Paul Davey recomends The Edinburgh Charity Map, a free colour leaflet listing all charity shops in the Edinburgh area and indicating which sell books. Available from all charity shops or phone 0131 538 5381.
    Jeremy Briggs points out that despite their addresses and postcodes, Aurora, Duncan & Reid, Second Edition and T&B Bookcrafts are all within a couple of minutes walk of each other.

Armchair Books
72-74 West Port
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH1 2LE
tel: 0131 229 5927  map
    Two long narrow bookshops side by side down the narrow West Port near the Grassmarket, Armchair looks a bit haphazard, particularly in comparison to some of its upmarket antiquarian neighbours, but with a large and varied stock it is well worth a look. The floor may be uneven and one of the entrances a bit too narrow but it has a lot of character as well as a lot of stock. Keep an eye out for the bookshelf in the shape of the Red Baron's plane and if you come eye to eye with a dog whilst looking at books on the lower shelves don't worry, he is just curious to see what you are looking for! - Jeremy Briggs.
    As stated, two shops next to each other. Owner and his assistant could not have been more helpful. Good general stock. I found a lot of what I collect on the very top shelf in the second shop. Thankfully I did not have to climb the tall ladder to check what looked interesting as it was done for me with a smile and a pleasant attitude. I enjoyed my time browsing here. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Aurora Books Ltd
6 Tanfield
EDINBURGH  Scotland  EH3 5DA
tel: 0131 557 8466  fax:0131 557 8466  e-mail  website  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 6.00
We buy and sell secondhand, rare and antiquarian books. Our specialities include Biography, Fiction, Modern 1st Editions, History, Literature. Language, Reference, Children's, Scottish and Travel. Our stock can be accessed online through our Website and we also offer a Book Search Service.
    A medium sized, well laid out shop with a good selection of titles. - Jeremy Briggs.
    Another Edinburgh bookshop where it was a pleasure to talk to the owner. Before my tour of the city bookshops I had e-mailed shops with questions as to their holdings : this dealer was the only one to reply to me. There was quality stock on the shelves without being specialist. Well worth a visit. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Peter Bell Books
68 West Port
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH1 2LD
tel: 0131 229 0562 / 556 2198  e-mail  website  map
Open: Tuesday - Friday 2.00 - 5.00, Saturday 11.30 - 5.00.
Five thousand very carefully chosen, high quality books with a strong scholarly emphasis; especially history, philosophy, Scottish, art exhibition catalogues. Strong internet presence.
    I do not like being snubbed when I enter a bookshop. It took a lot of effort for the owner to break himself away from his sandwiches and post to even look at me. There might have been good antiquarian titles around the shelves but such an attitude problem left me completely unwilling to purchase anything. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Barnardo's Bookshop
45 Clerk Street
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH8 9JQ
tel: 0131 668 3142
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00-6.00, Sunday 12.00-5.00.
    A small charity bookshop well laid out with a decent selection of titles. About 5 minutes walk from Oxfam in Nicholson Street and Till's Bookshop in Hope Park Crescent. - Jeremy Briggs.
    Very run of the mill charity bookshop with stock of a modern general nature.- Chris Harte 11.06.10.

The Bookworm
210 Dalkeith Road
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH16 5DT
tel: 0131 662 4357  map
Open: Monday - Friday 9.30 - 5.30, Saturday 9.30 - 5.00.
Front shop is mostly paperbacks in all subjects of fiction. Upstairs mostly non-fiction, with one of the best selections of military history in Scotland. I have been in business for over twenty years at the same premises.
    Bookworm has two rooms, a big bright front room of mainly paperback fiction laid out like a record shop with the books in rows one behind the other, and a smaller back room of non-fiction more normally laid out in bookcases. Near Cameron Toll, this is more remote from the city centre than the rest of the Edinburgh shops, but worth the trip especially for their military history section. - Jeremy Briggs.

Cabaret
137 Westport
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH3 9DP
tel: 0131 229 4100  map
Open: 7 days 9.00 - 6.00.
A Jewellery and collectables shop with a couple of cases of mainly Victorian books, and a basement full of older books.
    A very nice bric-a-brac shop with just a few books on ground floor bookcases to fill up the space. Basement had a few hundred books but they were mainly pre-war and post-war fiction. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Duncan & Reid
5 Tanfield
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH3 5JS
Tel: 0131 556 4591  map
    A shop which is half books and half antiques. The books cover mainly art and antiques related subjects but the shop has a small but interesting selection of old children's books. - Jeremy Briggs.
    The highlight of the visit was chatting to a charming, cultured lady who was running the shop. Her literary knowledge was top class and she showed me around many of the quality books adorning the shelves. The arts and antique publications were not my forte but I could well become interested with such a delightful teacher. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Edinburgh Books
145-147 West Port
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH3 9DP
tel: 0131 229 4431  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 6.00
Scottish books, literature, military, music, theology and travel, as well as some antiquarian.
    Was West Port Books and has just reopened under new ownership. TBG 03.10.06.
    The owner's wonderful sense of humour livened up a most enjoyable visit. I searched through my interests while my wife's opinion was that the fiction section "was superb." The large holding of Scottish titles was eye-watering while the music and religious parts of the stock were substantial. Noted for a return visit. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Fidra Children's Bookshop
219 Bruntsfield Place
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH10 4DH
tel: 0131 343 3118  e-mail  website  map
Open: Tuesday - Friday 9.30 - 5.00, Saturday 10.00 - 5.00 & Sunday 12.00 - 4.00.
Classic 20th century children's fiction, both new and secondhand.

