What a fabulous spot! This is one of the more unique bookshops you will ever encounter. Housed for the past three or four decades in an old church, the vibe is about as cool as it gets. Beyond this, however, the number of volumes of used books you'll find here is impressive. Some things are a bit pricey, but you can find something on almost any subject. The owner was the one attending the checkout when we visited and he was quite efficient, polite and gracious. It can get a little crowded when busy, but this place is worth a stop just to appreciate the ambiance. Take a climb to the loft and take it all in for a moment. read more

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My happy place! Loved loved loved this store. The location first of all is awesome, it's in an old church and yes they do have a lit real fireplace in the center. The spiral staircase is just you would imagine in an old bookstore. Feels like you have stepped into another world. Even if you aren't a book fan drop in and check it out. You will be impressed by the amount of books and the quirkiness of this place. The largest second hand book store in Scotland and a must visit when you are in town. read more

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Magical is the perfect word to describe this incredible bookshop! Shelves upon shelves of used books to peruse while enjoying the cozy ambiance set by the fireplace crackling away in the center of it all - surrounded by Victorian style stained glass and decorative accents! And top it off with a spiral staircase - awesome vibes! The shop is family owned and located inside a very historic building that was once the Old Gaelic Church and was built in 1649! The books are organized by genre and then alphabetically by author's last name - so it's easy to browse. The extensive collection of antique prints is also quite impressive! Many of them well over 100 years old and all very surprisingly priced - covering various subjects including nature and historic maps! Fascinating pieces of history! I could easily spend hours here digging through them all - and the books too. The walkways are narrow and there are steps leading up into the entrance so it's definitely not handicap accessible. There's also an overflow of books piled on the floor in various places - it appears they sometimes run out of room on the shelves so that compounds the narrow situation. There were several people coming in with large baby strollers and it created chaos as no one could get by lol. Staff are helpful and friendly. They also sell nice tote bags with the shop name. I found several vintage cookbooks from the famous Le Cordon Bleu so I had to have those - also found a Victorian novel that looked ancient with a very intriguing introduction so I had to have that as well. We found a couple of silly antique prints of extinct birds from 1876 that we couldn't resist - excellent souvenirs! If you love bookstores, Leakey's is a MUST!! Unforgettable! read more

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Fantastic old shop with incredible collection of rare, first edition books, antique maps and prints, folio editions, and lots of UK history. Nice staff. They have a fireplace that would be lovely on a cold winter day. I'd never want to leave. Prices reasonable altho you could spend a fortune on rare books. Centrally located and close to many shops and restaurants. read more

Leakey's Bookshop - View from second floor - Bookstores Near Me - Inverness, HLD

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A must-visit for book lovers. It feels like you've stepped into a different era, with two floors of books and a quiet, reverent atmosphere. We found fascinating titles from multiple decades and could have spent hours exploring. read more

Leakey's Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - Inverness, HLD

I found my happy place! On two levels with a woodburning stove in the center the ambience of this used bookstore was astounding. The many used books were organized into broad categories. I was able to find a Scottish Gaelic primer from sixty years ago and a book of Scottish children's poetry. (I found lots more but controlled myself.) A particular bonus is the large number of prints from old books, matted and ready for framing. They included Audubon style birds, old maps, and prints of landmarks and Scottish towns. I found one of the town where my grandfather was born and raised. Do yourself a favor and visit Leakey's. Plan to spend an hour. read more

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Daughter-in-law was excited about visiting this bookstore. Showed up with my son and 2-year old daughter. They were told "the playground is outside". Suggest that no one go here. read more

I consider myself to be an experienced Antiquarian book collector and Leakeys in Inverness fully disappointed. Note in pictures posted on the web all of the books behind the register counter and all of the books on the second floor behind the counter - None of these are for sale and you cannot even browse! A large selection of these were obviously the more collectible and rare book selections but they have "not gotten around to them yet". It takes years to gather such a selection so it seems like they just like to display instead of sell. Great store to browse but if you are seriously looking to buy old books, just not worth the trip up to Inverness. Go see Nessie instead. read more

