St James Shopping Centre

There are various shops inside, I'm normally here just for poundland and superdrug where I get my eyebrows done.

In comparison to the more vibrant shopping centres the St James Centre is certainly quite drab, but it's a good place to whip around and get the necessities without having to brave the masses in the more popular shopping areas of Edinburgh.

For me it's certainly not a browsing' type of mall and you'll note likely be there with a purpose.

There is a John Lewis which I'd probably the majority of the business here and ample parking available.

John Lewis is, without a doubt, the main attraction of St James Shopping Centre. I don't shop there myself, but whenever I've been in it seems busier than the actual shopping centre itself and without this asset St James wouldn't offer very much.
It's pretty hideous from the outside and even inside it doesn't really offer anything that you couldn't get on Princes Street. For me, Poundland is its greatest feature, always on hand for cheap, funny and pointless birthday presents as well as just about any domestic necessity.
St James, however, is quite well laid out and it's always clean, yet the the shops aren't large and it has probably the smallest HMV I've seen. Having said this, it's in a good location and if you can't find what you're looking for on Princes Street then this could just be the place.

One knows, in general, what to expect from a shopping centre - you've got your high street fashion chains, your low- and mid-market accessory chains (Claire's, Accessorize), your coffee chain, your budget stationery shops, your DVD/game store, your chemist, the odd stall of bejewelled phone covers or pashminas or bags or hats... Tick, tick, repeated tick. Oh, and a Poundland, which is always a slightly guilty pleasure.

Nevertheless, despite all its generic box-ticking, I actually kind of like St James, certainly more than a number of other centres of its ilk. It's got lots of massage chairs for stressed shoppers to take a break in, for example - although the idea of sitting in a massage chair in public seems odd to me, but there is normally one occupied. It's also got a nice little customer service kiosk to help with general enquiries, which is a sweet touch that I don't think I've seen elsewhere, and also pretty handy as I tend to get lost. What is it about shopping centres that I can never work out the floorplan? Normally I have a pretty fiendish sense of direction but as soon as I'm in a mall my inner compass just goes NOPE.

Anyway, if you know what you're looking for and you know where to find it, you'll probably find it in St James. I couldn't locate an iron, mind you, although I probably could have got one from John Lewis, which adjoins the centre rather like a wealthy godfather holding hands with his pleasant yet obviously less privileged charge.

St James can seem like an empty vessel from the outside. It has a bit of a bleak appearance, ill fitting with the beautiful buildings on the Edinburgh high street. It's also unfortunately across the road from high end stores like Harvey Nichols, so shopping in here can be a reminder that you are skint and thus hitting up the cheaper options. But if you look past its shell, it's not too shabby.

As far as high street shopping goes, the usual suspects are found in here. From Superdrug to John Lewis and River Island, there's a collection of stores suiting both men and ladies. It's kept clean and is always busy, so it's obviously not struggling for business.

They have little perfume stops in the middle where sales assistants try and badger you into buying scents, a make-up counter and a place where you can pick up a Pick n Mix. All typical of the shopping mall environment so it's easy to find your way around.

Nothing out of the ordinary for a shopping centre and there's a distinct feeling of deja vu - probably because most malls are like this. But since it's just by the bus station and an extension of the high street, you might as well have a look while you're doing the rounds of shops in the area.

Ignoring the fact that this modern building looks like it was built during the worst of 1960's concrete mania - St. James Shopping Centre is actually very good, despite needing a bit of a lick of paint and a face lift.

It has a much wider selection of shops than that of the Prince Mall across the road from it, including a large John Lewis and various other chain stores that can otherwise be found all over the city if you just had a look. However, this isnt a problem, as I tend to find that if I am shopping with a purpose, then everything I need is here - in this select combination of shops I can find literally everything I want.

Yes, if I just fancy a wander about, Princes Street is the place to head to - but when I know what I want and where to find it, it has to be St. James'.

Shopping sucks in Edinburgh but this is one of the shopping centres you can go to in addition to Princes St. in city centre. This shopping centre has various stores and a good place to go shopping when it's raining.

