My Scotland Thrifting Wishlist – UK Charity Shops

- What I'm Looking for
Scotland has been on my vacation wishlist for as long as I can remember — the Highlands, ancient castles, misty lochs. And my next thought when we finally booked the trip was: the charity shops.

UK charity shops have a reputation for a reason. The quality, the variety, the prices — and Scotland specifically feels like it should have exactly the kind of cozy, wooly, slightly weathered aesthetic I am always looking for anyway. So here is my wishlist. Fingers crossed.

Fashion

The fisherman look A chunky wool jumper or cardigan — cable knit, maybe some embroidery, ideally looks like it has been worn on a boat in the North Sea. This is the dream find.

Boots Brown, red or green — leather or rain boots, i could use either. Country style, sturdy, the kind you'd wear on a muddy coastal walk.

A waxed jacket Barbour style, small collar, in green, brown or beige. A coat that makes you look like you've been living in the Scottish countryside your whole life.

Tartan scarf + a little headscarf The tartan scarf needs to be long enough — I have been burned by short scarves before. And a small paisley or printed headscarf for good measure.

Anything with fish, sheep or highland cows Shirt, tote bag or sweater — I will not be leaving Scotland without at least one highland cow on my person.

I noticed while collecting my inspo images that I am also leaning slightly towards English country aesthetic, how fitting. If you know any of the missing images creators, please let me know! I would love to give them credit and link their page.

Woman in white dress with brown leather boots
Collage with many Scotland inspired outfits

Collage created by Jasmine D

Woman in white skirt, brown boots and green barn jacket leaning on a fence
Woman wearing brown wax jacket, jeans and brown work boots
Woman in chunky cable knit sweater walking up a hill
Woman in denim jacket, jeans, sweater and hiking boots
Collage with outfits that match fisherman aesthetic

Collage created by Amy

Woman in brown knitted sweater with fun pattern and sheep on it

All inspiration images sourced via Pinterest. If you recognise any of these images and know the original creator, please reach out so I can add proper credit!

Home & Fabric

Fabric and pillow cases Burgundy, rust red, orange, dark greens, checkered — basically anything that looks like it belongs in a Scottish cottage. I already have plans for what to sew with it.

A wool blanket Heavy, warm, ideally plaid. For the couch and also for my soul.

Original art and frames Small paintings, prints or illustrations — preferably from a Scottish artist. Something with character, something to remember our trip by.

Some images for inspiration and to showcase what I am envisioning. I like rather moody art works of landscapes, animals, portraits or still life.

Portrait of a dog

Image credit: Historic England Archive

Unfinished drawing of sheep

Image credit: Brighton & Hove Museums

Modern painted still life

Image credit: Trinity College, University of Oxford

Stack of plaid woven blankets/fabrics

Image credit: Heirloom Art Co.

Pillows with glencheck pattern

Image Credit: Loom Decor

Painting of sailing boats in a harbor

Image credit: Rochdale Arts & Heritage Service

Jewelry

Silver earrings and vintage rings I am really missing some (chunky) silver jewelry in my collecting. I am down to one pair or earrings, a dainty necklace and zero rings. That’s why I would love to find some vintage rings (with stones?!) and maybe a fun pair of chunky hoops. Scottish antique stores and charity shops seem like exactly the right place to find them.

Different silver earrings/hoops in bw

by Robin Gislain Gessy

Moody image of rings on a hand holding a camera

by Tim Mossholder

Fluffy Highland cow calf

by Berend Verheijen

Following this trip with a haul post — stay tuned and let's see how many of these I actually find!