The Civilized Shopper's Guide to Edinburgh and Glasgow
By Alex Hewitt (Photographer); Susie Lowe (Photographer); June Skinner Sawyers
(Little Bookroom, Paperback, 9781892145581, 192pp.)
Publication Date: November 4, 2008
Categories: Europe - Great Britain - General, Shopping
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Named the top shopping destination in the United Kingdom outside of London, “Glasgow is a must-see destination…a mandatory stop on everyone’s European travel itinerary” (The Philadelphia Inquirer) and Edinburgh has long been considered one of the most hospitable cities in Europe. This book has eleven walks–seven in Edinburgh and four in Glasgow–taking shoppers to the most charming and unique stores in both cities, which are less than an hour away from each other by train.
The shops included offer cashmere, hats, shoes, books, handcrafted soaps and natural botanicals inspired by Scotland (Treasure Island is a heady mix of musk, lemon, and cinnamon inspired by the Robert Louise Stevenson classic), single malt whiskies, purses, the best of British home design, and jewelry using Scottish gemstones. There are shops that specialize in traditional foods (farmhouse cheeses, toffee, shortbread, and lemon curd). There’s a “glorious mess of an antique shop,” a “kilt maker for the 21st century” who uses fabrics that range from denim to leather and whose customers include Sean Connery, and many more establishments, both new and historic.
Old businesses aren’t included simply for being old, but for continuing to offer goods of beauty and quality; new businesses are chosen because they operate in an old-fashioned way, with an emphasis on service and craftsmanship. Some are elegant and refined, some offer on quirky twists on classic themes, but each is stylish and without pretense. One shop owner says her boutique attracts the “discerning and determinedly different.”
The guide also includes restaurants, pubs, and cafés along the walks, and has an entire section devoted to the stunning tearooms of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Edinburgh farmer’s market.
Sumptuous color photos throughout give a sneak preview of the shops and their offerings, and the address, phone number, opening days and hours, and website of each establishment are included for extra convenience.
June Skinner Sawyers, a writer and editor in Chicago, is a native of Glasgow. She is the author and editor of many books, including Celtic Music: A Complete Guide; The Road North: 300 Years of Classic Scottish Travel Writing and Dreams of Elsewhere: The Selected Travel Writings of Robert Louis Stevenson, as well as several music anthologies: The Best in Rock Fiction, Racing in the Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader, and Read the Beatles: Classic and New Writings on the Beatles, Their Legacy, and Why They Still Matter. She is a regular contributor to the Chicago Tribune.
Shop like a local the next time you're in Scotland.Three things to know about June Skinner Sawyer’s new book, The Civilized Shopper’s Guide to Edinburgh and Glasgow: 1) It sorts out the good vintage spots from the bad, so you won’t have to wade through piles of stinky XXL T-shirts. 2) It lists loads of respectable whiskey joints in the two Scottish cities, so you won’t feel like a lush for downing a glass (or two…). 3) It’s small enough to fit in you bag, so you can wander the cobblestone streets and play it off like you’re a local, rather than a confused tourist." --Nylon magazine
"Scotland is the place to buy tweed and single-malt scotch, of course, but there are plenty of hip new places to satisfy the covetous and unrepentant shopper. "The Civilized Shopper's Guide to Edinburgh and Glasgow" shows just how cosmopolitan these two cities have become...Photographs by Alex Hewitt and Susie Lowe convey the warmth and charm of a cashmere weave or a pile of bread at the Farmer's Market on Castle Terrace in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The shops are organized into suggested walking tours where the reader also will find suggestions for pubs and restaurants." --Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"The Civilized Shopper's Guide to Edinburgh and Glasgow takes you to those independent stores--the quirkiest, the best, the most memorable shopping experiences Edinburgh and Glasgow have to offer." --Scottish Life
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