Are the pubs and shops in Edinburgh open on Sunday? Thanks.

Yes - the Golden Mile shopping district for years has been open Sats when i've been there - long before stores were allowed open in England on Suns.

The "Golden Mile"?

Well scratch the Golden Mile perhaps but there is some name for the main shopping drag in Edinburgh and Golden Mile popped into my head - like Chicago but i may have the name wrong. Thanks.

Let me correct the Chicago thing right now - Miracle Mile?

Do you mean the Royal Mile? That's not the "main shopping drag" unless you're looking for tartan and fudge.

Chicago = "Magnificent Mile" or Mag Mile for short.

The Royal Mile runs from the Castle to Holyrood Palace. Princes Street, which is approximately a mile long, is "the main shopping drag" although there are better shops in George Street.

Scotland does not have the same laws on Sunday shopping as England.

It's not just the Royal Mile (and surely no reader of this board woulod ever shop there?) where shops of any size can open all day Sunday (as well as open at all on Easter Sunday, illegal for shops over 3,000 sq ft in England), but the whole of Scotland. (Memo to PalQ, BTW: the Golden Mile is in Blackpool, a traditional summer holiday destination for people from the West of Scotland, and therefore much despised by the ineffably superior burghers of Auld Reekie. Confusing the Royal Mile - where of course nothing vulgar is allowed - with something from Blackpool will have the good ladies of Morningside turning in their sacks).

Nonetheless, not all shops open on Sundays, and the department stores are typically open for only six hours or so.

flanneruk, LOL!

Have you read "44 Scotland Street" by Alexander McCall Smith?

On a Sunday in a little shop near Holyrood Palace, I bought one of my most prized possessions: an incredibly striking framed photo of The Castle at night. It's the only thing I bought that day. It serves to remind me of the many conversations I had with shop clerks as I meandered down the Royal Mile. Do not miss that opportunity to meet and greet.

I bought a sweater on the Royal Mile (hangs head in shame).

No i'm not confusing the Royal Mile with my Golden Mile - the mile i'm talking about is along Princess Street with the large department stores, the main shopping drag for Scots - it has a monniker of some such mile - I believe it's the Golden Mile - i'll have to search for the title. And i should have said open Sun - for the Golden Mile, years ago i was struck one Sunday that shops were open whereas in England it was rare - except on Blackpool's tacky Golden Mile. Blackpool is my favorite UK city - no fooling!

Bannerman's in the Cowgate is probably my favorite haunt in town, and it's wide open on Sundays - starting with a terrific brunch then progressing to live indie acts later in the day/evening.

Its Princes Street, not Princess Street, and I have to say that I've never heard it called any kind of Mile either when I spent a year in Edinburgh or on many return trips. Maybe in some guidebook....I'm curious as to what it could be.

I kind of, sort of, vaguely recollect hearing an area of the New Town described as "The Golden Mile" because it had the highest property values in Scotland.

As you may have gathered, however, I'm not entirely sure about that

Jim

From a Morningside lady...

I've never heard Princes Street described as any kind of mile - and it's nowhere near a mile long. It is however the main shopping 'drag'.

Sadly the Royal Mile is increasingly being taken over by 'tartan tat' shops (as I remarked when walking down it on Saturday to a Fringe performance at the Canongate Kirk). There are still a few nice shops there too, though, if you look hard (including nice sweater shops !).

Pubs open on Sunday, but are not allowed to sell alcohol before 12.30 - it's about the only rule there still is. Unless they have a special temporary licence : e.g. some town centre pubs open at 9am when the Welsh rugby team is visiting

Caroline, if you're a Morningside lady, is it true about what your coal comes in..?!

Thanks for all the info. I think what I gathered from all your posts, is that tourist shops are open on Sundays, and other shops MAY be open for a few hours in the afternoon.... Most importantly, the pubs are open. Thanks again.