Edinburgh is genuinely a dream come true for readers. With its gothic architecture backdrop and cozy fall weather, it scream dark academia and readers delight. Every time I visit my friends, I find myself equally checking out as many bookshops I can muster. More often than not, I leave Edinburgh with a carry-on worth of books. Here are three bookshops you absolutely can’t miss on your next trip.
Check out my top three favourite Ireland Bookshops here.
Topping & Co
Topping & Co is what my dreams are made of. This beautiful bookshop just off of Leith Walk is home to two floors of varying genres and special editions. My favourite part of Topping & Co is the sheer number of signed copies of books. They really have it all! I love the coziness and quaint ambience it offers.
Rare Birds Book Shop
Rare Birds is for the girls. Championing female authors, this book shop is dedicated to exclusively sharing women’s writing. They have a wide selection of both fiction and non-fiction, popular and more indie picks. I absolutely loved visiting this shop and talking to woman who was working there. If you live in the UK – even better. They offer a monthly book club subscription service where you select one of their two options based on a secret blurb. Certainly one of my favourite independent bookstores out there.
Waterstones – Princes St.
Would it be a trip to Edinburgh without the quintessential Waterstones photo op? Almost every Waterstones I have entered has been colossal in size and quantity of books, featuring that corporate chain store ambience. This specific shop I found has a bit more character, partly due to the building itself but also due to it’s quaint cafe with expansive windows that face Edinburgh Castle. I always know I can find a book I’m looking for here, and it’s even better with a view.
There are several more Edinburgh bookshops still on my list to check out, but I have been so happy with these it makes it hard to stray away!