Edinburgh was our first stop for spending two months in the UK. We showed up with very limited books and games because of limited packing space. We always intended to replenish our books and games while we were here, but Blackwell's made it fun and easy. It seems like Blackwell's is just a great bookstore all-around, but it's particularly notable for the fact that the basement is devoted entirely to kids books and games. They had basically every board game you could as for and were willing to help us think about how to pick them out. We wound up getting a copy of Carcassonne (which we have at home) and Cascadia (which I'm excited to try). We also got a few new kids picture books and a book of short stories and poems which will make for good bedtime reading. My wife also picked up a few fantasy novels. read more

I've been a huge fan of this bookshop for many many years, and would make the effort to visit it any time I was in the vicinity to feed my reading addiction. Since the advent of the Kindle, I don't visit as often and that makes me rather sad, because Blackwell's is a great bookstore and a cool place just to browse around soaking up the literary vibes. I love the labyrinth of different rooms and secret corners where you can find the most surprising things from board games to desk toys, DVD's, maps, children's books and even a Caffe Nero at the back. Upstairs they have a vast selection of academic books, and it is this connection with the nearby University that probably keeps this bookshop alive in face of the competition from Amazon and e-books. I still love visiting here even though I'm less often inclined to buy a fiction book (most of my fiction is on Kindle these days), as they still have some interesting finds to discover that you won't find elsewhere. I love their selection of stocking-filler type gifts, their eclectic CD and DVD offerings, their board games (Carcassonne, anyone?), and of course the Caffe Nero. read more

Blackwell's - More than just a bookshop. - Bookstores Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I'm so glad I decided to drop in this bookshop while walking back to my flat on my last night in Edinburgh and seeing it was still open. I'd been to one in London years ago and was surprised to see one here too. Counter to the Waterstone's on Princes Street, this bookshop is a lot calmer and filled with way fewer tourists. Score! There seem to be more locals and university students here. On the night I went there was a neat talk on ceilidh dancing and a band playing upstairs (there are multiple floors). The vibe here is warm, homey and somewhat "rustic," but open and spacious, and they have a large section (more like a room on the ground floor) dedicated to only Scottish books, which I thought was really cool - not something you'd find in an American bookshop ;) read more

This place is huge! From the outside, it looks really small, but on the inside, it is split into loads of little rooms and you can get really disorientated. The ground floor is home to some academic books, and then the Scottish room, and then the steps down to the basement where there is a cosy little Caffè Nero. This Nero is a place where you can wind down with your book over a cup of joe and is very relaxing with lots of soft seats. The basement also has board games like Monopoly, cards and more academic books. Nothing like Waterstones in here! I didn't buy anything, I just browsed but the shop was really quirkily decorated and seemed to go back for miles. I wouldn't have escaped had I not left via their space age lift which takes you straight to the entrance. There are toilets available but they require a code to enter and I only entered when somebody went in front of me and entered the code and I was able to sneak in after them. The staff are brilliant and are very eager to explain how to find things. One of them was even willing to draw me out a map whenever I was lost! It is just a great place to visit all around and it is ideal to visit before or after visiting the National Museum. read more

Located on the historic South Bridge, this Blackwell is an airy and spacious bookshop that's much lovelier to visit than any of the wee University branches. Spread over three floors, it's a mammoth shop with cosy arm chairs, big windows and literally thousands of books. As Blackwell is an academic chain, the majority of stock is aimed at students and lecturers with eXpensive text books on every discipline from English Literature and languages to history, geography, economics, social sciences and medicine. For those that are lucky enough to have their studies behind them, there's a good fiction section and a small selection of art, travel and photography books. My only grumble is that the cafe in the basement is a Cafe Nero rather than an independent like Grind House or Black Medicine Coffee Co. Not only do the latter serve much better java but it would encourage students to think local rather than corporate. read more

What a wonderful surprise!! They carry an extensive collection of Classics, contemporary and pocket-sized books (handy when traveling). It is an "olde-worlde" type bookstore but they have everything -- from then and now! I could have spent hours here if I had the time ... read more

Blackwells on South Bridge is not only a bookshop, it's a labyrinth! Seriously, you could get lost in here. Spread out over three floors, this shop caters for all your literary needs. As it's closely affiliated with Edinburgh's Universities there is a comprehensive academic department covering everything from Medicine to Media Studies, and the staff can provide useful guidance if you're feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. If you're here for something more recreational, the ground floor is a good place to while away an afternoon browsing the shelves. There is also a music department with a lot of Scottish and classical CDs and a nice children's department in the basement. Cafe Nero has cleverly set up camp in here too, so you can start your new tome with a cup of coffee in hand without even leaving the building. Unfortunately there is no student discount (although there is a loyalty card scheme) and it can't rival Amazon's prices, but the shop is open pretty late and I think it's the best large bookshop in Edinburgh. read more