The Hospice Bookshop
233 Morningside Road
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH10 4QT
tel: 0131 447 9008
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
    A small charity bookshop, well laid out with a decent selection of titles, barely a minutes walk from the Oxfam Bookshop just up the road. - Jeremy Briggs.
    It needed only a cursory glance around the shelves to realise that there was little of interest or value. For the general reader only. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

McNaughtan's Bookshop
3a-4a, Haddington Place
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH7 4AE
tel: 0131 556 5897  website  map
    This bookshop is Edinburgh at its best. The shelves are groaning with quality and I was amazed at the runs which were being offered for sale. I spent just over two hours here when, in all honesty, it should have been longer. The prices were very fair and I had no hesitation in parting with quite a lot of money in exchange for some very collectable titles. Visit highly recommended. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.
    Specialities include Scottish, literature, history and visual arts. Has changed since my last visit in that there's now a small gallery area with paintings by the owner Elizabeth Strong on display. Tantalisingly a lot of white plastic bags at the foot of the shelves: new stock waiting to be processed. Staffed by a young American chap. (I spent £3.50) - Chris K 27.07.10.

Main Point Books
8, Lauriston Street
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH3 9DJ
tel: 0131 228 4837  map
    It was difficult to get too far into this cluttered shop. There were piles of books everywhere with modern fiction appearing to dominate. There were no definitive sections or groupings. Until there is a clean-up it is not really worth a visit. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

The Old Children's Bookshelf
175 Canongate  Royal Mile
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH8 8BN
tel: 0131 558 3411  map
    A medium sized bookshop split over two rooms on the Royal Mile, this shops does "exactly what it says on the tin". Children's books, both text and illustrated, hardback and softback, plus annuals, comics and magazines. They have reference books on, and biographies of, children's authors. The stock perhaps leans more to girls titles than boys but both are well accounted for. I don't know of a better selection of children's books anywhere in Scotland and it would take Northumberland's enormous Barter Books to match it in quantity of children's titles, although they would rarely match Bookshelf's quality and range of collectable stock. - Jeremy Briggs.

The Old Town Bookshop
8 Victoria Street
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH1 2HG
tel: 0131 225 9237  map
    Absolutely breathtaking stock. So good that I needed the assistance of the knowledgable manager to take me through some of the runs of journals which were in abundance. This shop is for the very serious collector who would not be disappointed in what they found. Five stars. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Oxfam Bookshop
210 Morningside Road
EDINBURGH  EH10 4QQ
tel: 0131 446 9169  map
    A small charity bookshop with Oxfam's typically good selection of books, barely a minutes walk from the Hospice Bookshop just down the road. - Jeremy Briggs.
    It was really only the few titles in the 'Old Books' section which were worth observing. The rest of the shop's stock was somewhat general. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Oxfam Bookhop
116 Nicolson Street
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH8 9EJ
tel: 0131 667915  map
    A small charity bookshop which includes CDs, DVDs and some comics in its stock, it can be a bit of a squeeze to get around at busy times. About 5 minutes walk from Barnardo's in Clerk Street and Till's Bookshop in Hope Park Crescent. - Jeremy Briggs.

Oxfam Book Shop
25 Raeburn Place
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH4 1HU
tel: 0131 332 9632  map
    A medium sized charity bookshop, and the largest of the six in Edinburgh, it has the best selection of stock and is only a few minutes walk from the Shelter bookshop on the same road. - Jeremy Briggs.
    A typical charity bookshop selling material of a most general nature. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Andrew Pringle Booksellers
62 West Port
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH1 2LD
tel: 0131 228 8880  website  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 11.00 - 5.30.
We deal in a wide range of books but with some emphasis on Scottish books, literature, history, art, bibliography, heraldry, military, fine bindings and general antiquarian books. We are members of the ABA, ILAB and the PBFA.
    The nearest I came to a London bookseller's attitude on my visit. I looked around the very good stock and asked about the titles I collect. That was my error as it was put to me, very politely, that no such generic publications had, or would, cross their threshold. Oh dear. Now I feel embarrassed. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Royal Mile Gallery
272 Canongate
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH8 8AA
Tel: 0131 558 1702  map
Prints and maps only.

