Leakey's Bookshop & Cafe in Highland

Wide assortment of books from all eras. It's very laissez-faire in terms of service: you can see if you can find what you want on your own because the staff can't really help you as they don't know their assortment that well. The interior is quite nice, although there are no chairs so one can get quite tired standing.

Stunning second-hand book shop in Inverness. It is a pleasure to visit it to walk among its shelves full of books. The mere smell of the pages will encourage you to read. Just a 5-minute walk from the center of Inverness, you have the Old High Church and the cemetery next door, another must-see.

Terrific bookstore! I could spend hours there. A must-see if you are in Inverness.

Yeah it's a nice building. Yeah there are lots of books. But it's actually very overpriced and not all that.

A must-see bookstore. Wood burning stove, rows and rows of written word... this is a special place

Lovely bookshop! Didn't do my research but it looks like the old courthouse on the inside? So cool. Great older books with some rares thrown in. There was also a wood burning fireplace in the middle which enhanced the whole experience. Definitely worth a visit!

A Mecca for book lovers. Books, books, and more books. One star reduction perhaps for category-labelling, which could be a bit more prominent? Couldn't do it! A lifetime of reading, plus the best log fire anywhere. Just as well they don't have a lot of comfy seats or I'd still be there.

A Hidden Gem: Leakey's Bookshop, Inverness Nestled in the heart of Inverness, Leakey’s Bookshop is a bibliophile’s dream and a destination that offers an experience like no other. Housed in a former Gaelic church, the bookshop’s setting alone is captivating, with its high vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and a wood-burning stove that adds a cosy warmth to the treasure trove of books. The collection is vast and varied, from rare antiquarian editions to contemporary reads. Whether you are searching for a particular title or simply enjoying a leisurely browse, there is an undeniable charm to getting lost among the towering shelves and stacks of pre-loved books. The spiral staircase leading to a mezzanine level only adds to the sense of adventure. The staff are knowledgeable and approachable, always willing to help or share a story. There is also an impressive selection of prints, maps, and old manuscripts, making it a haven not just for readers but for history and art enthusiasts too. A visit to Leakey’s is not just a shopping trip but an experience that lingers long after you leave. If you find yourself in Inverness, it is an absolute must-visit. Highly recommended!

Wonderful bookshop, a timeless place where you can find used books and special items

Unfortunately i was only able to browse for an hour, but it’s enough to convince me into buying 3 books. Definitely will go back here again

Leakey's Bookshop is a paradise for book lovers! This vast space is filled with a wide variety of books from different genres and disciplines, making it a treasure trove for readers of all tastes. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the staff are calm, cooperative, and always happy to help. It's an incredible place to explore, with its charming ambiance and diverse collection. Anyone visiting Inverness must spend some time at Leakey's – it’s a beautiful bookshop that offers much more than just books, it’s an experience!

Let me start by saying I am not an able bodied person. In general I used a wheelchair when out and about because I can't walk far or do steps easily. Unfortunately this place is not disabled friendly. There's five or six steps to get into the place and a handrail on only one side, once inside it's little nooks everywhere displaying various genres of used books. There's little steps in places on this ground floor and as I said I don't do steps so could not get upstairs but from what I saw it looked full too. £86 later we left lol. Unfortunately nowhere to sit and enjoy the wood burner.

We were so excited to visit Leakey's, even before our trip to Scotland. Unfortunately the moment I walked in with my 3 children, I was met with a rude comment from the older man (presumably the owner) working behind the counter. "This is a bookshop, NOT a playground," he said in a gruff voice. I was taken by surprise because I mind my children very well and we had only just walked in. My children are homeschooled and I try to instill a deep love of books in them. Small readers grow up to be adult readers. Anyway, I told him that I was well aware and we went upstairs with my kids to look around. We ended up leaving after just 5 minutes because I really didn't feel right spending money there after that exchange and for some reason he decided to make yet ANOTHER unnecessary comment on our way out the door. "Not really an appropriate place for children, is it?" His tone was very unkind. My poor 6-year-old was in tears because he had been so excited and just didn't understand why he was so unwelcome. I do understand not disturbing shoppers and being mindful of your children but I really can't understand people who get upset for children just existing in a space. A very unpleasant experience.

Be prepared to spend time here. So many books.

Great Bookstore in a very old House. Nice and lovely

If you’re in Inverness you must visit this gem of a place!

The best bookshop in Scotland I've been to.

