You don't need to go to the faceless chain stores and multinationals that line the main shopping streets in the New Town. Support local Edinburgh businesses and take home a fantastic and unique memento of your trip.
Victoria Street
And the east end of the grassmarket is where the old town's best shopping experience can be found. a clutch of independent business can be found here, and it is highly recommended that you avoid overpriced tourist traps on the royal mile and make a beeline for here. the best include oddities (http://www.odditiesclothi...), a must visit for the scottish hipster, analogue (http://www.analoguebooks....), a fantastic bookstore/art-space, red door gallery (http://www.edinburghart.c...), where some of the quirkiest and best gifts in edinburgh can be purchased. last but not least, armstrongs (http://www.armstrongsvint...), a local institution, has all the vintage clothing you could ever want.
Cockburn Street
pronounced "co-burn" has many small alternative shops. avalanche (http://www.myspace.com/av...) is one of the city's best independent music stores. support your local record shop! route one (http://www.routeone.co.uk/) is a great skate/alt clothing store. whiplash trash, as the name suggests, is one of the old town's more risque stores. beyond words (http://www.beyondwords.co...) is a brilliant bookstore specialising in photographic titles. you will not be disappointed. underground solushn is a great little record store dealing mainly in dance/electro music.
The Pubic Triangle
Is usually best avoided, due to its proliferation of lap-dancing establishments, but during the day you can find a number of great shops here. it can be found at the intersection of lady lawson street and west port, near the western end of the grassmarket. a gaggle of second-hand bookstores adorn this area, as well as pageant (http://www.pageant-store.com/) is a great new clothing boutique, and focus (http://www.focuspocus.co.uk/) is a skatewear/skateboard store situated at the western end of grassmarket.
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile especially the higher end near the castle, has many tourist-oriented shops selling Scottish souvenirs from postcards to whisky and kilts. These shops help reinforce stereotypes that a modern Scotland is trying to shake off.