Hidden Scotland
Sign in
The deep blue shopfront of Edinburgh Books on the West Port, books in both windows.
Edinburgh

Edinburgh Books

Edinburgh's largest second-hand bookshop, on the West Port above the Grassmarket, with four more rooms of books in the basement.

Visit website
Welcome

At the top of the Grassmarket, where the street climbs away as the West Port, a deep blue shopfront holds the biggest stock of second-hand books in Edinburgh.

It was West Port Books for a long time, and in 2006 it was very nearly turned into a cafe before it was saved and renamed.

The ground floor is only the start. Find the stairs and there are four more rooms below, packed floor to ceiling with fiction, Scottish writing, history, military books, the classics, theology, philosophy, the sciences and books in other languages, priced anywhere from 50p to £500 for the antiquarian finds. One room belongs to Alba Musick of Glasgow and is given over entirely to sheet music.

Look out for Clarence, a water buffalo's head above the shelves, and Graham, a rather stuck-up grouse. The shop opens six days a week and closes on Sundays.

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
Round the cornerDragonflyEdinburgh's oldest cocktail bar, in an old fire station on the West Port, with a double-height bar under chandeliers and a mezzanine above.1 min by roadSee itDragonfly
Before you go

Open six days a week.

The stairs to the basement rooms are easy to miss, so ask at the desk.

Where
145-147 West Port, Edinburgh EH3 9DP.
Open
Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm. Closed on Sundays.
Telephone
0131 229 4431.

Opening hours

Monday
10am–6pm
Tuesday
10am–6pm
Wednesday
10am–6pm
Thursday
10am–6pm
Friday
10am–6pm
Saturday
10am–6pm
Sunday
Closed

Been here? Tell others what you know, and the best go on this page with your name.

Add your review
Where it is

On the West Port, the street that climbs west out of the Grassmarket.

Close byThe Grassmarket and the castle above it.
  1. Inside Lovecrumbs on West Port: a plywood counter with a pink coffee machine, shelves of cups and coffee, plants, and old iron pillars.LovecrumbsA café and shop on the West Port since 2012, known for its layer cakes, with coffee roasted by Papercup in Glasgow.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Armchair BooksArmchair BooksA second-hand and antiquarian bookshop on the West Port, its aisles crammed to the ceiling.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. TimberyardTimberyardModern dining in a 19th-century warehouse on Lady Lawson Street.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. A breakfast roll with fried egg and cheese and two scones with jam and butter on a table at Preacher's Patisserie.Preacher's PatisserieA small home bakery, coffee shop and sandwich bar on Lady Lawson Street, off the Grassmarket, open for breakfast and lunch.Under a mile 1 min by road
  5. Edinburgh CastleEdinburgh CastleA royal castle on its rock at the top of the Royal Mile.Under a mile 2 min by road
  6. Vennel StepsVennel StepsA steep stepped lane up from the Grassmarket, with one of the best-known views of the castle.Under a mile 2 min by road
Directions
Dragonfly sign above wooden doors on a stone Edinburgh buildingBarsDragonflyA step away
The dark green corner front of Lauri at 105 Lauriston Place on a wet evening, with wine bottles in the lit windows and drinkers inside.BarsLauriA step away
The blue front of Hey Palu on Bread Street in the sun, with its red sign, wooden slatted windows and the words Modern Italian Bar on the glass.BarsHey Palu0.2 miles
The dark front of the Source Coffee Roasters at 4 Spittal Street, with a caffeine molecule drawn on the window and benches along the pavement.CafeThe Source0.2 miles
Chefs work a pizza oven at the back of a tiled restaurantRestaurantsKanpai0.2 miles
The navy front of Greek Artisan Pastries on Bread Street, under a striped awning, with yellow cafe tables and chairs outside on the pavement.CafeGreek Artisan Pastries0.2 miles
Bedrock Coffee, EdinburghCafeBedrock Coffee0.2 miles
Gelato counter with flavours including peanut chilli coconut, bitter chinotto basil sorbet and liquorice passion fruitCafeMary's Milk Bar0.2 miles
Dugald Stewart Monument on Calton Hill overlooking Edinburgh's skyline and castleAttractionsEdinburgh Guided Tour0.3 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

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

West End Muse
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from Edinburgh Books
Check datesA round table and chairs stand before tall curtained windows looking onto stone buildings, a sofa and mounted television to the right.Moment George IV Bridge
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from Edinburgh Books
Check datesA hotel studio room with a beige fitted kitchen unit and stainless sink beside a bed dressed in white and teal cushions, a wall of black-framed pictures above a patterned headboard.Old Town Chambers
  • To stay
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from Edinburgh Books
Check datesA turreted sandstone building with conical spires catches the evening light above rooftops, a large pine tree standing beside it.The Scott Hotel
  • A hotel
  • In Edinburgh
  • A mile from Edinburgh Books
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in EdinburghAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Read on

The collections it is in and more in Edinburgh.

CollectionThings to Do in Edinburgh on a ShoestringCollectionBookshops Worth a DetourCollectionThings to Do in Edinburgh When It Rains
More in Edinburgh
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .