designer labels from Katherine Hamnett to Jean Paul Gaultier. There's also a menswear section next door. (2-4 Jeffrey St. Closed Sunday)

Victoria Street
The city's quaintest shopping street with a string of unusual one-off shops that include a portmanteau maker and cheesemonger.

Harvey Nichols
The chic new kid on Edinburgh's shopping block, with four floors of all the most important designer labels. Edinburgh's style cats were greatly relieved when Harvey Nicks finally arrived in town, offering expensive fashion and an impressive food hall and restaurant. (30-34 St Andres Square)

St Stephen Street
This intriguing Stockbridge side street has a low-key collection of pubs, places to eat, second-hand clothes boutiques and craft shops.

Anta
An appealing contemporary approach to tartans and tweed, specialising in bags, scarves, throws and fabrics, three floors of Anta's distinctive designs offer an original contemporary adaptation on the traditional, with stylish styles and tones. (1-9 West Bow. www.anta.co.uk)