Bookstores in Edinburgh
Bookstores reward the browsers. Edinburgh, Scotland has 81 mapped right now, and 2 of them deal in used books. That's 81 bookshops mapped around Edinburgh, each with its own shelves and specialties. The used sections are where the real bargains hide.
This guide covers every bookstore we could verify in and around Edinburgh (within about 40 km), built from OpenStreetMap's community-maintained data. Names you'll run into include Amnesty Bookshop and Tills Bookshop, plus Oxfam Bookshop. If a bookshop's missing from Edinburgh's list, it probably just hasn't been mapped yet.
The Edinburgh bookstore lineup
81 mapped within about 40 km — showing 60:
Amnesty Bookshop
Bookstore
Amnesty Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 12 Roseneath Street in Edinburgh.
12 Roseneath Street, Edinburgh
Tills Bookshop
Bookstore
Tills Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 1 Hope Park Crescent in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Tills Bookshop: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 12:00-19:30; Sa 11:00-18:00; Su 12:00-17:30; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
1 Hope Park Crescent, Edinburgh, EH8 9NA
Hours: Mo-Fr 12:00-19:30; Sa 11:00-18:00; Su 12:00-17:30
Phone: +44 131 667 0895
Oxfam Bookshop
Bookstore
Oxfam Bookshop — Bookstore, found on Morningside Road in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Oxfam Bookshop: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:30-17:30; Su 13:30-16:00; it has a website with more detail.
Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4QQ
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:30-17:30; Su 13:30-16:00
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on 128 Princes Street in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 10:30-18:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
128 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AD
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 10:30-18:00
Phone: +44 131 226 2666
Edinburgh Books
Bookstore
Edinburgh Books — Bookstore, found on 145-147 West Port in Edinburgh.
145-147 West Port, Edinburgh
Lighthouse Bookshop - Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop
Bookstore
Lighthouse Bookshop - Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop is Bookstore on 43 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh. Lighthouse Bookshop - Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 11:30-17:00; it has a website with more detail.
43 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh
Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 11:30-17:00
Rare Birds Book Shop
Bookstore
Rare Birds Book Shop — Bookstore, found on 13 Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Rare Birds Book Shop: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 10:00-17:30; Su 10:00-17:00; it has a website with more detail.
13 Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-17:30; Su 10:00-17:00
St Pauls Bookshop
Bookstore
St Pauls Bookshop — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about St Pauls Bookshop: the map lists its hours as Mo off; Tu-Su 10:00-17:00.
Hours: Mo off; Tu-Su 10:00-17:00
Oxfam Bookshop
Bookstore
Oxfam Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 25 Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Oxfam Bookshop: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
25 Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
Phone: +44 131 332 9632
St Columba's Hospice Bookshop
BookstoreRun by St Columba's Hospice
Run by St Columba's Hospice, St Columba's Hospice Bookshop is Bookstore, found on 14-15 Brandon Terrace in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about St Columba's Hospice Bookshop: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 10:00-16:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
14-15 Brandon Terrace, Edinburgh, EH3 5EA
Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-16:00
Phone: +44 131 551 2771
Blackwells
Bookstore
Blackwells is Bookstore.
The Edinburgh Bookshop
Bookstore
The Edinburgh Bookshop is Bookstore on 176 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-We 10:00-18:00; Th-Sa 09:30-18:00; Su 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
176 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4DF
Hours: Mo-We 10:00-18:00; Th-Sa 09:30-18:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Phone: +44 131 447 1917
Robert Murray Stamp Shop
Bookstore
Robert Murray Stamp Shop is Bookstore on 5-6 Inverleith Gardens, Edinburgh. Robert Murray Stamp Shop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as "variable hours given at www.stamp-shop.com"; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
5-6 Inverleith Gardens, Edinburgh
Hours: "variable hours given at www.stamp-shop.com"
Phone: +44 131 552 1220
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on 120 Princes Street in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 08:30-19:00; Su 09:00-18:00; it has a website with more detail.