Blackwell's - Bookstores Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Blackwell's is one of the most neatly organised, concise book shops in Edinburgh. Emma is spot on - comprehensive is the best word to describe this place. While Borders' layout used to baffle me at times, there is no room for confusion in Blackwell's. With everything placed in the most precise category they can put it in, you will be able to find what you need in a matter of minutes. You are greeted with tourist driven books at the front of the shop, but they are definitely of a more interesting variety as they showcase photography journals and up to date information books on Scotland's cities. They have a wide range of affordable classics, an endless wall of fiction and some book related merchandise. But above all, Blackwell's is a student's best friend as it houses university approved anthologies on every subject under the sun. They also have friendly reminders that "the clock is ticking" as far as exams are concerned - posters are plastered over the walls. The panic propaganda is meant to assist the student but I couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat looking at them. I'm not even sitting exams this year. But at least it'll lead people up the stairs who are and loading themselves up on knowledge! read more

Blackwell's - Bookstores Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

There's a reason Blackwells has so many reviews. It really is a great bookshop. A modest chain store it may be, but you will forget that with its excellent quality of service. This Blackwells in particular is stocked well with academic books geared toward the nearby University campus. In fact Blackwells is the first port of call for arts and humanities students stocking up on their course textbooks (if they're buying them first hand anyway). But beyond this they still offer a great range within each genres. Take philosophy. yes they offer some of the pop and pulp philosophy like Waterstones and other chains, but they also stock some really stimulating, acadademic books and new publications outwith the philosophy department's reading lists. This makes browsing these sections far more intereting. Of course they don't only offer academic books, being a commercial high street book shop and you can still expect everything on the top 100 book charts, all your Twilights and what nots. Blackwells also has a good children's section and a modest selection of stationery. As I've mentioned in a previous review, I also enjoy the guilty pleasure of sitting in the Costa cafe attached, and browsing through books I've picked up. Books are a little pricey, but Blackwells isn't any more expensive than Waterstones or whoever. It is of course cheaper to buy online. Overall an excellent bookshop with a better selection than most high street retailers. read more

As far as chain bookstores in Edinburgh go, this is the best in the city by many country miles. An excellent and extensive range of books, a knowledgable and friendly bunch of staff and the addition of a coffee shop makes for one happy book-lover. As is a chain's wont, there are some deals and offers on too, so you can come away with a good bargain on fiction or best-sellers. This is the book store of choice for students too, with a huge range of academic texts upstairs. This is a great book shop; I cannot fault it. I am sad that it's a chain - it really does feel like an independent. read more

Lacking in the charm that characterises Southside Books mere yards away, Blackwell's is nonetheless an excellent bookshop, albeit one that you'll perhaps find fairly useless once you've finished education and begin living in the real world. They do have a pretty large selcetion of non-education books, but as Marj said it still pales in comparison to the tearfully departed Borders. read more

I have been to this bookshop so many times over the years. I have very fond memories of it from when I was younger and vividly remember begging by mum for us to go every time we visited Edinburgh. Now as an English Literature student in Edinburgh I can apprectiate the wonders of this bookshop even more. Every time I walk past I can never resist going in, and once I'm in I can never resist buying something. Not so good for my purse, but very good for my mood! I also managed to find all my books for all my courses at university very easily and for a reasonable (compared to most other places) price, and the staff were very friendly and helpful when I had questions. There is a very extensive range of books, as well as a wonderful stationary section and an adjoining cafe. I could literally spend the whole day in here if I didn't have other things to do. It also has pretty late opening time for a bookshop, which is particularly great for me on lazy weekends when I don't surface from the land of nod until embarrassingly late in the day! Of course, sometimes it is easier to buy books cheaper on Amazon, but I have such a longstanding soft-spot for this bookshop, that I never resent spending a wee bit more in here. Plus it means I get to lose myself in this beautiful bookshop for a wee while, which can never be a bad thing. read more

Love this bookshop on the Bridges. It's an Aladdin's cave and a great place to pass an hour if you need to hide from the rain. There's also a Costa attached if you need a caffeine pick me up or something to eat/drink. They have a great selection of cards, literary ones, Scottish themed ones & the usual birthday etc variety at reasonable prices, awesome selection of books and other literary gifts. Also do old style book tokens though they come as a plastic card these days rather than card, but still a great idea for those folk who prefer real books to ebooks. The staff are really friendly and knowledgeable. read more

This is the supplier of most Edinburgh University course books. As such, it's always teaming with students and is extortionately over-priced. I regularly have to come in here to get books and spend well over £100 and leave with 2 or 3 books. What's up with that?! It's joined onto Cafe Nero, so the aroma of coffee wafting up is a pleasant experience. They also have great stuff on the first floor, magazines, calendars, quirky books and beautiful presents. They sell really nice things but you have to pay through the teeth for them. It's a good place if you're in a hurry, but if not then I suggest you wander through all the charity shops first, they probably have the books you need! read more

