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    Waterstones

    3.9 (28 reviews)
    ModerateBookstores, Hobby Shops
    Open 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Waterstones Photos

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    An area of the store that has been completely ruined and gutted by the extension.
    B L.

    Even though this great big branch of Waterstones is the biggest bookstore in all of Scotland, I still think I prefer the smaller Edinburgh store. My first reason is, the Edinburgh store underwent a big refurbishment not long ago and looks fabulous but this store is still rather dated with torn carpets, grubby windows and burned out light bulbs. Don't get me wrong, there is still a great selection of books, maybe even better than in Edinburgh and there is a lovely little cafe in the basement called Café W. You would think that since it is in the basement, it would be cramped, dingy and dark but it is actually spacious, airy and bright. Much better than the Costa franchise that was there before. The children's books are also downstairs, by the lift and there is a fine selection of good books in that small corner of the store. Maybe not as prominent as in Edinburgh but still pretty good. I would personally start on the second floor and work your way downwards as there are 5 floors and you will never get through all of them if you do them in a random order. I would recommend taking the lift as there are a LOT of stairs and the escalators only seem to go up. Apart from the run down feel of the shop, I still think it is a good bookstore if you look past the decor. And on the second floor is a lovely stained glass window which is a great photo opportunity if you are an arty person.

    Darryl R.

    This Waterstone's is like many of the chain - big, bright and full of books. Well, as a book-store chain, you'd expect them to, I suppose. The reason I decided to review such a place is the fact that last year, for my course, I couldn't find a book I needed anywhere - the uni library stock seemed to be out forever, so I went on a hunt. Amazon, Ebay, and other online sites were fruitless, so on a last resort, I checked in this Waterstone's to see if 1, they had it and 2, how much it was. The guy behind the desk was fast and efficient as he typed my requirements, then PING! "Yeah, we have 2 in stock....oh, and it's half price at the minute." Music to my ears! So, not only did I get the book, I saved a large sum of money. Fantastic. I bought it there and then, and I'm ashamed to say, I then hurried down to the Costas on the lower level to read it. Geeky, or what?

    Steven B.

    This is a far bigger Waterstones than the Argyle Street store, and, as you would imagine, full of books! There's also some cool stationary and stuff in here too. I used to go here with my friend for a coffee with her daughter who was 2 at the time and it was a bit of a nightmare when she started bawling (not my friend, her kid) with people sitting trying to read quietly but it was fairly amusing nonetheless watching the limits of people's patience in public. The staff are cool for helping you find what you're looking for which was good for me when I was looking for a Nora Roberts book for the missus with no success only to find out it comes under 'Romance' from a fairly amused female member of staff who couldn't have been nicer. It's not entirely out of the question to potentially read a book in here over an afternoon or two without paying for it. Just make sure you buy something from the coffee shop. It looks better!

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    Review Highlights - Waterstones

    It's split across five levels and includes a Costa Coffee in the basement.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Waterstones - Good spot for a cuppa and a read

    Waterstones

    3.7(15 reviews)
    0.4 miCity Centre
    ££

    It was late one Thursday evening and I had missed the late night shopping due to a rehearsal I was…read moreat. I needed to kill some time and also was still in thinking mode about some Christmas present ideas. I stopped outside Waterstones and though 'ach I'll hiv a wee nosey' so I came across some audio books and a staff member pointed me in the direction to more. I explained I was looking for something my dad and she suggested a couple for me. Well he absolutely loves them. Yay! I just want to thank the kind girl who helped me out. I was struggling for ideas and just didn't know where to begin as there's just sooo many titles. I also asked on the off chance to see if they had the Yo! Sushi cookbook at a cheaper price rather than purchasing it from Yo! Sushi themselves. Unfortunately they didn't have it in stock but the Sauchiehall Street branch did but it was about 9.30ish and it wasn't on my route to the restaurant I was heading to. It was the same price too so was best just to nip round the corner and get it out the restaurant. The staff were very helpful and took their time to help me even though it was near to closing time. Athough not as well stocked as Sauchiehall Street it catered my unexpected needs.

