Bonnie Blue Gallery

Edinburgh certainly has no shortage of gift shops and Bonnie Blue Gallery has to be one of my favourites. It’s refreshing to see a gift shop on the Royal Mile that stocks a very limited, if any supply of tartan themed goods.
They have a great selection of cushions, candles, jewellery, mugs with cute pictures of cartoon animals, cuddly toys, clocks, beautiful pottery and ceramics, ornaments and various other wares, each prettier than the next.
My favourite items are the guardian angel pendants. My aunt bought me one of these a few years ago and it always gets compliments, it’s an excellent gift to give or receive.
The only downside to this quirky gift shop is the fact that it’s so small and given it’s popular location can get ridiculously busy. So make sure you leave your suitcase outside as I wouldn’t fancy knocking over all the fragile ornaments surrounding you.

The fact that Bonnie Blue manages to avoid any tartan themed tat or shortbread tins, yet still manages to create a feeling of being completely and uniquely Scotch, is an achievement in itself. I’m not really all that big on gift shops as a rule, but compared to it’s neighbours the bright handmade goods on sale here offer a far more interesting souvenir possibility than a ginger wig or set of furry bagpipes.
There’s some quite striking and cute picture of brightly coloured animals in the window, which offer far more character for your living room wall than the faceless modern art they peddle at IKEA.

In the sea of «I Heart Scotland» hoodies hanging outside tourist shops, there stands the Bonnie Blue Gallery.
It’s a bit of a haven for locals since (hoorah!) there are no Scotland t shirts or Nessie magnets in sight. Instead, it prides itself on selling personalised, kooky gifts that are homely and original.
I was a big fan of this shop because it was filled to the brim of handmade clay cat ornaments, not to mention a really cute cat dish with little kitties popping over the brim of it. There were some pretty cups that I was almost tempted to buy, didn’t in the end, and now want to go back for. They were only 7 quid and featured little sketches of different animal breeds (think Edward Monkton). I was torn between buying one with colourful dinosaurs on it or, quel surprise, the one with cats all over it.
They had some lovely fridge magnets, crockery, lamps and hand knitted bags. They had some gifts with a supernatural quality, such as handmade castle ornaments that looked like they had been inspired by the sublime look of Highland manors.
This store was cosy, cute and tastefully Scottish themed without having to scream about it. What a refreshing gift shop on the Royal Mile — I would recommend it to the locals as much as tourists!

This isn’t another run of the mill gift shop on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. The beauty of the gifts and trinkets in The Bonnie Blue Gallery is that they are mainly all handmade and unique items, making it perfect for gifts that show you really care. No Up Yer Kilt fridge magnets here.
I remember receiving a coin purse for my birthday about 3 years ago from a relative and discovering it was from Bonnie Blue, so I have been in and out of this shop for a few years now, and each time I have picked up something or other for gifts or as a wee treat for myself because the products are beautiful and different. The prices reflect this but I wouldn’t say that it’s an expensive shop-​you simply pay for the great quality.
Not to be lumped in with old fuddy duddy stores that sell tweed and cashmere and not much else, Bonnie Blue is suitable for gifts for all ages, and I guarantee the recipient will love it!