The Dome on George Street is well known by Edinburgh locals and tourists as the most festive building in the city. The six impressive stone pillars that make up the outside of the building are decorated with huge festive garlands and cannot help but melt the heart of the most diehard scrooge!  Once inside the building, there is no place for ‘Bah Humbug!’ as the enormous Christmas tree rivals that of the gifted tree from Norway that sits on The Mound every year.

While is is very acceptable to go into The Dome for drinks, their cocktail list is impressive, it is so much more decadent to attend for lunch or dinner. The restaurant is one of Edinburgh’s best kept secrets and the menu will keep even the most discerning of diners happy. (As a pie person, I can honestly say the best pie I have ever eaten is the Steak, Ale and Mushroom Pie in The Grill Room!)

There are few places you can go to in Edinburgh and not be steeped in some historic tale, The Dome is no exception. A building has occupied the site on George Street  since 1776 and has an impressive history all of it’s own. Originally acquired by The Royal College of Physicians as the site for their very own hall after years of sharing space at The Royal Infirmary, a building designed by celebrated New Town architect James Craig was erected on the site. Sadly, it seemed the physicians were not happy with the internal structures and as the cost of building on the site had ran into debt it was eventually sold to The Commercial Bank in 1843. The Commercial bank employed David Rhinds as an architect in 1844 and once the old building was demolished, building began on the new design we see today. The building spent many years as a commercial bank and then head office of The Royal Bank of Scotland until 1993 when it was then sold to a local company who converted it to the building we see and enjoy today.

The Dome has many options for dining comprising The Grill Room, The Tea Room, The Club Room. In Summer months you will find The Garden Cafe open but it closes for the winter months.   Dress ranges from Smart to smart casual, the inside is so sumptuous if you are looking for an occasion to wear your sunday best, look no further than here. Whether you decide, and can get booked for lunch or dinner, a trip to The Dome will certainly make your visit to Edinburgh complete.

Photo Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/people/cawa

Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, is a great city for shopping. Easy accessed by road, rail or plane, our beautiful city has much to offer for weekend shoppers.

During the winter months, Edinburgh’s Princes Street is without a doubt one of the nicest and easiest city centres to shop. All shops are located to one side with the pretty Princes Street Gardens on the other. Along Princes Street you will find typical High Street stores River Island, Next, Gap, H&M, The Disney Store, Build A Bear Factory, Office, BHS, Waterstones, The Levi Store, Urban Outfitters, HMV, Barratts, All Saints, USC, Zara, Boots, Game, Currys Digital, Whittards of Chelsea, Lush, The Body Shop, Thorntons, Monsoon, Accessorise and Russell and Bromley.

Edinburgh’s oldest department store, Jenners, which opened it’s doors in 1838, is located towards the east end of Princes Street. Jenners is known as the ‘Harrods of the North’ due to it’s royal association. The Queen visited in 1988 on it’s 150th anniversary and it has held a Royal warrant since 1911. Jenner’s has everything you require from a department store. It also has a very much revered Father Christmas and children will delight in a visit to the magical grotto. Stocking, to my excitement, a large collection of high street fashion pioneers, Biba, no visit to Edinburgh is complete without a walk through it’s doors.

Shopping in Edinburgh stepped up a further notch with the arrival of its very own Harvey Nichols department store in 2002. A weekend trip to Edinburgh is much more of a designer experience since the luxury brand stockist opened its doors.

Photo Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/dennajones/

Stocking far too many designer brands to list  on this post at least Harvey Nichols evokes a sense of style and designer flair. Walking through it’s impressive glass door held opened by one of its attired doormen, can never fail to excite this shopper!

The downstairs floor houses every make-up counter you will ever need, and ones you do not even know you did. From Laura Mercier to Estee Lauder every cosmetic requirement is catered for. You can even book to get your nails done at the exclusive nail and champagne bar, a place most girls make a beeline for. The subsequent floors house beautifully designed creations that most Edinburgh residents can only covet from afar. The fourth floor in particular houses a great restaurant and a food store with delights from all over the world.

Located at the edge of Multrees Walk, where elite brands such as Emporio Armani, Ted Baker, Links Of London, Mulberry, Louis Vitton, Reiss, Kurt Geiger, Replay, Firetrap, Calvin Klein, and Bravissimo take up space, Multress Walk also has a Sassoon salon and cafe.

There are two further department stores located along Princes Street, John Lewis and House of Frasers, (who also own Jenners). Both are located at opposite ends of the street and between all four department stores you will find everything you need.

Princes Street also benefits from two shopping malls, the St James Centre and Princes Mall. Both are located at the East end of Princes Street, close to the majestic Balmoral Hotel. The St James Centre has a very big John Lewis and is connected to Multrees Walk. St James Centre houses most High Street Brands such as River Island and Next, as well as a cafeteria area and internet cafe. Princes Mall houses a few high street brands such as KooKai and New Look, as well as a several mixed designer shops and Scottish tourist shops.

Running parallel with Princes Street is George Street. George Street is an eclectic mix of cool bars, restaurants and mid to luxury range of branded shops. Here you will find a broad selection of fashion retailers including Jo Malone, Cath Kidston, Karen Millen, Pepperberry, Whistles, Jack Wills, Cruise, Thomas Pink, Jaegar, Jigsaw, Coast, The White Stuff, Space NK and Hobbs.

The most exciting news since Harvey Nichols joined Edinburgh’s vibrant shopping scene and something that has been keeping fashionistas in Edinburgh on tender hooks with its opening date, is not the trams, (don’t get us started on that just yet!) but the huge Primark store. Just in time for the expected hordes of Christmas shoppers, Primark is set to open it’s doors this winter. In the mean time shoppers have had to trek to Stirling, Glasgow or Dunfermline  to get their hands on the fast fashion label. But this winter, Edinburgh will be the one stop shop for visitors and residents alike.

Enjoy Edinburgh, Enjoy!

Riding high along the ridge of the New Town, today George Street features high-end shops and retailers, wine bars, pubs, and a nightlife with a higher price tag than other entertainment districts in Edinburgh.

Bordered on either end by Charlotte Square (in the West) and St. Andrews Square (in the East), George Street also features herring-bone style streets that connect it to Queen Street and Princes Street on either side.

[Image credit: kankanwang]

George Street, Edinburgh’s High Life Street

On its East end, George Street boasts a number of more functional shops and restaurants, several banks, and a few major brand retail chains such as Laura Ashley and Molton Brown. To begin a day of high-end shopping in Edinburgh, there’s no better place to start than with brunch at one of George Street’s spacious, airy restaurants; the Dome comes to mind for high-rollers, although further along the street there are branches of All Bar One and Wetherspoons as well.

The Dome, lights up Edinburgh's George Street at night.

What seperates the restaurants of George Street from their counterparts elsewhere in the city is the light, spacious, airy atmosphere promoted by the space.

Midway along George Street one finds the Assembly Rooms – home to music and psychic fairs during the year, Ceilidhs once or twice a month, and one of the Fringe Festival’s biggest venues come August.

George Street's Assembly Rooms is a huge venue for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Heading further toward the West End, there are high-end hair salon brands like Tony & Guy, as well as home goods stores with all the essentials for your kitchen or other areas of your home. Traffic moves quickly down the street, so look out when crossing! George Street also offers easy access to shopping on Princes and Rose streets, completing the Edinburgh shopping experience.

[Image credits: FotoFling Scotland, Al Howat]