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The black-painted front of Burning House Books at 446 Cathcart Road, its door open and a bright white room of books and shelves through the window.
Glasgow

Burning House Books

An independent bookshop on Cathcart Road in Govanhill, founded in 2016, with a focus on art, experimental writing and counterculture.

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Welcome

There's something special about a small bookshop where every book on the shelves has been chosen by hand, and Burning House Books on Cathcart Road in Govanhill is exactly that kind of place.

Aimee Bea Ballinger founded it in 2016 to champion books on art, experimental writing and counterculture, and it's the place to come for the books you won't find piled on the tables of a big chain. It's a small shop, so give yourself time to look closely at the shelves, and don't be shy about asking for a suggestion: Aimee also works as a writing mentor and editor, and has run reading groups for galleries and magazines. It sits on the South Side, so it pairs nicely with a wander round Govanhill's cafés and restaurants or an afternoon at the Tramway. The shop opens from Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm, and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so save it for the second half of the week.

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Before you go

A small shop, open in the second half of the week; it sells online too.

Where
446 Cathcart Road, Govanhill, Glasgow G42 7BZ.
Open
Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm; closed Monday and Tuesday.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
11am–5pm
Thursday
11am–5pm
Friday
11am–5pm
Saturday
11am–5pm
Sunday
11am–5pm

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Where it is

On Cathcart Road in Govanhill, on Glasgow's South Side.

Close byGovanhill, Strathbungo and Pollokshields.
  1. The glass front of Some Great Reward at the Cooperage, its pink and blue sign above the door, with orange chairs and a table outside in the sun.Some Great RewardA record shop and café in the Cooperage courtyard on Pollokshaws Road, open since 2018, with new and rare vinyl and a keen ear for music from Scotland.Under a mile 2 min by road
  2. A tray of laminated pastries close up.Short Long BlackA small coffee shop on Victoria Road in Govanhill, with good coffee and a window full of croissants, cookies and cakes.Under a mile 2 min by road
  3. A thali of curries, rice, salad and pakoras on a table.Ranjit's KitchenA family-run Panjabi kitchen in Strathbungo, cooking Ranjit Kaur's home food just as it is eaten in a village in the Panjab.Under a mile 2 min by road
  4. The Hidden GardensThe Hidden GardensA walled peace garden of 2003 behind the Tramway on the old tram works, with its brick chimney, free and open Tuesday to Sunday.Under a mile 2 min by road
  5. Grilled flatbread with pomegranate seeds and three dips in copper bowls, on a woven cloth at Qasba.QasbaA small North African restaurant on Allison Street in Govanhill, with a short menu that changes often, plenty for vegetarians and brunch at the weekend.Under a mile 2 min by road
  6. A painted fireplace with prints, candles and daffodils.This Must Be The PlaceClare Nicolson's colourful homeware and lifestyle shop on Pollokshaws Road, behind peach-painted doors, with ceramics, prints and books.Under a mile 2 min by road
  7. An exhibition at Tramway.TramwayThe old Coplawhill tram depot of 1893 in Pollokshields, a home for contemporary art and performance since Peter Brook's Mahabharata in 1988.Under a mile 2 min by road
  8. The green front of Mount Florida Books on Cathcart Road, its sign above a window of books and plants, with folding white chairs on the pavement.Mount Florida BooksAn independent bookshop on Cathcart Road in Mount Florida, opened in 2021, with books for adults and children, gifts and a calendar of book clubs and author evenings.Under a mile 2 min by road
Directions
A margherita pizza with buffalo mozzarella and basil on a marble table at Errol's Hot Pizza.RestaurantsErrol's Hot Pizza0.4 miles
Pale wood panelling, a round paper lamp and a table by the stairs.CafeZennor, Langside Road0.4 miles
Grilled sardines with new potatoes and a salad of tomatoes and beans on the steel counter at Big Counter.RestaurantsBig Counter0.4 miles
The long bar room with wooden tables and stools under a timber ceiling.RestaurantsThe Rum Shack0.7 miles
A tray of bakes at Burnfield Bakery on Pollokshaws Road: a cream-topped bun, a filled pastry and two chocolate cookies.CafeBurnfield Bakery0.7 miles
Hendersons' blue and yellow front at 721 Pollokshaws Road, its door open.RestaurantsHendersons0.7 miles
White fish under a green herb crumb on giant couscous and a red pepper sauce, on a table at Lobo.RestaurantsLobo0.7 miles
Green-fronted shop reading "Coffee & Vintage" and "BAM" beneath sandstone tenement windowsShoppingBAM Coffee & Vintage0.8 miles
Fried chicken on potatoes, greens and tomatoes on a white plate.CafeCafe Salmagundi0.8 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the shop, and when each is next free.

A grey sofa with cushions sits before a black and white kitchen, a framed print on the wall to the left.Moment Blythswood Street
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Glasgow
  • 2 miles from Burning House Books
Check datesCrossbasket Castle, GlasgowCrossbasket Castle
  • To stay
  • In Glasgow
  • 6 miles from Burning House Books
Check datesA grey corner sofa with cushions and a sheepskin throw sits before a shelf of books and a round mirror, a wood burning stove and log store to the right.Talli House
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Dunlop
  • 11 miles from Burning House Books
Free 23–25 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in GlasgowAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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