Here are a list of some of the stores that can be found at this shopping centre: John Lewis, Thornton, Greggs, Yankee candle, Clinton's, Accessories, Tiger, River Island, Next, Ryman, Poundland, Boots, and many other independent stores. There's an awesome store at this centre that sells pretty cool gift items ( sorry just forgot the name of it) but it sells a lot of techy fun toys for kids and adults.

There's nothing special about this shopping area other than some of the small independent stores sell unique things you can't find anywhere in the stores on Princes St.

This shopping centre is also connected to the posh stores like Louis Vuitton, Michael Corrs, Pandora, And Harvey Nicks.

A lot of people give this place really bad press, in my opinion much more than they should.

Don't get me wrong, a lot of the time it's deserved: from the outside, the building is without doubt one of the ugliest things I've ever seen in my life. And it is true than the vast majority of the time you can usually find what you need on Princes Street which is only 2 minutes walk away. And yes, this place is definitely where all the cheaper, chavvier shops hang out.

But at the same time, there are lot of things about this place that make me shop here sometimes. Edinburgh city centre being what it is, most of the shops on Princes Street are so tiny that they all have two branches spread along it. You don't have to be a genius to work out that it's really annoying when the H&M that you're in doesn't do jewellery/tights/whatever it is you need, and you have to trudge half a mile along the road. Especially when it's snowing, sleeting or raining, which is about half the year.

Not only are the shops in here bigger in size, a lot of the bigger names that didn't manage to nab a spot on Prnces Street are in here, like Republic.

Also, I love John Lewis. Although I feel as though I'm cheating on Jenners by just saying that, all of the bigger department stores along Princes Street all belong to the House of Fraser chain, so invariably if one of them doesn't stock what you need then the other probably won't either. The Debenhams on Princes Street is too small to be of any real use to anyone, so if it's a big department store you need then it's defnitely worth a visit here.

Just don't wear too many ayers when you do. I don't know why, maybe it's for the benefit of the ridiculous number of baby chavs being pushed through here at any given time, but the heating in thi place is always on max - not great when you're carrying loads of heavy bags.

St. James Shopping Centre is not exactly the prettiest building in Edinburgh. It's a big, ugly, rectangular, concrete butt that sticks out and jabs you in the eye. I understand its architect went on to design Castle Greyskull.

As other reviewers already noted, the mall is comprised mostly of chain stores, and every carbon-based bipedal life form on the planet seems to converge here when it's raining.

Given the mall's size and location, I expected dozens of vendors in the Food Court. There was one.

I can't tell you the café's name, because there's none posted. I'll bet it sounds vaguely Communist Russian, like "Here You Will Eat Or Starve" or "You Must Swallow Things and Leave". That food you smell as you approach the counter isn't food! It's despair! It's old, dingy, and looks like a soup kitchen. But Subway and Nero were both jammed and there didn't seem to be any other option, so I grabbed a tray and got in line. While waiting I read the very limited menu, which offered exciting meals like"hot plate" and "meat and veg". Everything was premade and looked like it was cooked a week ago, and the casseroles had thick skins on top.

Now I was hungry and depressed. The two ladies behind the counter stayed down at the opposite end near the cash registers, and didn't show any sign of noticing the lineup. Being ignored while staring at elderly leftovers was sucking out my happiness. I put my tray back and left.

Luckily I found a taste of happiness back downstairs at the smoothie bar, which sated my rumbling tummy until I got home.

If this shopping centre was to be twined with any other shopping centre it would have to be the savoy shopping centre in Glasgow, this place feels outdated, cramped and claustrophobic.

Sadly the shops are just the same as if not less than any other shopping centre, with the only plus being that there is more places to eat and and have lunch nearby.

The 'Saving Grace' is John Lewis.

I'm definitely being harsh on this place but I have absolutely no love for it. It feels dirty it looks dirty and the people inside are rarely polite. The clothes shops here seem to stock only chavvy clothes, the Costa is always a mess when I pass. I don't go here unless I don't want to spend money on things I need for the flat and there's no closer pound shops.

It looks awful too. It's as if The Thistle Hotel, St. James Centre, Jurys Inn and that old building off the Grassmarket were all planned and built by some crazy old architect who hated his craft and wanted Edinbugh to suffer.

Luckily, John Lewis has it's own entrance/exit so you can avoid the place altogether if you like.