Blackwells gains a huge amount of business from the nearby University of Edinburgh's students, and there's a good reason why. Reliability, a simple layout and plenty of stock result in a fully justifiable first stop at least when it comes to looking for academic books. There's usually plenty of enticing 3 for 1 offers and informative helpful staff to accompany. An all round good bookshop. read more

Blackwell's - Bookstores Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This bookstore on Southbridge must make a BOMB off the University of Edinburgh students, and as it's not the only uni in town, I shudder to think how much they rake in each year. Blackwells just has an air of reliability about it; the dark blue exterior catches your attention and is a nice contrast to the grey around it, and inside, the sections are meticulously organized. Once you've been there a couple of times, it'll become quite easy to navigate your way through this large bookstore. For every course I can imagine, Blackwells is the place to go, and while the prices aren't the cheapest, they quite often beat the alternative of Amazon once you consider the delivery charges. What I do find pathetic is their rewards scheme; you get £5 back for every £100 that you spend there.. I'm very not impressed! There is more to Blackwells than academia however, and I spent a pleasant afternoon in the basement section, browsing through all sorts of lifestyle books about yoga, spiritual well being, aligning your chakras, that sort of thing... In addition to this, the main entrance hall contains the usual bestseller novels as well as your old classics! Another plus is that Blackwells is open past the usual Edinburgh closing times, so if I suddenly realize I need something, I know I've got until 8pm to get my ass over there! read more

As other reviewers have said, Blackwell's is an excellent resource for Uni students who are looking for course books or study notes. They have every subject covered and you could spend hours here. Of course, it's not only Uni books that are stocked here so if it's just a crime novel, romance book or old classic to rewind then they have that base covered too. The staff are friendly and the shop is very well organised which makes it user friendly as every section is very clearly labelled. What's great about Blackwell's is that you can often buy second hand books for much cheaper than the price of a brand new one which can save you a few bucks, especially if you're on a student budget. What's more, you can also sell your old books back to Blackwell's once you've finished your course and receive 40% of the original price bag - awesome! read more

Blackwell's on South Bridge received my valued custom just about the whole way through my first and second years. They sieze the initiative and stock all the books required for just about every course which Edinburgh Uni offers. Every September the shop is full of anthologies and text books relating to dozens of courses. Despite the the fact that publishers deliberately make text books obscenely expensive, Blackwells try and sell them to students as cheaply as they can. Their reward cards help to ease the financial pain further by giving you £5 back for every £100 you spend. The layout feels well organised with plenty of designated and specific sections, from Scottish literature to physics. For the range and depth of the books on offer, Blackwells has to be Edinburgh's best bookshop. read more

If you're a student this shop will eat up your money very quickly. This is the traditional place to come to buy all your much needed text books for your courses. And let me tell you, after four years as a student, buying books is not cheap, especially academic books. However, apart from the prices, the shop is always well stocked and during term time you can always spot some confused looking group of students searching for that must have text book! Blackwells also stores a good selection of fiction books on the ground floor, and always have a good range on the three for two deal. Next door to this part of the shop is a small café and stationary department. The café is quite small and usually you will struggle to find a table! I great place to browse through interesting books, you could spend endless amounts of time in Blackwells, but you will be dropped straight back into reality when you take the books up to the cashier! read more

Black well book is another lovely book shop it has a wide range of books and a fairly good range of Manga which is what is important. They staff are the up most in customer service they will do everything to help you get the books you want by ordering them, One even help me source something that was out of print. I really enjoy having a look again and seeing in promotions that are on the go. Good resource for everyone to use they are very friendly. read more

There is a second hand bookstore right next door that is open late that I prefer basically because it's more interesting than a chain, but they are equally expensive. Blackwell's is good for reliability. It probably has what you are looking for and they can order things in if not. It is also organized neatly and logically compared to a second hand store. They have quirky little puzzle games and similar things which would be great for last minute gifts. Most are prohibitively expensive to be honest, but I could find something for any age here and sometimes it's worth it. On the other hand, the 3 for 2 offer seems to be a permanent sale and maybe a better gift idea (some for you, some to share). There is also the Cafè Nero attached which is nice to have, not that there is a shortage of coffee shops in the area. read more

Blackwell's - Cafè Nero at Blackwell's - Bookstores Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I don't have much to say that has not already been said. Blackwells is ok for an academic book shop, it has some good stuff and a lot of obscure textbooks. This comes in handy if your a book highlighter and dog ear maker and your sick of the library giving you evils. -cough- read more