Oh gosh! How I wish I'd more time to spend in this bookstore, rather than the measly 15 mins available before our dinner reservation! I walked in thru the doorway and I was Surrounded by books! They were stacked ceiling-high, across two stores and in the midst, was this older gentleman, reading a book and presiding over his domain in a pulpit like setting. Seriously, there was so much to look and examine - my hurried look across the stacks reveled so much variety and depth of literary wondrousness! I didn't purchase anything, so not sure of prices and will have to return back another time when can do some more leisurely browsing. (Note - Store is closed on Sunday's!) Yelp 72/ 2019 read more

Leakey's Bookshop - My Mecca - Bookstores Near Me - Inverness, HLD

Great bookstore with exceptional antique books. Wonderful collection of antique prints very reasonably priced. Just come and browse. If you're a book fiend like me, this is heaven! read more

An amazing used bookshoop. Stepping in there is like stepping through time. You can find all sorts of used books, some of them several decades old, many of them out of print. The books are seperated by subject, then organized by author's last name. They actually have more books than they have room for them; some of the books don't fit on the shelves and sit on the floor instead. All in all, the bookstore is quite the sight to behold, and I'm glad I stopped in. read more

This place is an attraction within itself. I stumbled upon it with new friends, and it is a treasure trove for book nerds!! Their history and theology sections were especially well-organized and extensive. They had some antique books in there by big theologians that may actually be worth more than they were selling them for. If only I'd had more money!! The staff members I interacted with were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. They knew where everything was, and they all had an obvious enthusiasm for literature. Prices vary. Some books in there could have been much cheaper than they were, others were priced to be steals. As far as second-hand bookstores go, you will definitely find cheaper in the U.S. As an attraction that can be emjoyable, free and take up a lot of time, this is fantastic. read more

Leakey's Bookshop - Panoramic from the top. Such a beautuful book store! - Bookstores Near Me - Inverness, HLD

Nice place to visit when it's cold outside. The wood burning stove makes this place a very cosy place, and the piles of books and alcoves of bookcases are a book lovers dream. They also have a good selection of maps to purchase, these make nice gifts. Sometimes the smell of the stove and the lighting can give me headaches so I can't stay for too long here. There used to be a cafe as well which used to bring in a lot of traffic, would be nice to have something similar again read more

I'd love to return to Leakey's once their cafe is back up and running, as I could easily see myself just immersing myself in a great book and fall asleep reading it in one of their delightfully chintzy armchairs... Absolutely overwhelming selection of second-hand and rare 1st edition books; Kris B. and I literally spent an hour just perusing the shelves and admiring the many books, whilst being warmed by the open fire in the middle of the floor (this should probably be a fire hazard, but manages somehow not to be - go figure.). Even if you're not a fan of books, go and admire the architecture; it is a rather impressive use of such an elegant space that you can't help but enjoy it. Get in there! read more

This is my new happy place. Inverness is a small city and Leakey's should definitely be a must visit. The building was once St Mary's Gaelic Church but is now a beautiful shop full of books, maps, art prints and more. New and old books are available and there are chairs upstairs if you want to sit and read. read more

Leakey's Bookshop - Heaven - Bookstores Near Me - Inverness, HLD

Bookshops are pretty antiquated this day and age, but Leakey's reminds us of a time when bookshops were hip. During a short visit to Inverness, I practically ran here before it closed for the day just to experience the hype, and it was worth every stride. As you enter the shop, your eyes go a little berserk as your tiny human brain cannot process the share volume of books occupying every nook. As I am a more visual person, my favorite section was the vintage prints and maps located both downstairs and upstairs. Even though spiral staircases in Chinese Fung Shui is a deadly sin, the black spiral staircase in the middle of the shop only added some extra splash of spunk. LOVED everything about Leakey's. read more

