WHAT do the places we live in need to qualify as civilised, would you say? Good public transport, perhaps. Plentiful green spaces, surely. Effective waste collection most definitely. But beyond that? A library, a theatre, a gallery maybe. And a cinema. Definitely a cinema. Good food options, too, of course. All of the above.
But can anywhere really call itself civilised if it doesn’t have a bookshop? For most of us that means the local branch of Waterstones. And nothing wrong with that. But for those looking for something a little more bespoke, Scotland is not short of quirky, well curated and frankly rather cool bookshops.
Here are 10 of our favourites.
The Portobello Bookshop, Portobello
46 Portobello High Street, Portobello
Opened in 2019 by Jack Clark on the site of a former fishing tackle shop, the Portobello Bookshop has quickly established itself as one of the country’s most impressive indie bookstores. And one of the most handsome. Having come through Covid it is now going from strength to strength.
It has recently been named Indie Bookshop of the Year in the TikTok Book Awards and its special events continue to attract some of the biggest names in literature. Upcoming guests include Grace Dent and Adrian Edmondson.
visit theportobellobookshop.com
The Reading Room, Melrose
10 High Street, Melrose
We’re not sure if this dinky, dog-friendly bookshop we stumbled upon by chance on a trip to Melrose earlier this year actually stocks books by EF Schumacher, but it is certainly proof of his dictum that small is beautiful. Opened in August 2021, it’s currently run by Rebecca Price and is a welcoming pit-stop on Melrose’s High Street.
The shop is particularly strong on Scottish titles as well as stocking a healthy selection of travel, fiction and children’s books. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 9am to 4pm, though it opens all week during December.
It is also starting a book club soon, so keep an eye out for that if you live
in the area.
visit thereadingroommelrose.com
Far From the Madding Crowd, Linlithgow
20 High Street, Linlithgow.
Scotland is full of beautiful towns with beautiful cafes. Not all of them have beautiful bookshops, though. Linlithgow can claim both. Far From the Madding Crowd is a busy, book-crammed retreat for when you’ve ODed on coffee in one of the town’s many fine eateries. And it’s named after one of our favourite Thomas Hardy novels.
Overseen by owner Sally Pattle, it’s strong on Scottish and children’s books (if you have sons, daughters, grandsons or granddaughters this is a must). But you will be well served if you’re after crime fiction, poetry or cookery books too. It’s also home to author events and runs its own Further From festival in spring (this year’s guests included Jim Crumley, Polly Pullar and our own Rosemary Goring). Any book groups wanting a suitably literary meeting place can hire the bookshop for an evening. Oh, and it’s well worth following on Twitter (or whatever Elon Musk is calling it these days) for up-to-date information and regular running commentaries on what has been happening on Radio 4’s The Archers.
Visit maddingcrowdlinlithgow.com
Leakey’s Bookshop, Inverness
Church Street, Inverness
Leakey’s proudly describes itself as Scotland’s largest secondhand bookshop with somewhere in the region of 100,000 books (and counting) covering two floors of a former Gaelic church. Charles Leakey originally opened the shop in 1979 in another location, but in its current space it’s one of the main reasons for visiting Inverness, we’d say. Especially if the open fire is lit. Recently named one of the UK’s quirkiest bookshops, it is also just a really handsome space that’s of architectural interest on its own merits. The kind of place you can find yourself popping in for a quick browse and finally emerge hours later carrying bags full of newly purchased books. This is, you don’t need us saying, a good thing.
Visit leakeysbookshop.com
The Bookhouse, Broughty Ferry
41 Gray Street, Broughty Ferry
We never need any excuse to visit Dundee, but next time we go we’re keen to check out this family-run independent bookstore up the road in Broughty Ferry. Previously based in Monifieth, it has been open in Broughty since September 2020 and offers a regular programme of author events.
Visit thebookhousebroughtyferry.co.uk
Category Is Books, Glasgow
34 Allison Street, Glasgow
The banner on the wall boldly spells it out: “Fiercely independent & Queer”. This independent LGBTQIA+ bookstore in Glasgow’s south side was opened by Charlotte and Fionn Duffy-Scott in 2018, and is both a resource for the queer community and a hub for activism. Oh, and you can also buy books, magazines, zines and comics. Open Thursday to Sunday, from 11am to 6pm, it’s one of a number of radical bookstores to be found in Scotland. Others include Lighthouse in Edinburgh and Calton Books in Glasgow.
Visit categoryisbooks.com
Young’s Interesting Books, Glasgow
18 Skirving Street, Shawlands, Glasgow
And while we’re visiting the south side how can we resist a bookshop with such a come-on name as Young’s Interesting Books? The great thing about this secondhand bookshop is that it meets the promise above the door with a canny selection of pre-owned titles, antiquarian books and collectors’ items that will have you returning time and again.
Visit facebook.com/people/Youngs-Interesting-Books/100064871790520
Argonaut Books, Leith
15-17 Leith Walk, Edinburgh.
It took us ages to finally visit Argonaut Books down at the bottom of Leith Walk. (Or is it the top? Who gets to decide these things?) Frankly, all the tram works didn’t help. But when we got around to it the other month it proved well worth the effort. Opened in December 2021, it’s a really impressive-looking shop with an interesting, unusual and attractive selection of new titles and backlist stock. We’re saying hipsterish in the best way. You can also grab a coffee and cake while you’re there. And you can now jump on the tram to visit.
Visit argonautbooks.co.uk
Tackle & Books, Tobermory
6-8 Main Street, Tobermory
Anglers, a question for you. When you are sitting on the riverbank, whiling away the day watching your fly bobbing on the water, are you just happy communing with nature or do you bring a paperback along for company? If the latter, then this Tobermory store, which lives up to its title, is surely your idea of heaven. This long-established shop is right on the seafront and if you’re lucky you might combine browsing with animal-spotting. Otters, dolphins, porpoises and seals have all been seen from the shop’s windows. Tackle & Books is also a prime mover in the annual Tobermory Book Festival which takes place at the end of October and this year sees visits from Alexander McCall Smith, Banjo Beale and Isabella Tree.
Visit tackleandbooks.co.uk
Golden Hare Books, Edinburgh
68 St Stephen Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh
Now well established in its Stockbridge surroundings – though some of us recall its former location at the bottom of the Grassmarket with fond regret – Golden Hare Books is pretty much the dream vision of an independent bookshop. Welcoming, smartly curated and full of titles that you won’t find in Tesco. One of those bookshops it’s a delight to loiter in. And if you do you will invariably emerge with a book you didn’t go in for but which caught your eye. All that and Golden Hare offers reading groups, membership deals and regular book events. Authors Rose McDonagh and Zoe Strachan are both appearing at events organised by Golden Hare in October.
Visit goldenharebooks.com
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