JULIA HORTON and ALISON CHIESA

It was a scramble in the aisles yesterday as Scottish shoppers rushed to buy up designer labels in the Boxing Day sales.

The atmosphere might have been friendly enough but there was no doubting the must-have item for the hundreds of people queuing outside Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh from early in the morning.

Gucci or Fendi, big or small, shoulder or clutch, designer ladies bags topped the bargain-hunters lists with countless customers snapping up sought-after accoutrements for half-price.

Harvey Nichols spokeswoman Annette Lamb said: "It was like the old days at Jenners when the crowds used to rush through the doors.

"Everyone made straight for the handbags and soon the tables were emptying. We have had a fantastic week already with sales up 21% on last year (up to Christmas Eve) and today looks like it will be just as good. We had 600-700 people queuing outside from 8.30am for handbags, before gravitating to the shoes and clothes."

Among the shoppers was Teresa Andrencci who made the journey from Cowdenbeath in Fife to buy a new handbag.

The 19-year-old, who helps her parents run a restaurant, said: "I'm surprised how busy it is. I wasn't here first thing and most of the good, big bags have gone already but I've got a Fendi bag reduced from £370 to £102 which I'm pleased with. With a sale like this I'll be buying more too."

Retailers across Scotland reported a roaring trade in the traditional seasonal sales as hordes of people headed out to bag a bargain - welcome news for the industry after slow trade in the run-up to Christmas.

Scotland's largest undercover shopping centre was even said to be on course for a record Boxing Day at the tills.

Chris Grundy, centre director at East Kilbride Shopping Centre, said: "The queues started at 5am with tens of thousands of shoppers. It looks like we are heading for our busiest Boxing Day ever."

Shoppers in Aberdeen were out even earlier with queues from 4am as thousands wrapped up in winter jackets against the cold stood in line to make sure they got their hands on discounted items.

Mum-of-two Fiona Donald, 45, got up at 3.30am to be first in line at the Next store in the Berryden Retail Park at Aberdeen. She said: "I love the sale. I always come but I'm never first. This year I was determined to make sure I got in first."

Despite her early arrival she still had to queue at the tills for almost two hours as hundreds of other shoppers flocked into the store.

But the shopaholic, weighed down with bags, said it was worth the early start. She said: "It's definitely paid off. I spent £250 and it would have cost me double had I done it at any other time. I got some great bargains for my kids and some stuff for myself."

In Glasgow the Buchanan Galleries was also packed with shops opening from 7am and management reporting that figures for the festive period this year compared favourably with the four million-plus shoppers who visited the complex over Christmas last year.

Hamish Millar, general manager at the Galleries, said: "So far, visitor numbers on Boxing Day are very high indeed, with shoppers keen to take advantage of offers and preliminary footfall numbers and car park measurements show today will be an extremely busy day for our stores."

'I will probably spend up to £1500 today'