Tartan Weaving Mill and Experience

I always wondered how they made the intricate tartan patterns, and this is definitely the place to go if you’re wondering the same, after walking the Royal Mile i got to the top and realised i shouldn’t have bothered going into other shops as they pretty much had everything all in the one place, the only problem was trying to find it all, it can be a bit of a maze as its surprisingly larger than it seems with 5 levels in total, but there was always staff around to point you in the right direction! After walking around for a while we ended up sitting in the café for a quick bite, which i might add was reasonably priced for being right next to the castle. If you’re ever in the area you should check it out, cause it’s definitely worth a visit!

I was a textile major in college, so I was drawn in by the displays of actual looms. You have to walk through too many cheesy touristy shops that will convince you that your name has a tartan, even when you’re not remotely Scottish. And everything seems to be covered with a layer of dust and grime (which is not uncommon for actual textile mills). I did enjoy the attempt to show how the wool is transformed into the tartans, and I did see a few workers down on the older looms actually making something, though I doubt it’s anything that gets sold in the store.
They’ve also got an area where you can have your picture taken in Highland dress, so yeah, it’s pretty cheesy all around.
That said, I did find a collection of Harris Tweed patterns that I hadn’t seen elsewhere, and I did pick up a Harris Tweed bag that I’m looking forward to using in the cooler weather. And they’ll give you the paperwork to get your tax refund at the desk on the lowest floor.
Sure, it’s a tourist trap, but if you can get past that and actual view the looms and such, it can be slightly educational at the same time.

This place is a disgrace to Scotland! When the Council sold the building a few years ago, it was for its use as a high quality museum of weaving. That’s now a few tatty exhibits shoved into a back corner. Otherwise it’s all just a dreadful shop selling the worst tourist tat rubbish, almost all obviously imported from sweatshops overseas, despite the deceptive labeling, and disgracefully shoddy (and non-​authentic). It’s a tragedy that Edinburgh tolerates such a humiliating disgrace in such a prestigious spot right next to the Castle. If you want a kilt, don’t even consider looking here or anywhere else on the high street, unless you want to look a joke in your nylon skirt! Shocking.

This is just your regular run of the mill tourist souvenir shop and only gets a three star rating from me as far as tourist shops go. However, there is a terrific little gem of an exhibition in the right-​hand corner of the lower level. If you are not familiar with the kilt this fabulous little corner will take you through the history of the highland dress. Activated by motion detectors (I think) a voice will begin speaking and take you through a series of mannequins dressed in the highland dress during various time periods. Very interesting! I definitely rate this corner five stars!