Edinburgh area tops list of best places for independent shops in the UK

It often features in social media videos and Pinterest posts showing what a unique and beautiful city Edinburgh is.

And now, as well as being celebrated for its stunning castle views, brilliant pubs and rich history, The Grassmarket has topped the list of the UK’s best places for independent shops.

The list graded the areas on categories including Occupier Quality (Leisure), Occupier Quality (Retail), Business Longevity, Diversity of Offer and Independent Representation, before giving a final rating.

The Grassmarket and its surrounding streets, which include Victoria Street and Candlemaker Row, beat off competition from several other celebrated independent shopping districts across the UK, including York’s Shambles, Brighton’s The Lanes, the Northern Quarter in Manchester and even London’s Soho.

And this area of the Scottish Capital’s Old Town, which is home to shops selling everything from local skincare and fashion brands, to books, cheese and whisky, came out on top, scoring the highest for business longevity.

Mary’s Milk Bar is one of the Grassmarket’s most popular stopping points for locals and tourists

Speaking to The Sunday Times, 27-year-old Imogen Barr, who works at the Isle of Skye Candle Company in West Bow, said: “It makes a difference that it’s independent shops and Scottish businesses [in this area]—it gives it a more local feel.”

Her colleague Keely Washington, 21, added that local businesses in the area are particularly special because they support each other through what she said can be a “hectic” job.

The Grassmarket is a hotspot for pubs and restaurants, some of which are known the world over.

But it is also home to a number of the city’s favourite independent businesses, like Mary’s Milk Bar, which has in the past been named the best ice cream shop in the UK.

And W. Armstrongs & Son vintage clothing has operated for nearly 200 years, originally having set up shop in the nearby Cowgate before expanding to four locations across the city.

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Analysts for JDM Retail carried out the survey to find the best high street in the UK. Many of the places named on the list are historic shopping districts which are popular with tourists from around the world.

Chief executive, Jonathan De Mello, called the high streets appearing on the list the “antithesis” of ‘clone towns’ that make up much of the UK high street.

He said: "It is independent retailing that adds colour and difference to a location, and the top high streets on this list are the very antithesis of the 'clone towns' we so often see up and down the UK”.

A JDM Retail spokesperson said that independent businesses should act as a complement to “prime retail”.

They said: "The findings suggest that independent businesses perform best when they are encouraged to cluster, creating distinctive destinations that complement — rather than compete directly with — prime retail."

The top ten areas to feature on the list were Grassmarket, Edinburgh; High Street, Shrewsbury; Shambles, York; Devonshire Quarter, Sheffield; Soho, London West End; The Lanes, Brighton; Fisherton Street, Salisbury; Church Street, Inverness; Ropewalks, Liverpool; and George Street, Perth.