The Stirling Arcade

I pass through here often enough to feel bad about the fact I've not reviewed it! The Stirling Arcade, whilst a good place to head for food, is not a place you should head for some serious shopping.

To sum it up:

High points: Roots is a nice vegetarian cafe for lunch and Cibo e Vino is great for dinner and cocktails. There's also a popular nail bar, a yoga centre, a specialist skateboard shop and a comic book store in the arcade.

Other than these quirky additions, it's pretty much just an extension of your average high street.

Ultimate low point: A shop called Hashtag...

A nice little collection of shops. The arcade has an older look that has been updated with taste. It doesn't take a long time to get through and I certainly wouldn't recommend making this the only place you visit that day, but it is a charming little place with a variety of stores.

The arcade has always been a source of fascination for me.

I love shopping, I don't do it as often as I used to. But that is often the way of it. One of the thrills of shopping for me, is the adventure and the exploration of a shop or of a string of shops.

Not that I ever buy lots, but I like to look around and get a feel for where I am.

The trouble seems to be that as I've gotten older, shopping had become a necessity and the places I once enjoyed exploring have become formulaic and predictable. The shops seem to be the same whatever the city and while the styles change and the products are a little different, the mentality behind shops seems to be more focused on turning a profit, rather than focusing on quirk and customer satisfaction.

The Stirling Arcade is a rare collection of the bizarre and the bespoke, a place with enough charm to entice you to look around and find something you didn't even know you needed.

Add to that, a sense of community and integrity between the shops and their owners, leaves you feeling the pride in the businesses throughout the whole arcade. Every closing shop leaves a gap in the arcade family, yet each closure leads to a new business forming and sharing in this wonderful space.

The Stirling Arcade has been refurbished in recent years, and many of the shops have changed. Here is the current list:
Silver Gems: Silver jewellery.
Mango: Fast food but healthy. (delivery available)
Pinky's : Nail and Beauty Emporium.
Homes For You: Estate agents.
Little Paw Co.: Build your own bear. (kids parties also catered)
Divinity: New Age, Spiritual and Fantasy gift shop (with a new clothing section).
Straitwurly: Stirling's only dedicated BMX and Skate shop.
Bannjaxx Comics: Stirling's only comic book shop.
Inke: For all your printer and peripheral needs.
Pretambeau: Hairdresser and barber.
Cibo e Vino: Italian restaurant with glass-roofed terrace.
Connie's Closet: Stylish clothes for discerning women.
Betti Loves It: Fashionable, on-trend clothing.
The Yoga Tree: Hosting a variety of classes.
Hashtag: Handmade gifts locally sourced.
Posh Boutique: Beauty treatments and accessories.
Eye Society: Funky and modern eye wear.
Lazy Bees: Ladies gym.
The Personal Touch: Sleepwear and lingerie.
Budda Bar: Food and drink.
The Stirling Arcade itself is 130 years old now. It has recently had new heating put in, making it more welcoming for shoppers. The shops are run by their owners, so that customers can get expert advice on products and services, buy people who care. Promotions and events are frequent, and the atmosphere is good.
Well worth a vist especially if you haven't been for a while!

The arcade is a very beautiful Victorian arcade that has many specialist shops in it. The Arcade goes from Murray Place to King Street and has some very beautiful architecture in it. There is a newly opened cafe in the Arcade that has seating in the centre of the Arcade as well as inside the cafe too. The prices are pretty good and the food is fab too. There is also a old syle toy shop that has a great variety of toys for children of all ages. There is also the Yamaha Music store and a hairdressers there too. There is also a fantastic old style sweetie shop that stocks sweets and treats from bygone years (haha), great for buying gifts for people. The Arcade is also home to the Balaclava club which is the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Social Club. It is well worth a visit just to see how beautiful shopping arcades used to be. Many of the units are empty at the moment but hopefully that won't last long and businesses will come back to this beautiful Arcade.