120 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AD
Hours: Mo-Sa 08:30-19:00; Su 09:00-18:00
Blackwells
Bookstore
Blackwells is Bookstore on 53 South Bridge, Edinburgh. Blackwells also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 10:00-18:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
53 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 10:00-18:00
Phone: +44 131 622 8222
Topping & Company Booksellers
Bookstore
Topping & Company Booksellers — Bookstore, found on 2 Blenheim Place in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Topping & Company Booksellers: the map lists its hours as 09:00-21:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh, EH7 5JH
Hours: 09:00-21:00
Phone: +44 131 546 4202
Wild Fungarium
Bookstore
Wild Fungarium is Bookstore on 13 Randolph Place, Edinburgh. Wild Fungarium also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo off; Tu-Sa 10:00-18:00; Su 10:00-17:00; it has a website with more detail.
13 Randolph Place, Edinburgh, EH3 7TA
Hours: Mo off; Tu-Sa 10:00-18:00; Su 10:00-17:00
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on Fort Kinnaird in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh, EH15 3RD
Argonaut Books
Bookstore
Argonaut Books — Bookstore, found on 15-17 Leith Walk in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Argonaut Books: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 10:00-18:00; Fr,Sa 10:00-20:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
15-17 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 8LN
Hours: Mo-Su 10:00-18:00; Fr,Sa 10:00-20:00
Phone: +44 131 259 7816
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-We,Sa 09:00-18:00; Th,Fr 09:00-19:00; Su 10:00-17:00; it has a website with more detail.
Hours: Mo-We,Sa 09:00-18:00; Th,Fr 09:00-19:00; Su 10:00-17:00
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on 6 Lady Road in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 11:00-17:00; it has a website with more detail.
6 Lady Road, Edinburgh
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 11:00-17:00
The Next Chapter
Bookstore
The Next Chapter is Bookstore on 10 William Street, Edinburgh. The Next Chapter also notes on the map: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
10 William Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7NH
Phone: +44 131 467 4044
Armchair Books
Bookstore
Armchair Books is Bookstore on 74 West Port, Edinburgh. Armchair Books also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 10:00-18:30.
74 West Port, Edinburgh
Hours: Mo-Su 10:00-18:30
Peter Bell Books
Bookstore
Peter Bell Books — Bookstore, found on 68 West Port in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Peter Bell Books: it has a website with more detail.
68 West Port, Edinburgh
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 12:00-16:00; it has a website with more detail.
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 12:00-16:00
Forbidden Planet
Bookstore
Forbidden Planet — Bookstore, found on 40-41 South Bridge in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Forbidden Planet: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
40-41 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1LL
Phone: +44 131 558 8226
Ginger and Pickles
Bookstore
Ginger and Pickles is Bookstore on 51 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh. Ginger and Pickles also notes on the map: it has a website with more detail.
51 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 5AH
Transreal
Bookstore
Transreal — Bookstore, found on 46 Candlemaker Row in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Transreal: the map lists its hours as We-Fr 12:00-17:00; Sa 11:00-17:00; Su-Tu off; it has a website with more detail.
46 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh, EH1 2QE
Hours: We-Fr 12:00-17:00; Sa 11:00-17:00; Su-Tu off
The Bethany Bookshop
Bookstore
The Bethany Bookshop is Bookstore on 33A Haddington Place, Edinburgh. The Bethany Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 10:00-16:00; it has a website with more detail.
