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The green shopfront of Caledonia Books on Great Western Road, its painted sign over a window stacked with books and a green door papered with notices.
Glasgow

Caledonia Books

A family-run secondhand and antiquarian bookshop on Great Western Road at Kelvinbridge, open since 1986.

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Welcome

Glasgow's West End is a lovely place for a bookish afternoon, and Caledonia Books on Great Western Road has been part of it since 1986.

It's a family-run shop of secondhand and antiquarian books, the kind of place where you come in looking for one thing and leave with something you never knew existed. Alongside everyday secondhand copies there are out-of-print titles, collector's items and rare and unusual books, on subjects that run from the history of the world to a gripping murder mystery. If you're after something in particular, give the shop a ring before you go and ask whether they have it. Its green front sits right by Kelvinbridge, with the subway station, the River Kelvin and a string of cafés a few steps away, so it's easy to make a morning of it. The shop opens from Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 6pm, so come along after lunch.

Not farBloc+1 mileSee itBloc+
Before you go

Ring ahead to ask whether a particular book is in stock.

Where
483 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 8HL, by Kelvinbridge.
Open
Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 6pm, by Google's record.
Phone
0141 334 9663

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
noon–6pm
Wednesday
noon–6pm
Thursday
noon–6pm
Friday
noon–6pm
Saturday
noon–6pm
Sunday
Closed

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Where it is

On Great Western Road at Kelvinbridge, in Glasgow's West End.

Close byKelvinbridge and the West End.
  1. Shelves of old leather-bound books above modern paperbacks.Thistle BooksA secondhand bookshop on Otago Street by the Kelvin since 1998, strong on Scottish history and culture, with a book-finding service.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. I.J. Mellis, Great Western RoadI.J. Mellis, Great Western RoadA cheesemonger on Great Western Road that began as the Mellis maturing room, with farmhouse cheeses to taste before you choose.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. Cottonrake BakeryCottonrake BakeryThe West End bakery Stefan Spicknell opened in 2010, now on Great Western Road, known for its raspberry cottonrakes, tarts, pastries and sourdough.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. Buckets of flowers along the pavement on a wet day on Great Western Road.Roots, Fruits and FlowersAn independent grocer, deli, florist and café in the Caledonian Mansions at Kelvinbridge, on Great Western Road since 1980.Under a mile 2 min by road
  5. The front of Valhalla's Goat on Great Western Road, its long sign over windows of bottles, with plants by the door and people walking past.Valhalla's GoatA bottle shop on Great Western Road at Kelvinbridge for boutique wines, craft beers and ciders, Scottish spirits and whiskies, with free tastings every week.Under a mile 2 min by road
  6. Voltaire & RousseauVoltaire & RousseauGlasgow's oldest secondhand bookshop, a labyrinth of shelves and stacks on Otago Lane by the Kelvin, with rare books and a shop cat.Under a mile 2 min by road
  7. Timorous BeastiesTimorous BeastiesThe Glasgow design studio behind surreal wallpapers, fabrics and cushions since 1990, with its shop on a corner of Great Western Road.Under a mile 2 min by road
  8. Starry Starry Night's green timber front on cobbled Dowanside Lane, with a rail of vintage clothes under a striped awning and framed pictures on the wall.Starry Starry NightA vintage clothing shop on cobbled Dowanside Lane off Byres Road since 1986, with clothes from the Victorian era to the 1980s, vintage textiles and costume jewellery.Under a mile 4 min by road
Directions
Perch & Rest Coffee on Otago Street at dusk, a white cottage with lit windows, greenery and tables and chairs out front.CafePerch & RestA step away
Diners round a table in a warm, busy room.RestaurantsStravaigin0.2 miles
A salad bowl and a slice of cheesecake on a wooden table.RestaurantsThe Left Bank0.2 miles
A red bowl of beef noodle soup with wide hand-pulled noodles, spring onion and coriander at Noodles and Dumplings.RestaurantsNoodles and Dumplings0.2 miles
Restaurant dining room with bentwood chairs, bauble garland and hanging pendant lightsRestaurantsPaesano Pizza West End0.3 miles
The counter at Black Pine, a coffee machine and cakes under pendant lamps.CafeBlack Pine Coffee Co0.3 miles
The corner front of Eusebi Deli on Park Road, with red awnings and the deli's red seal in the sun.RestaurantsEusebi Deli0.3 miles
The River Kelvin through trees, the arches of Inn Deep below the bridge.RestaurantsInn Deep0.4 miles
A painted cart with a scalloped canopy in the middle of the shop.ShoppingEast End Press0.4 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
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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
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  • 12 miles from Caledonia 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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