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 Bookshops > Scotland > The North East

Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK 2020

News

This Way Up, Dundee - closed.
Brands Books, Dundee - closed.
Big Bairn Books, Dundee - closed.

Key
 Open at advertised times
Phone before travelling
Appointment necessary

Map of The North East

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure these details are correct, we recommend that you contact each individual bookshop before travelling any distance.  Add a Bookshop

Better Read Books and Gifts
18 Ythan Terrace
ELLON  Aberdeenshire  AB41 9LJ   map
tel: 01358729922  e-mail  web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.00.
A large stock of quality affordable secondhand and antiquarian books. Friendly and helpful staff. We also stock new books, hold poetry evenings and do book launches for local authors. Art by local artists available.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsGreat bookshop very helpful with suggestions for new books and wide range of new and old books for all tastes, very kid friendly as well - mthom 07.10.17.

BHF Book Shop
14 Reform Street
DUNDEE  Tayside  DD1 1RG   map
tel: 01382 223412   web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.00, Sunday 12.00 - 4.00.
Charity selling donated books.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsOne of a number of BHF shops within easy walking distance of each other in Dundee city centre, this is the only one that is a dedicated bookshop. Just up from the Desperate Dan statue and across the road from the Oxfam bookshop, it isn't as big as Oxfam but had a good general selection of books, and was very busy, on the Saturday that I was there. - Jeremy 15.08.15.

Bookends
The Hub
Elphinstone Road  Old Aberdeen 
ABERDEEN  Aberdeenshire  AB24 3TU   map
tel: 01224 273779  web
Open: Monday - Friday 10.00 - 4.00 during term time. See website for more details.
We are a second-hand charity bookshop on the University of Aberdeen campus, run entirely by student volunteers. We currently have over 6000 books in the shop, ranging from medical and science textbooks to literature and fiction.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsStandard problem for a Student Union website: page not reliably available (e.g. not online at 30.8.12); but the www.qype.co.uk page seems to be current ... - xanthias2002. 05.09.12.
    Website changed again. - xanthias2002 15.01.18.
    According to their Facebook page they've moved to The Hub and are closed for the summer. - David 12.07.19.

Books and Beans
22 Belmont Street
ABERDEEN  Aberdeenshire  AB10 1JH   map
tel: 01224 646438  fax: 01224 646483  web
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.30, Sunday 10.00 - 4.30.
We have over 15000 titles in stock at any one time, they're searchable in store via our database and are all divided into categories alphabetically. The Coffee Shop specialises in quality coffees, teas, sandwiches and home-made soups.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsClose to the main shopping street and with a small to medium stock of books, a bookshop combined with a coffee shop sounds like the perfect combination - unfortunately the reality for the dedicated book hunter is somewhat less. With tables and chairs positioned in the main first floor book section you are left with all too many bookshelves shielded by customers sitting in chairs. Waitresses politely ask to get past you as you try to see the books over tables and chairs whilst trying not to listen in to the conversations of those you are hovering over. The shop's computer searchable stock list cannot really replace the browsers delight of finding an interesting looking volume on a shelf. So while the coffee and soup certainly smell wonderful, this is really a caf? with books for sale rather than the other way around. - Jeremy Briggs.
    I agree entirely with Jeremy about the difficulties of looking at the books, but I would add that the staff are really nice, and if you go in early it is much easier to see everything. - Rosemary Kaye 15.03.11.
    My first visit to Aberdeen. Already had a snack at the closing Art Gallery, so I only looked quickly at the books here. Bought a nearly new local guide to help my next, longer visit. Also have nearly12,000 items online... - Chris K 07.03.15.

Deeside Books
18-20 Bridge Street
BALLATER  Aberdeenshire  AB35 5QP   map
tel: 013397 54080
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00.
General stock with emphasis on local history, Scottish, military, fishing and field sports, transport, travel and topography. Stock of approx 10,000 varying from paperbacks to collector's items along with some remainders. Located on main A93 Aberdeen to Braemar road. In centre of Village.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsAn excellent shop. Extensive non-fiction holdings, and some antiquarian material, in general at very reasonable prices. Also stocks interesting Scottish remainders. Well worth a visit. - Second Nature 16.08.11.
    A tidy bookshop with a wide-ranging general stock, including strong Scottish history and topography sections (as one would expect). Interestingly, a varied Africa selection as well. - S+S 09.08.18.

Jane Jones Books
The Old Shop
Dinnet 
ABOYNE  Aberdeenshire  AB34 5JY   map
tel: 07834 768228
Open: Sunday - Tuesday & Thursday - Saturday, variable but usually 11.00 - 6.00.
A small but interesting stock with emphasis on natural history, local history, Scottish and children's. Good section on Deeside and Aberdeen. Collectors items and plenty of bargains. Booksearch facility. Shared premises with antique shop. A relaxing and friendly atmosphere with a complementary cup of coffee.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsInteresting natural history stock, but most items very overpriced. - Second Nature 16.08.11.

Madigan's Food Emporium
25 Castle Street
DUNDEE  Tayside  DD1 3AA   map
tel: 01382 699202  e-mail  web
Open: Monday to Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
Tea room in the heart of Dundee city centre, with books.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsRound the corner from the sadly deceased Big Bairns Books, Madigans appears to have rescued some of Big Bairns stock. However as the name suggests , this is a café with some bookcases which, typically of all such establishments I have been in, doesnt work as a bookshop. The soup may smell excellent as you enter but most of bookcases are blocked by tables & chairs which if they are vacant only impede the book hunter but if they are in use complete prevent access to the adjacent books, while many of the childrens titles are trapped in the kids play area. OWADIYAH only worth a diversion if you are hungry. - Jeremy Briggs 29.04.14.

Mercat Bookshop
45 Castle Street
Castle Gate 
ABERDEEN  Aberdeenshire  AB11 4YU   map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 3.30.
VSA's Charity Bookshop has a selection of donated good quality, second-hand books from best sellers to science fiction, educational and science to nature, and history to art.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsThis has just relocated from King St and now has lovely new premises. It's a straightforward charity bookshop, shelves are well spread out, prices are very low indeed, and you never know what you will find. Good coffee shop in Salvation Army Citadel just across the Castlegate. - Rosemary Kaye 17.03.11.
    I was there from CANADA in April. Excellent, friendly and knowleageble service. Wish I had their e-mail to order more books on SCOTLAND from people who know ABERDEEN! - Claude Boyer 10.07.15.

Old Aberdeen Book Shop
140 Spital
Old Aberdeen 
ABERDEEN  Aberdeenshire  AB24 3JU   map
tel: 01224 658355  e-mail  web
Open: Monday - Friday 11.15 - 5.15, Saturday 11.30 - 5.00.
We specialise in buying and selling good quality books, covering a wide range of authors and subjects. We have over 7000 books on display, many of which are out of print.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsBest in Aberdeen, this shop has a good range of general stock. Its nearness to the University means it usually has quality literature, history, military, religion, politics etc. as well as good stocks of local interest. Well worth a visit. - Ken Clark 13.09.11.
    A good variety of intelligent reading in hard and softback. Modest prices. Decent turnover of stock. - Pierce Roche 08.06.12.
    Excellent shop larger than seems from outside. Owner very helpful. - mikey 29.03.14.

Orb's Community Bookshop
33a Deveron Street
HUNTLY  Aberdeenshire  AB54 8BY   map
tel: 01466 793765  e-mail
Open: Monday & Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
Run by not-for-profit organisation, Huntly Heritage and Bookshop Community. General secondhand and new Scottish interest books. It is a place to find what you never knew you wanted!

 Add a comment  

Oxfam Books and Music
45 Reform Street
DUNDEE  Tayside  DD1 1SL   map
tel: 01382 612528  web
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00.
Newly opened after a number of years absence from Dundee, now in a larger shop than before. Medium-sized stock. At present probably carrying a smaller stock than the shop is intended to have.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsAbout half way between Desperate Dans statue and the McManus Galleries this is a medium sided Oxfam shop which is 80-90% books with the rest being CDs and DVDs. While it may still have been a new-ish shop with the cream of the stock when I was there, the wide range of topics both fiction and non-fiction and a surprisingly good selection of titles within each made this the best Dundee bookshop during my April 2014 trip. - Jeremy Briggs 29.04.14.

Oxfam Bookshop
5 Back Wynd
ABERDEEN  Aberdeenshire  AB10 1JN   map
tel: 01224 642490  web

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsJust off the main shopping street, this small Oxfam bookshop is long and narrow with its central shelf units angled like arrow heads towards the door. While their positioning may allow more units to be fitted in, it does not help free movement around the shop however, since they reach above head height, it means that this shop does have a surprising amount of stock for its size. - Jeremy Briggs.
    I agree with the review - the shelves are arranged so that it is v difficult to browse without being in someone's way. It is also quite pricey for paperback fiction. They do, however, have a display of "new in", which is a frequent source of good finds. - Rosemary Kaye 116.03.11.
    In the centre of the city, just off Union Street. Pleasant selection of attractive foreign books in the windows. It is small and narrow but locals can easily re-arrange to let you browse your areas. Couldn't find anything special but will certainly look back, on my next visit. - Chris K 07.03.15.

Winram's Bookshop
Balgairn
Bridge of Gairn 
BALLATER  Aberdeenshire  AB35 5UA   map
tel: 01339 755440  e-mail
Open: Thursday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00.
5000+ books, paperbacks, Scottish, natural history, fishing and shooting, military history, mountaineering, children's, art & collecting, travel, history, antiquarian, and many other subjects. We are friendly! Established 1976. 2 miles west of Ballater on A93.There is a bus from Aberdeen going to Braemar. Get off at Bridge of Gairn stop.

 Add a comment  Read commentsHide commentsMoved here from Aberdeen at the end of 2006. -TBG.
I am sorry to see it move as it was an excellent little shop with an interesting stock and reasonable prices. I wish her well as she was always pleasant and fair to deal with. - Allan Campbell.

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