33A Haddington Place, Edinburgh
Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-16:00
McNaughtan's Bookshop
Bookstore
McNaughtan's Bookshop is Bookstore on 3A-4A Haddington Place, Edinburgh. McNaughtan's Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Tu-Sa 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
3A-4A Haddington Place, Edinburgh, EH7 4AE
Hours: Tu-Sa 11:00-17:00
Phone: +44 131 556 5897
John Kay's
Bookstore
John Kay's is Bookstore on 8 Victoria Street, Edinburgh. John Kay's also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 11:00-19:00; Su 11:00-18:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
8 Victoria Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2HG
Hours: Mo-Sa 11:00-19:00; Su 11:00-18:00
Phone: +44 131 225 9237
Oxfam Bookshop
Bookstore
Oxfam Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 116 Nicolson Street in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Oxfam Bookshop: it has a website with more detail.
116 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh
La Belle Adventure
Bookstore
La Belle Adventure is Bookstore on 225 Leith Walk, Edinburgh.
225 Leith Walk, Edinburgh
Main Point Books
Bookstore
Main Point Books is Bookstore on 77 Bread Street, Edinburgh.
77 Bread Street, Edinburgh
The Gently Mad Book Shop & Bookbinder
Bookstore
The Gently Mad Book Shop & Bookbinder is Bookstore on 2 Summer Place, Edinburgh. The Gently Mad Book Shop & Bookbinder also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 11:00-17:30; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
2 Summer Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5NR
Hours: Mo-Su 11:00-17:30
Phone: +44 131 261 6028; +44 7702 592972
Golden Hare Books
Bookstore
Golden Hare Books — Bookstore, found on 68 St Stephen Street in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Golden Hare Books: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 10:00-18:00; it has a website with more detail.
68 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 5AQ
Hours: Mo-Su 10:00-18:00
Hanselled Books
Bookstore
Hanselled Books — Bookstore, found on 19 Kirkgate in Burntisland. Also worth knowing about Hanselled Books: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
19 Kirkgate, Burntisland, KY3 9DL
Phone: +44 1592 873323
Edinburgh Community Bookshop
Bookstore
Edinburgh Community Bookshop is Bookstore on 179-181 Great Junction Street, Edinburgh. Edinburgh Community Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as 10:00-16:00.
179-181 Great Junction Street, Edinburgh, EH6 5LQ
Hours: 10:00-16:00
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
Choose Books
Used bookstore
Choose Books — Used bookstore, found on 126 Newhaven Road in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Choose Books: it has a website with more detail.
126 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4BR
The Portobello Bookshop
Bookstore
The Portobello Bookshop is Bookstore on 46 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh. The Portobello Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 10:00-18:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
46 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, EH15 1DA
Hours: Mo-Su 10:00-18:00
Phone: +44 131 629 6756
Fab 288
Bookstore
Fab 288 — Bookstore, found on 288 Portobello High Street in Edinburgh.
288 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh
Typewronger Books
Bookstore
Typewronger Books — Bookstore, found on 22 Bruntsfield Place in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Typewronger Books: the map lists its hours as 11:00-21:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
22 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4HN
Hours: 11:00-21:00
Phone: +44 772 105 8861
Bookspeed Wholesalers
Bookstore
Bookspeed Wholesalers is Bookstore on 16 Salamander Yards, Edinburgh. Bookspeed Wholesalers also notes on the map: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
16 Salamander Yards, Edinburgh
Phone: +44 131 467 8100
Pudding & Stories
Bookstore
Pudding & Stories — Bookstore, found on 135 Comiston Road in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Pudding & Stories: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 10:00-16:00.
135 Comiston Road, Edinburgh, EH10 6AQ
Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-16:00
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
Zion Christian Bookstore
Bookstore
Zion Christian Bookstore is Bookstore on 46 High Street, Kirkcaldy.
46 High Street, Kirkcaldy
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
Far From The Madding Crowd
Bookstore
Far From The Madding Crowd is Bookstore.
Whitie's Books & Crafts
Bookstore
Whitie's Books & Crafts is Bookstore.
Cornerstone Bookshop
Bookstore
Cornerstone Bookshop is Bookstore on Princes Street, Edinburgh.
Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BJ
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
Little Shop of Heroes
Bookstore
Little Shop of Heroes — Bookstore, found on 8 Maygate in Dunfermline. Also worth knowing about Little Shop of Heroes: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
8 Maygate, Dunfermline, KY12 7NH
Phone: +44 1383 734605
Priorsford Books
Bookstore
Priorsford Books is Bookstore on 11 Northgate, Peebles. Priorsford Books also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as We-Sa 10:00-17:00; it has a website with more detail.
11 Northgate, Peebles, EH45 8RX
Hours: We-Sa 10:00-17:00
WHSmith
Bookstore
WHSmith is Bookstore on 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh.
51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA
Read & Relax
Bookstore
Read & Relax — Bookstore, found on 157 High Street in Kinross. Also worth knowing about Read & Relax: the map lists its hours as Tu-Sa 10:00-16:30; it has a website with more detail.
157 High Street, Kinross, KY13 8DA
Hours: Tu-Sa 10:00-16:30
Fruitmarket Bookshop
Bookstore
Fruitmarket Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 45 Market Street in Edinburgh. Also worth knowing about Fruitmarket Bookshop: the map lists its hours as 09:00-18:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
45 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DF
Hours: 09:00-18:00
Phone: +44 131226 8181
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
Edinburgh, EH20 9TJ
Better World Books
BookstoreRun by Better World Books Ltd.
Better World Books is Bookstore run by Better World Books Ltd. on Queensferry Road, Dunfermline. Better World Books also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
Queensferry Road, Dunfermline, KY11 8NT
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00
Phone: +441383841437
What the map tells us about bookstores in Edinburgh
40 of the 81 list their opening hours on the map, which is genuinely useful — bookshops keep civilised hours, so the listed ones are usually reliable.
54 have websites listed. Worth a look for events — readings and signings get announced there first.
2 of the shops are tagged as selling used books — the second-hand shelves are where out-of-print gems and first editions turn up for pocket change.
The Edinburgh bookstore crawl
Plot these on a map and the day plans itself: Amnesty Bookshop on 12 Roseneath Street, Tills Bookshop on 1 Hope Park Crescent, Oxfam Bookshop on Morningside Road, Waterstones on 128 Princes Street, Edinburgh Books on 145-147 West Port, Lighthouse Bookshop - Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop on 43 West Nicolson Street, Rare Birds Book Shop on 13 Raeburn Place, and St Pauls Bookshop. That's 81 stops on the Edinburgh bookstore crawl. 73 more are listed below.
Bookstore tips for Edinburgh
The regulars' playbook for Edinburgh's bookshops:
- Check the bargain carts outside at Amnesty Bookshop. Sidewalk carts are the shop's clearance rack. A dollar a book, and the turnover is fast.
- Don't skip the small press section at Tills Bookshop. The weird, wonderful stuff lives here. Small presses take the risks the big publishers won't.
- Buy the signed copy. Signed stock costs the same as unsigned and only goes up in charm. Ask at the till; shops often have signed copies behind the counter.
- Magazines and journals matter. The little-magazine rack is where new writers appear first. Cheap, weird, and full of discoveries.
Good to know
We searched about 40 km around Edinburgh — that covers the town itself plus the surrounding communities you'd reasonably drive to. Listings come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by local volunteers, so a brand-new bookstore in Edinburgh can take a while to appear. If you spot one of the 81 that's closed, or a great bookstore we missed, the fix is to update the map itself — that's where this guide reads from.
We don't list prices — they change constantly and vary by edition. What we list is the where: real shops, verified by real mappers, in alphabetical order with no favourites.
If you run one of the 81 listed here and something's wrong — a closure, a move, new hours — the fix is the same: update the shop on OpenStreetMap and the correction flows through to this page on the next daily refresh.
Bookstore listings for Edinburgh: 81 mapped from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Photos from Wikimedia Commons contributors; individual photo credits appear in captions. Listing data was last refreshed automatically — verify hours before visiting.