    This branch of Waterstones pales in comparison to the Sauchiehall Street one which is alot bigger,…read moreand better. This Argyle Street store has a decent selection of books all the same, which goes beyond best sellers to include academic books and stationary. I don't think it necessarily deserves the bad rep it appears to be getting on Yelp, but it does come second best to the Sauchiehal Street branch.

    Photos
    Waterstones - Love it!

    Love it!

    Waterstones - Close to Central Station. Good for grabbing a book for that train ride.

    Close to Central Station. Good for grabbing a book for that train ride.

    Waterstones - Kirsty Logan reads from her debut novel.

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    Kirsty Logan reads from her debut novel.

    Cooper Hay Rare Books

    Cooper Hay Rare Books

    4.7(3 reviews)
    0.2 miCity Centre
    £££

    Wow, this place is scarily wonderful! I am a huge book lover but I felt hugely out of my depth in…read morethis shop! Not to be mistaken for a secondhand book store, this is most definitely an antiquarian book specialist. You won't find a £1 and under basket at Cooper Hays! However what you can expect is a fantastic selection of rare and alarmingly old books from anywhere between £15 and over £100. These books look like they belong in a museum and are definitely aimed at genuine book connoisseurs! Cooper Hays specialises in books about Scotland and Glasgow in particular and also has a good collection of art books. The reason I love this store though is for the gorgeous old children's books. I was too scared to touch anything and more to the point don't have extra cash lying around to buy antique books with so I left pretty sharpish! However if collecting such books is a hobby of yours then Cooper Hays in definitely worth a look. It is only open during the week but you can make a Saturday appointment if you have a particular request you would like to discuss in detail.

    A rare book shop? Have you ever heard of such a thing, its straight out of Indiana Jones, or Lara…read moreCroft. How strange. This place is the real deal, if I was in search of a one of paperback of a tea stained old hardback this would be the place to go. I was particularly scared to touch ANYTHING incase the pages just crumbled away. I didn't want to risk it because I am not sure I had the wad of cash available to pay up if it did break a book? The price tags are also spectacularly rare for bookshops, most hitting above £80, and there was not stopping them, prices soared over £100. There were a few which were not as expensive but these must not be as desirable. I wouldn't know I am just an amateur book reader and have never had my hands on such antiques, although I am sure it would be a surreal feeling to own something so old, which comes with its own history.

    The Red Book Shop - The Red Book Shop

    The Red Book Shop

    4.0(1 review)
    1.0 miGallowgate
    £

    The Red Book Shop is situated on London Road, five minutes walk from Trongate. I'd never heard of…read morethis place before I saw it today, lucky since I was just passing and would've missed it had I gone on my usual route to the Barras. It's small and apparently only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday but it's worth checking it out if you're looking for some studying material (especially if you're into your politics, which I'll get to later). Each bookshelf is well ordered and split into sections so it's easy to find what you're looking for if you're in a hurry. It's very well priced and I can imagine it being interesting for book collectors as many of the novels and theory books looked like they were at least 50 years old (great for nostalgia). The books looked in good enough second hand condition, and sometimes it's nice to buy a yellowing, well fingered read, anyway. Shows the book's had more than just a shelf life. The shop also has a collection of political activist T shirts on offer, of a socialist nature. I know statments made on similar T-shirts have been consistently popular amongst fashion conscious students but these ones are especially designed to convey politial messages. I picked up 3 books; one of which was Sense and Sensibility with a gorgeous, well adorned hardback 70s cover. It was what attracted me to it and it didn't escape the attention of the shop owner, who without me having to say began educating me on the style of cover art from that era. The two guys who were in were full of friendly banter and I got 3 books for 3 pounds so I was a happy customer. A lot of the books were political commentaries, and I got the impression the shop was aimed towards people interested in socialist theory (hence the 'Red' in the shop title), but it's not all it's got to offer and so is worth a gander. The emphasis this shop seems to be on ideas and intelligent reading. Be your purpose here be political, on a quest for learning materials or just for kicks, you won't be disappointed (and on a superficial level, it's worth going in just to get a sniff of that delicious old book smell).