Leakey's Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - Inverness, HLD

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Take a look at the pictures and you'll see why Leakey's has such a following. When you enter your mind can not get to grips with the sheer volume of books around you. Many are piled, all higgeldy piggeldy, around a man sitting behind a counter. Near him is a huge wood burning stove surrounded by logs. The immediate surroundings are shelves upon shelves of books divided by subject. Ahead is a black spiral staircase which leads up the cafe. The birdseye view of the shop you get from the cafe is slightly less overwhelming but really gives you an indication of the vastness of this book collection. From this point you also get a great look at the stained glass windows. We had coffees, which were acceptable, and the staff were lovely and very accommodating to everyone who popped in. The special of the day was a mackerel salad which looked bright and tasty. After my coffee I went for a looksie around the prints section. The prints seem to be mainly hand printed, hand coloured pages from old books which could possibly not be restored. They run from £8-50 and many have a sticker 'guaranteeing' them to be over 100 years old. I don't know if it's the concept (giant church becomes second hand book shop/super cool cafe) or the novelty (oh my goodness! all the books) that I like the most but I definitely enjoyed the hour we spent in here. read more

There's not really more I can add from what the other Yelpers have said. Leakey's is a pretty amazing bookshop to step into. Although there doesn't appear to be a cafe any longer, this is a place you could spend a good amount of time whiling away a good chunk of the day. There's just something so romantic about the place with stacks of books, winding staircases and that smell. After a good old nosey around I couldn't actually find anything I wanted in the fiction section (who am I kidding, Fiction Floor). Even some of the old favourites were lacking from the shelves. On the upper floors there are some fantastic prints of Maps, churches, flowers and animals in card frames. Most of these had a little sticker on the corner verifying them as 'guaranteed over 100 years old'. Regardless of the legitimacy of these, and not seeing any books I wanted to read I purchased a lovely drawing of a Blue Tit for around a tenner for my dad. I couldn't leave without buying something. It's so important to support these wonderful independent places so they can keep on keeping on. read more

It's an experience. Everyone whispers as if the piles of books are listening. They're all positive. I snaked a 100+ year old copy of "Through the Looking Glass." I could spend hours in there, drawing, and hoping to soak up some of the spirits. Really amazing. read more

It's an amazing place if you love books! He buys and sells books - speicialising in old, collectable scottish books. Leakeys is the perfect place to spend an afternoon on a cold winter's day. The romance of building is astounding. The upstairs cafe is also magic. The salads are fantastic - the salad dressing is simply the best. The service is fantastic, quick and efficient. read more

What a fabulous place! These places are so rare these days. Great place to look for treasure in the book department. read more

We were too afraid to make noise. It was dead silent inside! It felt more like a library than a book shop-- there were cozy places to sit and read. I enjoyed the visit, we snuck in and out without any acknowledgment. Be sure to head upstairs. There are tons of older books. read more

One of the few places left in Inverness which has withstood the vast changes seen since we first came to the area in the 70s is Leakies Bookshop and Cafe. We live nearly 100 miles further north from Inverness so when we go shopping in 'town' we have already driven for 2 hours and ready for lunch. Leakies is different to other cafes in that it is first and foremost a second-hand bookshop, with huge bookshelves full of all manner of adventure and secrets bound up in leather or paperback. As a matter of fact, I have been known to arrive in Inverness, pop into Leakies for lunch and stay for hours - only remembering that I came for 'shopping' hours ago and have to dash round the town shops before they close! The cafe is situated upstairs, reached by a winding staircase. Soups, quiche, salads and sandwiches are the staples and very nice they are too. Not very expensive either. In the winter, there is a roaring log fire situated slap-bang in the middle of the bookshop with nice big leather chairs arranged quite handily close by. If I lived in Inverness, I doubt I'd never be out of the place. We now have Borders in Inverness where you can grab a coffee and sandwich from upstairs - but it pales in comparison to Leakies. Highly recommended for an unusual dining experience! read more