There's a charming allure to a used book shop. Smells like a billion dusty pages of forgotten information. A log fire warms the great hall, with books from floor to ceiling. This shop wouldn't look out of place on the set of harry potter. I'd visit this place even if I wasn't looking for a book. Could do with a seat and a coffee machine. A must see for anyone into alternative locations.

A wonderful and magical place for book lovers - the smells of old books float in the air, you can spend the whole day here discovering the so-called gems. I recommend it

Sadly second hand books are much cheaper online but good for a browse or something a bit more rare/special. Not super friendly.

A magnificent library in an old church, lots of charm, books you won't know where to turn to, it's like being in a film!

A roaring fireplace, spiral staircase, antique prints! Happily spent a few hours in Leakys - such a diversity of books on offer and well organised! Loads of historical kids book, excellent fiction! Floor to ceiling across two large floors absolutely stacked with books + historical maps and loads of antique prints.

It is a very curious bookstore, a peculiar charm, it is worth visiting and buying

Leakeys is the best bookshop I've ever visited. Stacked with character, endless possibilities and some absolute bargains if your up to the search. I visit every 3 months or so and stack up, it's well priced and the excitement of not knowing what you'll uncover makes every trip magical. If your an avid reader or just want to experience something unique, it's a must visit shopping experience.

Great bookshop. Relaxed vibes and feels a bit old school where you can rummage around and find gems. Also got many unique prints to browse through. I spent about 30 minutes in here the time flew by would recommend.

Fantastic selection of secondhand books, allow yourself at least a couple of hours to take it all in. Friendly and helpful staff.

You cannot & should not miss this book heaven.

A magical place for every book lover. Upon entering you are surrounded by the scent of ancient paper which gives an incredible sense of calm, time stops and you would like to stay there all day looking at every single shelf. What magic, the bookshop alone was worth the stop in Inverness on our tour of Scotland.

Wonderful place to seek for good book selections at a good price! The antique selections were good and diverse, even dating back to the 1800s. It was a brief travel back to history.

Lovely two storey 2nd hand bookshop with an amazing collection!

Superb, just spend your time herw

I only had money enough to buy a post card the day I went there (11/12/2024), but I can say it was, by far, one of the most magical places I've been in my life. Maybe because I love books and maps, old buildings and history, but, yeah. Loved the place and I really want to come back there (with money this time so that I can bye books, maps and old prints hehe)

Best book shop I have ever seen. I would recommend visiting and would return again 👍

One of the best bloody bookshops I’ve ever visited! This shop offers a wide selection and variety of old books, rare prints, historical maps, poetry books, shooting & fishing books and much more! To me, I’ve always found comfort in bookshops with their cozy and relaxing atmosphere. I knew I had to pick up a couple of books here for a reasonable price. You could lose your mind here, browsing for hours without knowing what time it is.

My all-time favourite bookshop in Inverness, never disappointed

Not sure what can be said that hasn't already, this place is magical. I wish I'd had hours to spend here, but fortunately I was able to at least find a few books to take home with me. This place has hidden treasures scattered throughout.

Very cool bookstore and very friendly service!

Wonderful service from staff helping me find a book for my nephew.

I visited this gem years ago but still remember it to this day! If you find yourself on this side of the earth, it's worth getting lost among the books and maps, hole up in a corner and immerse yourself in the world of an author 🧡

Amazing bookshop, you can spend hours browsing. However there is a problem with humidity there and it affects the condition of the books.

Very cool bookshop that used to be a church. You can recognise the layout when you walk in, and especially from upstairs. There are wall to wall shelves of all kinds of books, guides, and prints. It’s hard to walk out without buying something, so beware! Well worth a visit on any trip to Inverness.

Fun bookstore if you like hunting for books, seemed a bit disorganized, staff was not very helpful

If you are an old book store fan, this is your must stop when in Inverness. I felt a bit overwhelmed, but I enjoyed my visit.

Great bookshop, but a shame they tease you with a lot of old books you cannot peruse.

This place was well worth a visit. The problem is knowingbwhat you wasn't to buy,there is so much to choose from. It like being a kid in a sweetie shop.

Absolutely brilliant could have sent all day there ☺️

Outstanding place for book lovers

Nice bookstore with second-hand books

great selection in what felt like a shrine for old books

It is a book heaven. You can find real treasures there.

It's a must-visit institution in its own right. The bookshop stocks both old and new books, as well as rare prints. Do be mindful when visiting so as not to disturb other patrons.

If you love books, especially older, out of published books, this is the place to visit. Covers all areas of books, fiction or non. Plus hundreds of old prints.

Beautiful inside basically transports you in time

The space is cool. If you like bookstores it’s a great spot to just admire. The actual books they carry are severely lacking in options.

