Ahhhh LOVED this bookstore. As an avid reader, I was drawn to literature like any woman who lives…read morein Booktok would be. The store is cute, cramped and smells like old books. It was perfect. I even overheard a women say the first edition Hobbit was £925!!! We weren't greeted, but who is when you walk into a quiet, moody bookshop. I for one, don't want anyone talking to me when I am browsing. The books were an array of prices- ranging from high to low.

I completely forgot to review this place! It's one of the nicest used books store I've seen in my…read morelife. Edinburgh is filled with all these lovely stores and shops I just can't. This little book store is what I imagine other used bookstores wish they could be. I don't even want to buy a book there because then it would disturb the order of things. It's small but perfect for a bookworm to read a book in the corner and enjoy being surrounded by books.

Edinburgh was our first stop for spending two months in the UK. We showed up with very limited…read morebooks and games because of limited packing space. We always intended to replenish our books and games while we were here, but Blackwell's made it fun and easy. It seems like Blackwell's is just a great bookstore all-around, but it's particularly notable for the fact that the basement is devoted entirely to kids books and games. They had basically every board game you could as for and were willing to help us think about how to pick them out. We wound up getting a copy of Carcassonne (which we have at home) and Cascadia (which I'm excited to try). We also got a few new kids picture books and a book of short stories and poems which will make for good bedtime reading. My wife also picked up a few fantasy novels.

I've been a huge fan of this bookshop for many many years, and would make the effort to visit it…read moreany time I was in the vicinity to feed my reading addiction. Since the advent of the Kindle, I don't visit as often and that makes me rather sad, because Blackwell's is a great bookstore and a cool place just to browse around soaking up the literary vibes. I love the labyrinth of different rooms and secret corners where you can find the most surprising things from board games to desk toys, DVD's, maps, children's books and even a Caffe Nero at the back. Upstairs they have a vast selection of academic books, and it is this connection with the nearby University that probably keeps this bookshop alive in face of the competition from Amazon and e-books. I still love visiting here even though I'm less often inclined to buy a fiction book (most of my fiction is on Kindle these days), as they still have some interesting finds to discover that you won't find elsewhere. I love their selection of stocking-filler type gifts, their eclectic CD and DVD offerings, their board games (Carcassonne, anyone?), and of course the Caffe Nero.

Excellent old-school bookseller in a beautiful area staffed by warm and inviting personnel. Love…read morethis place! Very easy to walk here from the Royal Mile and easy to get to the shopping areas nearby as well as restaurants.

They have a very good selection of books of different genres. The ambience is pleasant and there…read moreare nice places to sit down and peruse the books and even lose yourself in thought on a rainy day. The staff, however, can be indifferent and, on occasion, rude. I don't know why. It seems like a rather nice job to have. Still, a great bookshop.

Antiquarian books Rare & first edition books…read moreOld classics Modern classics Penguin classics Scottish classics Scottish culture & history books Architecture books Art books Photography books History books Military books Greek & latin books European books Irish books Theology books Philosophy books Political books & Book marks In short, Edinburgh Books offers story lovers and book-worms 8 rooms of awe and wonder. To top it off, the staff are lovely and they play fantastic music from Dylan and Tom Waits to Gram Parsons.

There's a reason yelpers have almost unanimously given Edinburgh Books 5/5. It's a bloody good book…read moreshop! Somewhere between the Grassmarket and Lothian road lies this gem of a second hand book shop. Bringing class to the area unfortunately called "the pubic triangle" given the nature of the other establishments nearby, Edinburgh books remains central whilst retaining a slightly quieter location. Perfect for browsing, Edinburgh Books provides truly a great range of fiction and nonfiction, mostly well known titles and classics, as well as collectors items and antiquarian books. But make no mistake, this isn't some stuffy, up themselves store where you feel the piercing eyes of the owner follow you round the room. No no no, this is a friendly, browsing welcome gem. The first time I visited I spent about thirty minutes perusing their wares without buying and I got a nice smile and a 'goodbye' on my way out. There are signs up that say "please leave bags at the counter" which surprised me at first. But these are quickly countered by others which say "please don't hesitate to ask for help". I now presume the bag thing is to do with not knocking things over/making more room for fellow visitors. I should add here that though Edinburgh Books covers nearly all genres, its "Scottish Room" covering, yes, all things Scottish, is particularly good for its specialisation. The last time I visited I came away with a copy of Dostoevsky's The Demons, for about half the price it would have cost in Blackwells. A bargain! A lovely second hand book shop with great titles across a range of genes. A must for all book lovers living or visiting Edinburgh.

As a fan of second hand and rare book shops, I just had to pay handselled bookshop a visit. This…read moreshop is set back from the main high street and I think only attracts a limited number of customers. However, this shop is online and provides a great service on line for ordering and finding rare books. Inside, this shop is split into a section with second hand books (some books are only 50p), whilst the other section is donated to those rare books that the shop stocks. The shop from my visit, seems to specialise in rare books of Scottish interest including quite a few into Scottish buildings and history. Handselled books is defiantly worth a visit if you are in Burntisland.