    Fopp

    Fopp

    4.2(29 reviews)
    0.4 miCity Centre
    £

    Despite now being under the ever-expanding HMV umbrella, Fopp has remained true to its roots and…read morecontinues to be one of the best and most affordable record stores on the high street. As one of the cheapest locations for DVDs and CDs, it's worth a look for all popular titles. Fopp also has a great selection of books, which is fairly limited but, compared with HMV, a vast improvement. Their selection goes beyond the typical rock biographies and cult classics. Prices are amazing also, with several titles as low as £2-3. A couple of months back I picked up Trainspotting and Oliver Twist for £1 apiece! However don't expect to find exactly what you're looking for as stock varies week-to-week. Union Street in particular is an excellent location, with 2 floors and a mezzanine dedicated to all types fo media. Brilliant selection, with bits and bobs such as posters, t-shirts and headphones for all your impulse-purchasing needs. Try to walk out of here empty handed - I dare you!

    Fopp. Where your wages magically disappear…read more Slowly but surely getting itself back on track after the previous owners of HMV Group nearly ran it in to oblivion. They are now focusing again on what made them great, £5 albums, a quality vinyl section (stock is constantly getting better) and cheap books! Miles better than scrolling through the iTunes budget section. Even when you have no money you will find yourself buying something. I don't know how that works but it does.

    Photos
    Fopp - Great books selection

    Great books selection

    Fopp - From official website

    From official website

    Fopp - Cult DVD collection

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    Cult DVD collection

    Pauline Books & Media

    Pauline Books & Media

    3.3(4 reviews)
    0.5 miCity Centre

    I went this shop and it is suitable for Catholic to go. There is many pray card to be chosen.read more

    As Christian book shops go, i have visited a couple. I was brought up in a Christian family, taking…read morean active role in the faith until i was about 16 or 17 and decided to take a step back from it all. My mum and dad are still church-goers though, so occasionally i am coaxed into picking something up for them from places like this, whether it be a get well card with a little biblical reference or a book for my dad. I went into Pauline's in the mindset to get what i wanted and get the heck out, but the staff were realllly nice and frienly and i found myself browsing for perhaps longer than necessary to be polite. I was in for a kids book for a relative who was having a third birthday, and i popped in just to see if they had it. They didn't,. but they did have a whole (heavenly) host of books to choose from. I found it to be quite pricey, with some of the kiddies books coming up at almost £20, pretty steep by any means. I think religious places like this think that it's ok to charge that though, because they are a niche market. I left empty handed and neither here nor there. I would say this wee bookshop is more suited to the Catholic faith, as there were plenty of books relating to that, but if that's your thing, give Pauline's a wee visit.

    Photos
    Pauline Books & Media
    Pauline Books & Media - It is suitable for Catholic to go and there is many pray cards to chosen.

    It is suitable for Catholic to go and there is many pray cards to chosen.

    Pauline Books & Media

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    Scott's Models

    Scott's Models

    5.0(2 reviews)
    0.8 miCity Centre

    FINALLY!!! Finally got to check this place out today as i was incredibly hungover on the official…read moreopening day :( . First impressions, I am glad to see the owner has taken the same enthusiasm they had from a previous employment at a model shop nearby which is no longer. Anyway, as usual i was met with bright cheerful faces welcoming me into the shop. The shop has not long opened so yes the stock seemed limited and a few shelves seemed more empty than others but hey, the guy has just opened. Now yes, I may seem biased with this review having met the owner previously. However, as mentioned earlier this person has a lot of knowledge and enthusiam to part of every customer and would even have offered me a coffee while i was browsing!!!!!!.....except he had ran out of milk.....boooo! I did get offered a lollipop though but had to decline :( The building itself still has that new paint smell and is all clean and tidy. A variety of kits are in stock but I am assured this will get bigger. I always find a kit I want ( as I WANT THEM ALL!!).....ahem, I didn't find the paticular kits I wanted today but as mentioned I found A kit i wanted. So this place is shaping up to be pretty awesome and I plan on doing the bulk of my modelling shop from here. Prices do seem competitive and yes you will probably find the kit cheaper online but it's a local business I want to see remain for times to come!

    great place to go for all your needs . very friendly and helpful and this charming man will do his…read morebest to help you out , just one drawback . more black paint please lol , Stewart

    Waterstones - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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