What was only meant to be a wee zip-in, zip-out bathroom break while passing through Inverness turned into a bigger last-second change of schedule and canceling other plans to spend a few more hours in Leakey's. Absolutely no regrets. ° Books? Oooooh yes, please. ° Second-hand books? All the better! ° Fresh, made-from-scratch food in the bookstore cafe?! Sod the Aberdeen dinner plans - we're staying here for a bite! ° All those shelves! Ooooh, look at the woodstove! Pop more coins in the meter - it'll be awhile :) It's just so lovely to simply BE in the shop and take it all in. All those words in all those books, which were once owned by someone else, whose pages were once turned by the hands of fore-readers, having traveled who knows where and all over to eventually land here, waiting hopefully, ever-patiently to find new owners, new homes. Who knows what the history of each used book is, the story behind the story behind the book's own story... nothing like a darn fine used bookstore to get a sentimental turn out of me. Oh but *this* one, *this* particular bookstore is epic and wonderful - is alone worth the repeated drive up to Inverness to spend a few happy hours, whether purposefully or merely in passing. How we hadn't heard of Leakey's before, I've no idea. How we've never been, despite passing through this part of Inverness several times, a near scandal! Here's to having put a final end to such silliness! read more

This could be some setting for a Harry Potter novel only it's better - a big crazy old building, which I gather was once a Gallic church and is now a huge second hand book store with a little cafe on the upper landing. It was a cold day when I first stumbled onto this place and in the center of the store (a book store mind you) was a huge wood burning fireplace -- so cool (ummm I mean warm) read more

I really like Leakey's. It's great to have a good look around the books and pick up a few good reads then head upstairs to the cafe and have a nice drink and something to eat. I've had lunch here once before and it was really nice. Had a nice sandwich and thought the prices were good too. They have an amazing selection of books with walls covered with them and even in stacks on the floor so you are pretty likely to find a good read there and they don't charge too much for the books either- around £2 when I last bought a book from there. You can also buy prints from Leakey's too. read more

A lot of people seem to love this place but it just feels a little haphazard and unorganised. As secondhand bookshops go it isn't really up to the standard of some notable (all be it much further away) others. read more

One of the most quaint, gorgeous bookshops ever. Books everywhere in what seems to an old church. Has a bit of a Harry Potter vibe. In the center of the space a wood fireplace. Also a ton of antique illustrations for fair prices and matted and read to be framed read more

Wanted to buy some postcards which had prices written on the backs, went to pay and was told the prices were what they paid for the card and not the selling price. As though they would put out for sale hundreds of postcards without checking the prices first read more

Just an FYI to anyone who is looking at this place - the cafe portion closed in Summer 2014. Bookstore is still hopping. We just visited there today! read more

5 stars for all the books and the idea! the menu is okish, nothing special. the books an the venue are great though ;)

Great place to spend a wet afternoon, never know what you will find. Nice cafe upstairs if you fancy a quick lunch or coffee.

If only all bookshops were like Leakey's. You can settle in for the day, keep warm, eat, read, talk, and browse the amazing range of stock. Even buy! Charles Leakey observes the ancient and critical rules which used to be displayed in Blackwell's, before they went over to footage when you come to Leakey's, as once you did to Blackwell's, no-one will bother you unless you ask. And the ambience is still pretty much as Thornton's once was, but with the advantage of the spiral ascent to a good cafe and more books. Typical of Inverness to greet the establishment of a full-blown University by losing not just one bookshop but two and allowing the survivor to retreat from the High Street to its dreadful Eastgate Centre. It should make amends by placing a preservation order on Leakey's now. It is going to need it. read more

this is my favourite book shop in inverness. it is located in the up and coming but actually still dreary old town part of the city. there is a roaring fire every day which is great for a heat. i haven't sold them any books - i tend to give them to charity shops, but i have bought a ferw books and had lunch on numerous occasions. the books are mostly second hand but not all are cheap - they aren't given away but there are some great bargains to be had. there are photos, prints and maps also available to buy. it can feel quite imposing when you go in as there are gazillions of books in the place, but they are well catalogued and it is easy to find what you are looking for. there is an upper level where there is a little tea room/cafe. they do meals and light lunches - soup and sandwiches or a salad sort of a deal. the food is well priced and is a great place to spend an hour just taking in the atmosphere of this fine grand old building. well worth a visit read more