Bookshops with character in Scotland

Getting lost down the rabbit hole is quite an enjoyable experience at Armchair Books. Books are bursting from what seems like every corner of the shop, which is bound to give any organisational enthusiast a slight heart attack. But you don’t come here for the latest bestsellers, perfectly organised displays and Costa Coffee. You come here to get stunned by the eclectic choice and the books that seem to be as old as Edinburgh itself. Go get lost.

Leakey’s secondhand bookshop possesses character and charm that you think is only attainable in the fairy-tale books it sells. Housed in a Gaelic church dating back to 1793, this sanctuary now provides space for a different type of worship. The high ceilings, pulpit and log burning stove are just some of what make this place so special. A definite stop for book lovers.

Based near the famous Barras on London Road, Calton Books proudly calls itself the best wee radical bookshop in the world. This independent shop in Glasgow is run by volunteers. The literature sold here promotes local working-class history and connects with radical ideas from around the globe i.e.,“the stuff you ‘weren’t taught in school”. Free thinking is encouraged and genres include feminism, anarchy, Marxism, civil rights and refugee stories. T-shirts, pins and patches are also available, if you want to wear your politics on your sleeve.

Get sucked down Otago Lane and into another dimension at Voltaire & Rousseau, which has stood as a secondhand bookstore for over 50 years. The sea of stacked books seems to go on and on and on. You get the feeling that in this new dimension the book chooses you, not the other way around. Give yourself time to sift through, as it will beat ordering a book off Amazon any day of the year.