Best Book Shops in Southside

Local Recommendations from our My Guide Edinburgh team

Books are an important part of the fabric of this vibrant, culturally diverse city. Edinburgh is officially recognised as a 'City of Literature' by Unesco.

There are plenty of literary attractions to enjoy in Edinburgh, such as the Scottish Storytelling Centre, or if you'd prefer to explore a bit more widely then why not sign up for one of the city's many literary tours. This city also holds the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August each year. The Book Festival attracts fiction and non-fiction authors from all over the world, who meet with fans and critics to discuss their work, normally signing copies of their books after the events for eager book-worms! Alongside these wonders of the literary world there are also plenty of bookshops to discover, from antiquarian hideaways and trendy independents to larger chain stores, you're sure to find the perfect book for you, and plenty more besides. There are also often good books to be found in the charity shops, as people in Edinburgh are quite educated so you don't end up with just Katie Price and Jeffrey Archer... not that we are book snobs, obviously....