You can find Armchair Books on the West Port, just above the Grassmarket and below Edinburgh Castle. It’s one of the city’s most atmospheric second-hand bookshops, often found by accident and remembered long after.
From the outside, the shop looks modest, with a mysterious front, books stacked in the windows, and handwritten signs hinting at the maze inside. Inside, the shop feels endless. Narrow corridors, creaking floors, oriental rugs, tall shelves, and rooms full of books create a mix of a Victorian library and a treasure hunt.
A glorious labyrinth of books
The bookshop has a loyal following, especially among visitors from North America and Europe who come for Edinburgh’s famous old-world literary vibe.
Customers love the store’s clutter and character: hardbacks, vintage paperbacks, philosophy books, railway histories, Scottish literature and old atlases. Browsing is part of the fun. Many say they meant to stop for ten minutes but ended up staying over an hour, just exploring the shelves.
The shop specialises in second-hand, antiquarian, and out-of-print books, with prices ranging from affordable reading copies to rare collector’s editions. Dim lighting, old wooden shelves, and the smell of ageing paper set the mood: “the wonderful dusty older book smell that just invites you in.”
Affiliate link
A distinctly Edinburgh feel.
The shop also feels distinctly Edinburgh. The city has a long history with books and literature, from Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson to today’s Edinburgh International Book Festival. Armchair Books continues that tradition and aligns with the romantic image many visitors have of literary Edinburgh.
Over the years, West Port has become one of Edinburgh’s best-known streets for bookshops. It even hosted the West Port Book Festival, which used local second-hand bookshops and cafés as venues. Armchair Books is one of the best-known survivors of that independent bookselling scene.
Armchair Books is a quiet spot in the Old Town, away from souvenir shops and crowds. It’s worth a walk up the West Port. More than just a place to buy books, it’s part of Edinburgh’s atmosphere.
Share this page.