At first glance, I thought this thread would be about tattoos, and I thought "OUCH! A tattoo of tartan!!!". (Tattoo parlors hereabouts are sometimes referred to as tat shops).

It's always a shame when you see the cheap, 'touristy' shops move in on what was once a thriving, 'upper-scale' (at least upper from the junk shops) business area. But, Prince's Street is one of the tourist areas of Edinburgh, so one would expect to see a few.

It's also sad when shops are closing left and right in what's supposed to be a bustling business area.

We had the same thing occur here in downtown Louisville in the last '70's and it's only been in the last 10 years or so that some 'better' businesses are moving (back) in. Part of that has to do with more people moving back into the downtown area as well. They don't want to have to go 5-10 miles out into the suburbs to find the stores for the things they need/want.