Kesley's is a wonderful little gem, which is very lucky not to have any competition nearby from the…read morelikes of Waterstones and WHSmith. And the Tesco in Haddington doesn't sell books and stationery, so Kesley's is the place to come if you are looking for that sort of stuff. The shop is divided up by the counter, and on the left side there is fiction books, and a selection of gifts and stationery, while on the right lies the non fiction section. The books that they sell are very good and the last time I was here I managed to get my hands on a limited edition copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - and at a price that was much cheaper than what you would pay in Waterstones. The staff here are very nice and take the time to chat to you about which books you are picking. And they are ever so helpful too. I enquired about a paperback edition of a book once and the man went through the back and found one! There is a lovely coffee shop through the back which is worthy of its own review. I'm really glad that I have found a new favourite bookshop. Move over Waterstones, because Kesley's will be the king of bookstores soon!

Visiting this store was one of the highlights of our Edinburgh trip. We got lucky enough to have…read moreour coffee by the windows with a view and the coffee was delicious. Nothing better than a book store/coffee combo!

Hidden gem for one of the best views in Edinburgh! Plus, you know.. an incredible selection of…read morebooks :)

If you're only going to visit one antiquarian bookshop in Edinburgh, I'd recommend Old Town…read moreBookshop. Aside from being on one of the loveliest streets in Edinburgh, it's a delightful wee shop that stocks an eye-watering selection of books from the 1850s onwards. There's a treasure chest of Scottish history, architecture and topographical studies alongside special editions of literary classics from Shakespeare, Dickens and Burns. As the shop is run by a painter, they also sell some lovely prints, lithographs, etchings, paintings and maps of Edinburgh and beyond. Tourists hoping to pick up a picture of the Castle should note these are priced £30 - £300 depending on the age, quality and scarcity of the work.

Edinburgh's Old Town Bookshop, set at the top of the winding Victoria Street, is more like a museum…read morethan it is a book store as they specialise in collecting antiquarian literature. From the books jauntily placed in the window to the many within, each is treated with tender loving care. It shows, since the books aren't falling apart at the spine, but are rather tainted with age. The majority of their books date from the 1700s onwards and are priced as such. You can gather from the pristine condition of the stock that it's not the kind of store you'd pick up a lovingly creased copy of Harry Potter from. But they do have a collection of classics (of predominantly Scottish origin), so tourists and avid fans of Burns can have a ball gandering the shelves. I wouldn't necessarily go here for a browse since it is so specialised although the staff are welcoming if you just fancy a nosey. But this store is a trove for Antiquarian collectors, who can hope to find anything from literature pre-dating the enlightenment to old prints and lithographs. It's largely a pricey venture, but for people well versed on antique auctions the Old Town Bookshop displays some lucrative books that would bring back a substantial amount of money when under the hammer. For tourists, this place is a quirky homage to Edinburgh's literary culture of old.

Another brilliant independent bookshop for children - and their parents! - is The Children's…read moreBookshop in Bruntsfield. Established in 2007, it's a quirky shop with bright and colourful books enticingly displayed on wooden bookshelves and tables. There's picture books and alphabet books for toddlers, short stories and educational aids for four, five and six year olds and a mix of fiction and illustrated books for school children. If you look closely you'll also find, science fiction and young adult novels for teenagers. A labour of love, TCB is owned and run by Vanessa and Malcolm Robertson - who also run childrens publishing company Fidra Books. Their fingerprints are clearly all over the shop from the imaginative window displays to regular events with high profile authors like Neil Gaiman and Cathy Cassidy. If only I was seven again...

This shop is definitely one of a kind in Edinburgh. It's a really quality bookshop with both…read morefiction and nonfiction, hardback and paperback and the most thoughtful staff ever. I definitely recommend talking to the staff, 'cause they're really passionate and really quite frighteningly knowledgeable. A friend of mine worked there for a bit and she said that during her interview they grilled her a la interrogation-blinding-light style on her knowledge of literature. Which is quite comforting, because I do get bit put off a bookshop when they don't know as much as I do about literature (being a meager English Lit. graduate). And it definitely demonstrates the kind of passion you don't often find anymore. The bookshop itself is very clean and tidy (so don't go there expecting one of those second-hand bookshops you could get lost in), and their books are obviously carefully picked out. It's admittedly pricey, but if you can afford to give to an independent book seller, than you should (just for the sake of keeping the business going).

A second hand CD/DVD store which is great for browsing and finding good quality discs at good…read moreprices. It has a large selection and you could be suprised of what might crop up if you just ask the quite knowledgeable staff. Apart from mainstream hits there's also a grand choice of good oldies and lesser known bands to choose from. Don't be deterred by its dark interior and the owner's abrupt manner. It may not be a flashy music chain store, but it's a good place to hunt for a bargain and discover new music.

Hogs Head music hails from a dying breed of music stores, probably because it has much more…read morepersonality than the high street. Dark, dingy and inspiring, it's the kind of place that begs you to dig in and have a look around. With an eclectic, decently priced selection of second hand music and DVDs, the stock is in very good condition considering how little you pay for it. The owner was very helpful when I was in, and seemed genuinely interested in your custom. It had a great selection of music DVDs and I was especially impressed with how much punk music they had. Including what I am assuming is a rare live Bouncing Souls DVD, which I might go back for since I regret leaving it. All I can say about Hogs Head is I wish there were more independent stores like it. Great quality second hand CD's, rarities and low prices, you can't go wrong in here!