Topping & Company sits at the top of Leith Walk, right beside London Road Gardens. It’s already known as one of Edinburgh’s most welcoming independent bookshops. The shop is in a restored building with large windows and warm wooden interiors. It has the charm of a classic literary hideaway, but its open, modern layout encourages visitors to linger and explore.

When you step inside, you’ll see shelves stretching down long aisles, each with a rolling ladder that gives the place a European feel. The shop offers books on Scottish history and politics, as well as fiction, travel, philosophy, poetry, art, and children’s books. Comfortable chairs are scattered around, so you can sit and read for a while. There’s often free tea or coffee, which makes the shop feel even more inviting.

Topping Events

Topping & Company has built a strong reputation for its many literary events. Authors from Scotland and beyond regularly come to the shop for talks, signings, and discussions, which makes it an important part of Edinburgh’s book scene. In a city known for its love of books and festivals, the shop has become a favourite meeting place for readers, writers, students, and visitors.

The atmosphere is calm and welcoming.

Unlike some older second-hand bookshops in Edinburgh with narrow aisles and stacks of books, Topping & Company feels bright and peaceful, designed for people to stay as long as they like. Soft lighting, polished wood, and rows of colourful book covers make the space feel almost like a movie set, especially on dark winter afternoons when the shop glows warmly against the city outside.

The shop is between the New Town and Leith Walk, making it easy to visit for anyone exploring the east side of the city centre. For many, it represents the modern side of Edinburgh’s long history as a UNESCO City of Literature: independent, friendly, curious, and closely connected to books.

Edinburgh Bookshops: Exploring the literary heart of Scotland.

Get Directions

Share this page.