Though my experience as a shopper has been somewhat tainted by amazon, which offers unrivaled quantity with unbeatable prices, Blackwells often provides at least a little inspiration. There are three floors of inspiration, so it doesn't come as too much of a surprise. My boyfriend is obsessed with books, he buys one or two a week, despite having a kindle. Consequentially, we often spend time in this book shop, as it's the closest to home. Blackwells is great for university students, as its selection is mainly academic, covering all taught subjects at the University of Edinburgh, from histories of Ancient Chinese art to modern Western Medicine. Whilst he browses the Scottish Gaelic section, I am usually found around the language books. There is a good mix of academic books, study guides, and more accessible reads like le petit Prince and Harry Potter in translation. Indecisive about which grammar book to buy to start learning Chinese, I keep staring at this section and looking confused. The staff don't mind if you just sit there for ages reading, which is really nice. There are often deals, like 3 for 2 or buy one get one half price, which makes the prices sometimes match (or be better than) amazon. You can find some amazing deals in the sales section, though I do feel a little overwhelmed by all the discord. I once found Maisy translated into Gaelic for a £1, and put it in my boyfriend's Christmas stocking. It was a fantastic introductory text! It's not all academia, there are plenty of novels, pop science options, cookery books and travel guides, all of which have seduced me from time to time. The staff have always been very polite and friendly, and there's a blackwells card which gives you back £5 for every £100 you spend. I remove one star because as mentioned, a high street book shop can never live up to Amazon in terms of value and choice, yet blackwells does a great job. read more

I love Blackwells - yes, I will go on about finding little dusty second hand book shops which I say are amazing - but if you know what you want, need something acedemical or simply want to go to a shop which has a huge range of modern books, then this is your place. The Blackwells in Edinburgh also happens to be where I get all of my academic and course books - so to be honest, they must make a hell of a lot of money from me. But really they have a huge selection of every subject no matter how obscure or niche. Not only that, they have a great selection of non-study books, which I'm sure I could go on about for hours and hours. The shop is well laid out, bright and airy, the staff are really helpful and they have a brilliant knack of finding a book you have been searching for the last 3 hours in 22 seconds. read more

This shop used to be James Thin's and was one of Edinburgh's shopping gems. Blackwell's don't do too badly though. The building is quite quirky and is a bit of a rabbit warren. The academic section is great and they get lots of students through their door. They are the official supplier of Scottish Parliament publications and you can get copies of all the free leaflets and reports here. I like the music section and they always have a great sale. In the closing days I've managed to pick up some serious bargains. read more

Blackwells is fantastic for buying academic publications but I'd never buy it for the purchase of non-academic books. This is largely down to price. I think a lot of other stores can be cheaper. Nevertheless, the staff are friendly and helpful at this store and willing to order in books for free if it's part of a class reading list. read more

As many people have pointed out Blackwells is great for non-fiction books with extensive sections on all of the university subjects. They have a sizable foreign language books section, which I haven't seen in any other book shop in Edinburgh, and the non-fiction books they sell tend to fall into a more high brow category than Waterstones. This is a shop which is a joy to browse, very clean and well kept with lovely staff and a great stationery section. read more

This is the bookshop where all the students tend to buy their books as all of the reading list books are on sale here. The books are split up into sections and are easy to find. After the academic year it is also possible to trade in your old books if they will be on the reading list again for the coming term. You can either get cash or store credit for this. The books here are not the cheapest and are sod for the rrp, and I have only ever bought my study books here due to this fact as I know I can get other books cheaper elsewhere. They also have a stationary section and a small dvd and cd section too. The staff are friendly and are glad to help you if you are stuck. read more

Blackwells have a huge range of books to choose from. Upstairs is a music section with the latest chart CDs, along with philosophy and science sections. Downstairs has subjects like cooking and travel. The shop will order in any book that you cannot find in store, and they have a loyalty scheme which will save you money in the long run if you consistently buy from them. Stocks cover most university course textbooks, and the location is very convenient for students in the George Square area. read more

It was better when this was jimmy Thins. It's a bit faceless but does have an amazing academic section. Especially their medical and nursing section. Attatched is a wee coffee shop so you can buy your book and have a cup. The shop is easy to navigate although on many levels. Think Goliath Books from Black Books and your bang on with Blackwells. read more

The staff here have always been really friendly and helpful when I'm not entirely certain what I am after. I remember shopping here as a tourist in 2009 and had the same experience then as I do now as a local. I also love that they are open quite late most evenings because it gives me the opportunity to have a post-work browse. read more

Ok, their deals aren't the best and unfortunately the bookstore as we know it is slowly dying a long, drawn-out death to Amazon, BUT Blackwell is a pretty good alternative if you're on this side of town and can't be bothered to walk to Waterstone's. It's not as big as Waterstone's on Princes Street, but it's still pretty good with a decent variety and clear sections. read more