An incredible used bookshop in Inverness! Browse from hundreds of titles, some over a century old in pristine condition. We ended up finding a book of poems in tribute to Whisky.

Quaint and charming bookshop that seems like it’s straight out of a movie. It’s not tidy and new but full of charm and a bit chilly!

If you like mountains of books, do not hesitate to stop by and visit the store and look for a nice souvenir of Inverness

It's a book shop. If books are you jam have a great time.

I've never seen a book shop like this. I'd say there were hundreds of thousands of books. All used, so many so old that you had to ask to look at them.

It's pretty cool bookshop. Very unquie. And it's two stores. But it'd still small. Can get crowed.

Gorgeous old school book shop, the smell of old books makes the place even more special, looks like something out of a movie.

A large part of the shop behind the cash desk, seems like with the best books there, is not accessible for the customers, “staff only”, what is the point? There also tons of interesting books stacked around with a sign that it’s not allowed to browse these books as that are not yet valued. I was very disappointed.

Amazing place lot of collection. Loved it. Warm and aesthetic

Straight out of a storybook and just a fantastic book store.

Loved this place, but not much organization. Leave time to wander and appreciate the place.

Hidden gem in Inverness. A must visit as you will definitely find something you like. Highly recommended!

Could have spent hours here. Soooo many books old and new, and subjects. Also loved all the antique prints they have. Went home with a number of books, and prints.

A lovely book shop with a terrific array of books.

Absolutely magical bookshop in a place that used to be a church. Full of character. My new favorite place in town!

Good used book prices, will buy books also.

Hardly any room to walk around. No place to sit. You'd think, with all those books, some would be tempting to two book lovers - nope.

Interesting reseller of old and rare books, prints, and maps.

Worth a visit! Nice interior. Could spend hours looking at books.

Books!!! Old books! Could spend hours there! Packed with books, you can just dive in and explore!

Bookstore with interesting surprises and original prints for the collector.

A bit overwhelming for me, but if you like a book treasure hunt you should check it out.

Plenty of books and roughly organised but unfortunately no horror section as they generally do not get many donated. Prices do seem a bit steep depending on the condition of the books but could be a good place to find books which are no longer in print.

A phenomenal experience in used books. Recycling at its best - near the walk bridge across the river.

If you’re a book warm or have unquestionable love for physical books, this is where you will be trapped fort the greater part of the day. The collection is massive and well organised. It was very hard not to pick up some great titles (damn you airline weight limits) but it was great to explore and flip through some. You might find really old books, spotted one that was signed 1891!!

Bookstore with a unique atmosphere - definitely worth a visit!

Fascinating 2nd hand bookshop. Thousands of books and antique prints.

lots of books but I wasn't able to find anything. Still a great bookshop.

Nice for a photo but impossible to find a book!

My idea of heaven! What a fantastic idea. Could easily spend hours in here .Loved it

If you love bookshops—especially second hand ones—you will LOVE this one! Great building for it too!

prices seem a bit willy nilly at times but it's a beautiful second hand bookshop.

Make sure to drop in if you’re a book lover. This place is a dream! Staff was super nice as well!

For every bookworm and lover of the smell of old books a must. Really lovley for just strolling around and checking all the second handbooks and the hand made prints

Bookshop was cute however the selection of books feels like it's been picked clean of any gem finds.

Incredible range of books and displayed so well, felt like stepping into the past. Highly recommend to anyone looking for old hardback novels or study materials, worth looking into here!

Absolutely loved it here, I could of easily stayed all day, what a fantastic place to find some treasures.

Crazy large. A diverse set of genres, as well.

A grand place that almost overwhelms with choice. You can't help but love a place that encourages you to keep looking because there is always something to be found on the next shelf.

An incredible second hand bookstore with tons of books on all kinds of topics. We bought two children's books.

I was really looking forward to visiting the bookshop. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to see how disorganised the books and the prints were. The books/ prints are also very overpriced. It gets busy quickly and isn't wheelchair accessible. Customer service is non-existent.

What fun! I found it hard to find specific books, so had to ask for help. (Which was prompt and knowledgeable)

Very quiet place, good food and good service

Great place to browse for unusual books and prints

Fun spot to get inspired. We were thinking about a UK bird watching book, but ended up with a natural history of Orkney book. Very whimsical feeling

What more could you ask for in a bookshop. The building is a wonder in itself. A great joy to have a look around the huge selection of books available. Great prices on books they have available, and if they don't have something, ask at reception and they'll try to get it in for you. Amazing location and worth a visit