What do you get if you turn a church into a bookshop? You get the utterly charming Leakey’s Bookshop in Inverness.
Often hailed the most beautiful bookshop in Scotland, and quite possibly the UK, I couldn’t wait to get inside.
A paradise for bookworms
Back in 1982, Leakey’s stock was spread out in two small shops in Inverness (it’s a small city in the Scottish Highlands if you’re wondering). In 1994, they began the process of converting an old Gaelic church into their present business of one huge, magical bookshop.
Thankfully, little changes have been made to the building since its days as a place of worship. Looking from the outside it appears like a regular church complete with pretty stained glass windows.
It’s not until you walk inside that you realise everything isn’t how you imagined it would be. Intially, you discover a treasure trove of second-hand books, maps, and prints. These are all things you might expect inside a bookshop. However, the more you look around, quirky and interesting features start to appear. I mean, it’s not everyday you walk inside a bookshop only to find a wood-burning stove and a pulpit, eh?
Inside Leakey's Bookshop
If it weren’t for a day of sightseeing ahead, I could easily have sat by the cosy fire all day just reading and occasionally getting up to peruse the aisles.
Adorned with comfy chairs and a stove fire surrounded by freshly chopped wood, it’s easy to forget this is even a shop. It looks more like the home of a retired school professor.
Though features of the church still exist, including the pulpit. My friend couldn’t resist getting up and proceeding to pretend to give a sermon for a photo opportunity.
It’s incredibly cosy inside. Inviting you to curl up and make yourself at home with one of the many second-hand books available to you.
You know you’re inside an independent bookshop when local goose eggs are for sale! How cute is this? It brings a whole new meaning to ‘shop local’.
Leakey’s Bookshop spans across two floors that are joined together by a stunning spiral staircase. The top floor would have been the choir area but now books are scattered everywhere, from top to bottom, left to right, and arranged thematically.
One of the charming things about second-hand bookshops lies in what you might unexpectedly find. It could be a first edition or a cover you’ve never seen before.
What I love the most is opening up a book and seeing it inscribed with Birthday wishes from decades ago, or finding an old postcard wedged between the pages. It’s not only the author who’s telling a story, sometimes the previous owner of a book has a story all of their own…
I ended up leaving with A Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, a play I feel I ought to have read by now, and my brother bought a collection of poems by T.S Eliot.
If you find yourself in the Scottish Highlands, this place located fittingly on Church Street, should not be missed, especially if books are your religion.
Looking for more literary locations and bookshops around the world? Read more below:
4 Responses
Thanks for this heads up! I’m planning a trip to Scotland next year and I shudder to think that I might have missed this gem!!
Hi Benji! Oou this post is timely for your planning and researching stage then! Haha, I love your use of the word shudder. Indeed, it would be a travesty to miss this gem out 😉
One of many of the world’s gems that I’ll visit, thanks to you!
Was there last Saturday. Loved it, I’ll be back. Maybe check your times? I don’t think it opens on a Sunday.