If you look up Princes Street, you’ll spot Jenners by its jaw-dropping, castle-like sandstone facade, crowned with turrets, a green dome, and the proud Union Jack fluttering on top-trust me, you can’t miss it!
Now, as you stand outside this grand old building, try to picture it bustling with shoppers, its windows full of twinkling Christmas lights, the smell of perfume and popcorn drifting out onto the street. Jenners is not just a department store-it’s like the Hogwarts of shopping, one of Edinburgh’s most magical and storied places! Founded way back in 1838 by Charles Jenner and Charles Kennington, the place started as a humble linen drapers right here on Princes Street. But, uh oh, fate struck in 1892-a massive fire tore through the original store, the sort of disaster that would have sent most businesses packing. But not Jenners. Instead, local architect William Hamilton Beattie stepped up, crafting this Renaissance Revival masterpiece that opened in 1895: imagine the excitement, a brand new emporium fit for royalty!
Speaking of royalty-the house really does live up to its “Harrods of the North” nickname. Jenners held a Royal Warrant from 1911, and in 1988 Queen Elizabeth II herself strolled through these doors to mark its 150th birthday. The Douglas Miller family, true retail royalty themselves, ran the show for generations, their roots in the business nearly as deep as Edinburgh’s city walls.
You can see Jenners’ grand design in every detail. Look up at those sculpted ladies holding up the building-those are called caryatids. Charles Jenner insisted on them to “show symbolically that women are the support of the house.” There’s an ornate stone cornice, decorative balustrades, and a canted tower on the corner-almost like a lookout for bargain hunters. The building uses tricks from the old days that were cutting-edge in the 1890s: electric lights, hydraulic lifts, even a grand saloon hall inside with thick wooden galleries and a glittering glass roof. If you listen carefully, you might just hear the faint echo of excited chatter, or a child’s gasp at the sight of Jenners’ iconic Christmas tree rising through the hall each winter.
Jenners had its drama, too. Imagine the whispers when, in 2005, after more than a century as an independent marvel, the Douglas Miller family negotiated the sale to House of Fraser-rumored at up to £200 million! But it went for £46.1 million, and unlike all the other stores the group gobbled up, Jenners kept its name. Edinburgh wouldn’t stand for anything less.
In the 2000s, this old grand dame made headlines again, first by dropping foie gras (after a boycott by local aristocrats, the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton!) and then for a multimillion-pound reboot. They handed over the basement to Hamleys, the famous toy shop, for a while-a move that turned the basement into pure Christmas morning for Edinburgh’s kids.
Through all of this, Jenners kept moving with the times. It survived world wars, changing fashions, economic ups and downs, and a whole lot of bustling Princes Street foot traffic. But in 2020, amid sweeping changes on the high street, the House of Fraser finally shuttered those doors. By 2021, the iconic gold letters spelling “JENNERS” came down in the dead of night-a move so shocking the city council demanded they be put back, fast!
These days, the building is in the midst of a grand transformation. Anders Holch Povlsen, a Danish billionaire with a soft spot for Scotland, has bought Jenners and started converting it into a luxury hotel. Soon, visitors will be sleeping where fashionistas once shopped-imagine that! Rooms will fill the upper floors, with shops and cafes below, and a rooftop bar with that jaw-dropping Edinburgh view. They promise to keep Jenners’ soul intact, especially that show-stopping central atrium and, yes, the beloved “Jenners” sign.
There’s even been more drama: in January 2023, another fire broke out during renovations, sending smoke pouring out the back and injuring brave firefighters. But, true to Jenners’ spirit, this building is rising from the ashes once again-ready for its next act in Edinburgh’s story. So, take a moment, soak in those magnificent details, and imagine the thousands, maybe millions, of stories that have unfolded right here, just behind these grand old doors.