Second Edition
9, Howard Street
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH3 5JP
tel: 0131 556 9403  map
    Long established and friendly medium sized shop with a large room at the front and a small room at the back. It has a very good selection of hardback novels and of reference books on most subjects. The best of the shops in the immediate vicinity. - Jeremy Briggs.
    A good variety of quality general stock and especially strong on Edinburgh and Scottish regional histories. The friendliness of Mrs Smith was welcomed by a stranger: so much so that she even watched out for traffic wardens while I studied the contents of the shelves. Also of note were the century old posters on the back room wall. Do pay a visit. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

Elvis Shakespeare
347 Leith Walk
Edinburgh EH6 8SD
tel: 0131 561 1363  website  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 6.00, Sunday 12.00 - 5.00.
We are specialist dealers in rare vinyl and quality literature.
    Not really WAD unless you collect punk, indie and dance vinyl. Idiosyncratic web site in terms of condition grading and shipping costs. Fairly average non-fiction on offer - prices reasonable. Nearly 8000 books - may be not all on display? Must get some interesting stock, from time to time? I didn't peruse the fiction. - Chris K 27.07.10.

Shelter Bookshop
106 Raeburn Place
EDINBURGH  EH4 1HH
tel: 0131 315 0221  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.30, Sunday 12.00 - 5.00.
    A small charity bookshop with perhaps the most varied stock of the six charity bookshops in Edinburgh. A well stocked bookshop, it has a motley and rather disorganised selection of magazines and British & American comics. They would sell more of these if they only took the time to organise them properly. It is only a few minutes walk from the Oxfam bookshop on the same road. - Jeremy Briggs.
    A very disorganised shop with people just milling around and children playing with magazines which had been stuffed into boxes. The books were very ordinary modern publications. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

St.Columbus Hospice Bookshop
15 Montagu Terrace
EDINBURGH  EH3 5QR
tel: 0131 552 3994
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
    Situated on a corner by Heriot's Rugby Club. Fitted out and newly decorated by volunteers. Shelves of books easy to examine as they are laid out neatly and in disciplined rows. Nothing antiquarian or collectable, just easy reading titles. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

St John Association Charity Book Shop
20 Deanhaugh Street
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH4 1LY
tel: 0131 332 4911  e-mail  website  map
    Has a good general stock. Little of it is listed on the shop's website, so far. Chris Kanefsky - 26.04.10.
    Without question the best, by a long way, of the charity bookshops in Edinburgh. The holdings were excellent and ranged from local and regional histories through to quality Victorian fiction. There were many sets to observe particularly of The Edinburgh Review. Recommended. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.

T & B Bookcrafts
2 Summer Place
EDINBURGH  Scotland  EH3 5NR
tel: 0845 073 1446 or 0131 556 7857  e-mail  website  map
Open: Saturday 9.30 - 5.30, Sunday 12.30 - 4.30
High quality general second-hand books reside alongside antiquarian first editions, rare & collectable tomes. Our stock includes classic literature, Scottish authors, contemporary fiction, travel, cartography and restored sets. Conveniently situated within 1 mile of Princes Street in Central Edinburgh and 50 yards from the Royal Botanic Gardens.
    Small bright shop of mainly hardback books only open at weekends. - Jeremy Briggs.

Till's Book Shop
1 Hope Park Crescent
EDINBURGH  Midlothian  EH8 9NA
tel: 0131 667 0895  website  map
Open: Monday - Friday 12. 00 - 7.30, Saturday 11 - 6.00, Sunday 12.00 - 5.30.
Established in 1986, Till’s Bookshop has become an institution with generations of Edinburgh students, their teachers and locals alike.
    A friendly, medium sized, well organised bookshop split over two rooms at the east end of the Meadows, Tills has bookshelves rising up to a near vertigo inducing height and, on cold days, an open fire in the back room. Along with a good general selection of books, a big science fiction and fantasy section, and a very interesting section of film and television books, it always has original 1950s and 1960s film posters for sale, plus a varying selection of movie magazines and, at times, Front Of House stills. Around since the mid-1980s, the shop has survived the opening of two charity bookshops within 5 minutes walk. If you have only time to visit one secondhand bookshop in Edinburgh, make it Tills. - Jeremy Briggs.
     I am afraid I will have to completely disagree with Jeremy Briggs about giving priority to this bookshop. It would be very low on my Edinburgh list. It was on my third attempted visit I found out that opening time was usually after midday, a fact which might have helped me had it been advertised in the window. I found the holdings to be generally uninteresting and more to the whim of the North American owner. Little good British material. - Chris Harte 11.06.10.