5 Unmissable Bookstores in Edinburgh

Photo by Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash

5 Unmissable Bookstores in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, is the UNESCO city of literature. It has some of the most influential writers in the world, hosts the Edinburgh international book festival and is home to numerous independent bookstores.

This historic city has a wide selection of literature both national and international in its bookstores.

Almost any genre of literature that one can think of can be found in Edinburgh. The bookstores in this city are a variation of traditional and contemporary.

When in need of a break after touring the medieval old town, the neoclassical buildings, Edinburgh Castle, and the gardens at the Georgian new town; here is a list of 5 unmissable bookstores in Edinburgh.

1. The Old Town Bookshop

Address; 8 Victoria St, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Photo courtesy of Old Town Bookshop Facebook page

We start with the Old Town Bookshop is located in the historic old town hence its name on Victoria street in the City. This bookshop specializes in selling antiquarian books, maps, prints, Scottish material, fine art books and original artworks for more than three decades.

The store is made up of a 16th-century medieval storeroom that initially used to store supplies for the Edinburgh Castle.

The bookshop is close to Grassmarket, St. Giles’ Cathedral, Greyfriars’s Kirkyard and the castle.

This beautiful background has inspired several famous writers in Scotland. The books in the store cater to all interests in the literary world.

Some rare editions that one can find in this bookstore include original work of John Kay prints, sporadic editions of Burns, books that are out of print on European modern painters, distinctive 1950s atlases, kits on wildlife, folklore and history of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

Being inside this bookstore feels like walking into a magical zone full of treasure that one can get lost into browsing through the books and other antique collections.

For antique collectors, this store is the best place to go to for books or maps dating back to the 16^th century.

2. Armchair Books

72-74 West Port, Edinburgh EH1 2LE

Courtesy of Armchair Books Facebook page

The armchair bookstore is one of the most picturesque bookstores in Edinburgh. Several book lovers have gotten their favourite reads and a bonus Instagram worthy photo from the beautiful setting of the bookshop.

This bookshop is a haven for those that love their good reads and are always looking for new reads and genres.

A visit to this bookstore is fulfilling to many as they take their time browsing through the floor to ceiling bookshelves for their favourite genre or author.

The armchair bookshop sells second-hand books in a range of genres such as fairy tale, philosophy, science, biographies and many more. They also stock rare antique books that are leather-bound or cloth bound and maps.

3. Edinburgh Books

219 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4DH

courtesy of Edinburgh Books Facebook page

Across the street from Armchair bookshop, is this next unmissable bookshop, Edinburgh books.

It is the largest second-hand bookshop in the city that gets flooded by bibliophiles.

This bookshop has been operating for more than two decades serving book lovers with the best genres and affordable books.

One can get the best bargains on used bestsellers and other rare books found in the bookshop.

They also stock up on music and have several genres and albums that one can buy. All these have been stocked up in four rooms of the bookstore.

Edinburgh bookstore won the Scottish Independent Bookshop 2018 at the British Bookseller Awards.

It also got shortlisted for the children’s bookshop awards and UK independent bookshop awards in 2018.

One can find signed copies of bestseller books from both local and international authors. This makes it the best place for any book lover in the city to drop by.

Children are also well considered in this bookstore with some reading events for the children and book signing events too.

There is a room dedicated to books on the history, culture and tales of Scotland. Some works written by the best writers known in Scotland, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, can be found in this bookstore.

Browsing through some of the books by Scottish authors will give you a glimpse into the culture of storytelling in Scotland.

4. Typewronger books

Address; 4a Haddington Pl, Edinburgh EH7 4AE, UK

courtesy of Typewonger Facebook page

This bookstore is located on the Haddington street close to the McNaughton’s Bookshop.

It sells antique books in both fiction and non-fiction genres and also independent publications from local authors.

The booksellers ensure that their patrons have the best experience browsing through shelves; they serve a glass of wine or a cup of coffee for a pleasant experience while in the store.

They stock up on new publications, bestsellers and new editions of your favourite books.

There are vintage typewriters set up in different locations of the bookstore and there are comfortable retro armchairs available should you need to relax and read a copy.

At the basement level of this bookstore is their typewriter repair service centre where they have a collection of antique typewriters almost similar to a mini-typewriter museum.

There is a typewriter that is connected to the internet and one can use to write messages on their social media pages.

They offer personalized book subscription services to their devoted patrons.

5. Golden Hare Books

Address: 68 St Stephen St, Edinburgh EH3 5AQ, UK

Courtesy of Golden Hare Facebook page

The final bookstore on this list is the Golden Hare books which are an independent bookstore in the city.

This bookstore got voted the independent bookstore of the year in the UK and Ireland in 2019 British Book Awards.

It is located in the centre of the beautiful Stockbridge along St. Stephen Street.

They have a vast variety of children’s books, young adults’ novels, books on art and design among others.

The bookstore displays a well-curated list of the best authors in the international literary scene in fiction and poetry. They have some of the most interesting and thought-provoking books of all genres. They also sell some of the original and contemporary books.

There are frequent book launches, poetry nights and book clubs held in the evening at the bookshop.

An interesting fact about the more than 3,000 books in this bookshop is each of the books in the store is handpicked by the owner. Once in the bookstore, one cannot help but agree with the range of interesting genres.

The store staff are always ready to assist you to find the book that you need and can even recommend some other good reads that go in line with your interests.

The store regularly changes its books on display to showcase the best picks of the season, bestsellers among others.

This aesthetic that they have employed in their store stirs many booklovers curiosity.

There are subscription services, book consultations and they ensure that the customers have exciting experiences and best services in town.

They have also collaborated with independent publishers who hold writers’ forums and meet-ups annually. These events are free to all.