Flowers by McDowell

A family florist in the Gorgie and Chesser part of west Edinburgh, trading since 1931. It is a working shop with its own florists and its own vans, and the practical detail most people need is simple: order by 1pm on a weekday and the flowers go out the same day.

What people come here for

The bread and butter is sentiment gifting — birthdays, anniversaries, a new baby, congratulations, get well, thank you and sorry — in hand-tied bouquets, hatboxes, gift boxes and vase arrangements, plus a design-your-own option. Phone orders are taken as readily as online ones, so the shop is often used by people ordering from another city for someone in Edinburgh.

Weddings are a long-standing strand: bridal bouquets, buttonholes and corsages, church flowers and reception arrangements, with customers regularly coming back for a second family wedding years later. Funeral work is the other constant — a full range of tributes, from casket sprays and wreaths to crosses, pillows and posies.

Corporate and repeat orders are handled the same way — by conversation, with arrangements built to suit the recipient and the room they will stand in rather than picked off a fixed list.

Delivery and same-day orders

Same-day delivery applies to orders received before 1pm Monday to Friday and before 11am on Saturday; later orders are sent out as soon as possible and may land the following day. The shop delivers its own flowers with its own team across the whole of Edinburgh, roughly EH1 to EH17, west as far as Livingston and east to Portobello, taking in Queensferry, Kirkliston, Ratho, Currie, Balerno, Penicuik, Loanhead and the villages beyond the bypass.

A timed delivery is only guaranteed for funeral flowers when the order arrives at least 24 hours before the service, and a contact number for the recipient must be supplied. Because the trade is seasonal, the shop also reserves the right to substitute materials, so any flower or colour you want included, or kept out, should be stated when you order.

Outside shop hours there is a 24-hour answering service: leave the details and a number, and the order is confirmed back to you. For addresses beyond the local area the shop is an Interflora member and can relay orders nationally and internationally, arranged by phone.

What stands out

• Trading since 1931 — a family business with horticultural roots, still run by the same family.
• Their own delivery, not a courier — the shop’s team takes its own flowers across the city.
• A 1pm weekday cut-off — one of the later same-day deadlines among Edinburgh florists.
• A wide western reach — out to Livingston and the West Lothian edge, which many city-centre shops will not cover.
• A stated satisfaction promise — a replacement if you report a problem within 48 hours of delivery.
• Out-of-hours ordering — a 24-hour answering service for calls at the wrong time of night.

Where the flowers come from

The shop does not publish its current suppliers. What it does record is where the knowledge comes from: the late William H Braithwaite, father of the present owner David, ran a market garden near Kirknewton, and the business describes itself as well grounded in the growing, care and design of plants and flowers — horticultural background rather than a supply chain.

The shop, the service and what else they sell

This is a traditional counter-service florist rather than a lifestyle store: you walk in, describe the occasion and the budget, and the florists build to it.

Alongside flowers there are plants, chocolates, candles, greetings cards and gift sets, so a bouquet can go out as a complete parcel. Payment covers all the major cards, including American Express, and orders are taken by phone, online or in person.

When to come and how to get there

The shop sits in the west of the city, in the Gorgie and Chesser district — off the tourist track, easy to reach by bus, and well placed for deliveries running out towards Sighthill, South Gyle and Livingston. Being away from the centre also means less disruption in August, when the Fringe makes the Old Town and New Town slow to drive through.

The predictable peaks are Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter and Christmas, when the shop’s own notes tell customers to order ahead. For weddings and anything tied to a service time, call rather than order online.

Questions and answers

Is same-day delivery possible?

Yes — before 1pm Monday to Friday and before 11am on Saturday. Later orders go out as soon as possible and may arrive the next day.

How far do they deliver?

Their own team covers EH1 to EH17, west to Livingston and east to Portobello. Anywhere further afield is relayed through Interflora, arranged by phone.

Can they guarantee delivery in time for a funeral service?

Only when the order is placed at least 24 hours before the service and a contact number for the recipient is given.

Can I order out of hours?

Yes — order online at any time, or leave your details on the 24-hour answering service and the shop will call back to confirm.

What if the exact flowers I chose are not in stock?

The shop may substitute seasonal items. Tell them at the point of ordering which flowers or colours you want included or excluded and they will work to that.

Do they do wedding flowers?

Yes — bridal and bridesmaids’ bouquets, buttonholes, corsages, church flowers and reception arrangements. Best discussed by phone or in the shop rather than through the website.

Is it an Interflora shop or an independent one?

Both, in the usual British sense: an independent family shop with its own premises and florists, using Interflora membership to send orders beyond its own delivery area.

Opening hours