where to by a Kilt in London?

[Günter]

Hallo,
at 24.01. I will make a one day trip to london to visit the fair ATAI near earls court. I think I will have 2 or tree ours to go around after the visit. Any idea where I can find a kiltstore or possibility to look for a kilt and sporran on the way back to heathrow airport ?

best regards
Günter
http://www.gueschmodelle.de.vu

[cessna152towser]

from the Scottish Borders, Gunter.

I live 350 miles north of London so only go there occasionally. The only kilt shop which I know of in central London is Highland Store in Cockspur Street. It is quite close to Piccadilly Circus underground station. From Piccadilly Circus it is a short walk southwards down the hill at Haymarket; when you come to the bottom end of Haymarket at Pall Mall, you will find Cockspur Street ahead and slightly to your left, Highland Store is a short way along on the right hand side, before you reach Trafalgar Square. http://www.highlandstore.com/acatalog/info.html

[sjrapid]

C152T is right in that there is a Highland Store on Cockspur Street (just off Trafalgar Square). It shares premises with Visit Scotland, and is more scotland gift-shop oriented than anything. The floor space devoted to the Highland Store is very small and the product selection is limited.

Owned by the same company is the Highland Store at 66 Great Russell Street (near the British Museum in Bloomsbury) - much more of a 'real' kilt shop, I've purchased from it on a few occasions - good people who know their stuff, and wear kilts while serving customers.

The other 'big name' option in London would be:

Lochcarron's London shop at 13 Savile Row (near to Picadilly Circus, and behind Lower Regent Street). This trades as 'Savile Row Kilts' - but you should recognise the Lochcarron sheep and moutain logo in their branding.

Best regards

[Hamish]

C152T is right in that there is a Highland Store on Cockspur Street (just off Trafalgar Square). It shares premises with Visit Scotland, and is more scotland gift-shop oriented than anything. The floor space devoted to the Highland Store is very small and the product selection is limited.

Steve, you just beat me to it! You are correct, this is little more than a Scottish souvenir shop for tourists in London. The last time I was in there, I was looking for a pair of plain flashes - and was re-directed to their main shop in Great Russell Street! (By the way, that branch is to close in a few months time as the 'Visit Scotland' office there is closing down due to lack of public interest!! But this will not affect Günter's visit.)

Owned by the same company is the Highland Store at 66 Great Russell Street (near the Bristsh Museum in Bloomsbury) - much more of a 'real' kilt shop, I've purchased from it on a few occasions - good people who know their stuff, and wear kilts while serving customers.

I agree. This is the shop I would recommend that Günter tries first, although to a stranger in London, it is slightly off the beaten track. It is, on the other hand, immediately across the street from the British Museum's main entrance.

The other 'big name' option in London would be:

Lochcarron's London shop at 13 Savile Row (near to Picadilly Circus, and behind Lower Regent Street). This trades as 'Savile Row Kilts' - but you should recognise the Lochcarron sheep and moutain logo in their branding.

Best regards

Again, I agree. This one is an expensive, up-market establishment - ideally a place for ordering a Lochcarron kilt but not for browsing through a wide selection of accessories. [Oh, and with the greatest respect Steve, Saville Row is behind Regent Street, not 'Lower' Regent Street which is on the other side of Piccadilly Circus!]

[David Dalglish]

you could try jakesclothing@hotmail.com tele no 08452606777, dont know the address, ask for Stephen he has good kilts at a reasonable price

[Hamish]

you could try jakesclothing@hotmail.com tele no 08452606777, dont know the address, ask for Stephen he has good kilts at a reasonable price

They are at 831 High Road, North Finchley, London, N12 8PR David - just a bit far out of Central London for someone visiting the city on business just for one day, I'd think.

Another reliable Highland Outfitter is 'The Tartan Cupboard' (Tel: 020 8858 0038) but, again, they are way out of the Central area - at 2a Greenwich Market, London, SE10 9HZ.

[Günter]

Hallo and thanks for your advice. I will hope to find highlandstore. I've seen some Kilts for good price as well as sporrans on there homepage.
May be I can "kidnap" one to Germany.

I should plan an overnight visit next time, to visit some of those Ships as well as british museum.
May be there will be some more occasions in futurer as my company will become more international.

Greetings
Günter

http://www.gueschmodelle.de.vu

[sjrapid]

Hamish, you are, of course, correct about the location of Savile Row!

Perhaps it would have been clearer to say Savile Row is is one block west of Regent Street, between Conduit Street and Vigo Street, and is easily found if you walk south from Oxford Circus. (Walk south down Regent Street, right into Conduit Street, left into Savile Row).

Steve, you just beat me to it! You are correct, this is little more than a Scottish souvenir shop for tourists in London.

Indeed! This shop is probably not worth visiting if you are seeking to buy a kilt. I'd agree that the Great Russell Street store is definitely worth a visit, though.

From Earl's Court, you could get the Picadilly line tube to Holborn (about a 15 minute journey, with trains every 3 minutes) , and then have only a short walk to the Highland Store in Great Russell Street. Here is a Google Map.

To get back to Heathrow, Picadilly line again, Holborn to Heathrow is about a 1 hr journey, trains about every 10 minutes.

Alternatively, taxi from Earl's Court to the British Museum main entrance, and the shop is in plain sight from the museum's front gate.

I considered the Tartan Cupboard (I'm in east London, so Greenwich is easy to get to by car for me) but as you say it's hard to get to. I think the travel time required would mean that Günter wouldn't be able to get there and back within the time he has available.

Best regards

[McClef]

I can't speak about lot of London's kilt establishments but there is at least one place you can find in Germany:

Kilts & More, Laube 20, D69242, Muehlhausen bei Heidelberg, 6222 388030

Which might be useful for future reference.

[sjrapid]

Another reliable Highland Outfitter is 'The Tartan Cupboard' (Tel: 020 8858 0038) but, again, they are way out of the Central area - at 2a Greenwich Market, London, SE10 9HZ.

I was in Greenwich Market today (for the first time in several months) and noticed that the Tartan Cupboard appears to have closed down. The shop unit is empty, with a property company 'To-Let' sign in the window.

No evidence of any forwarding address, or that they have moved to anywhere.

Best regards