If you love devouring new literature, and if you sometimes guiltily prefer the company of a good book over your family and friends, then you will find Edinburgh the perfect literary gem.
The history of this city – the very first UNESCO City of Literature – makes it the most suitable habitat for bookshops. Surrounding us are hundreds of places for every true bookworm to spend their day (and money).
If you are wondering where to start, allow me to offer you a guide to Edinburgh’s best bookshops:
Tills Bookshop
Tills is a modestly-sized second-hand bookshop. The moment you enter, the warm light (reflected by the wooden furniture) instantly shuts out the cold weather. The shop faces the Meadows, providing a spectacular view.
“People sometimes sit in front of the window to read whilst admiring the sunset,” the assistant revealed to me. “It’s fascinating! We get to know people’s interests, passions or thoughts when they bring us books to sell. So this place becomes a sort of microcosm of brains! And most of the time, we receive very unusual books which are hard to find somewhere else.”
If you are visiting in the summer, I recommend their little add-on shop in front of the main one. The owner organises a project there called “In Other Words”, which focuses on literature in translation.
Lighthouse Books
Lighthouse is like the friend we call when help is needed: the friend who guides us through our struggles and reinstates our power to defend ourselves. Entering the Lighthouse has been like going to the pharmacy while desperately seeking a cure.
Every book seemed capable of solving whatever problems one was facing.
From feminist essays to LGBTQ+ novels, the bookshop’s proposals highlight those whose voices are ignored or silenced. “We are just making sure that not all the shelves in the world are filled by white men’s books,” said the lady behind the cash desk.
Transreal Fiction
The location of Transreal Fiction couldn’t suit its features better. The shop is located three-hundred metres away from Victoria Street: a famous spot rumoured to have inspired Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley!
The 25-year-old shop specialises in science fiction and illustrations. I was surprised to see how the owner (whom I had the pleasure of meeting) could incorporate new, relevant names without excluding the golden classics.
If you are seeking some adventures, preferably involving extraterrestrial species living on as-yet-undiscovered planets, Transreal Fiction is the place for you.
Armchair
To describe Armchair, I would not choose words, but the smell of books. That is Armchair. A story of its own.
The shop is immersed in books. The walls are almost swallowed by pages, only thin pieces of the surface revealing the bones of the building’s structure.
Though my fear of ruining the books made me slightly scared to touch them, the choice was endless, and every book seemed to tell an ancient, forgotten story waiting to be brought back into the light.
If the vastness of Armchair’s selection is not enough, you can pop into Peter Bell Books next door, inhabited by predominantly antiquarian Scottish books of all genres!
McNaughtan’s Bookshop
McNaughtan’s is Scotland’s oldest second-hand and antiquarian bookshop.
The wide variety of genres might overwhelm you. Don’t worry! The comfortable window seat is the perfect place to spend time reading and choosing the books to bring home.
After visiting McNaughtan’s, don’t forget to step into the next-door bookshop, Typewronger Books.
Typewronger Books
Typewronger Books is not just a bookshop but a seller of vintage typewriters. Isn’t that genius? Imagine not only finding a good book to add to your shelves but the perfect typewriter to start writing your story!
The selection of books is particular and unexpected. It is not the place to go if you are searching for the classics, but to explore new, unusual stories while soft music accompanies your research.
With one journey, you get to see two spectacular places. It’s worth it!
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The bookshops above are the perfect starting point for exploring Edinburgh’s literary landscape. I hope you enjoy browsing among the old shelves and find life-enhancing stories to dive into.
Image Credit: “Edinburgh_0970” by Dutch Simba is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.