Leakeys Bookshop, Church Street, Inverness

We stumbled across this bookshop on the last day of our break and for the sake of our bank balance I am glad! Thousands and thousands of books located in every nook and cranny of this old Gaelic church make it a vision of joy to a book lover.
As soon as you enter you get the warm smell of the open fire (open fire and books!!!), home made soup and years of well loved books.
Seemingly the largest second hand bookshop in Scotland, and I wouldn’t doubt this. Every genre is catered for as well as a large selection of antique prints as well as maps to keep the map enthusiast happy.
If you can tear yourself away from the books, upstairs is a small café which doesn’t impede too much into the shop – well except for the smell of delicious home made soup.
Highland regiments stationed in Inverness conducted their own services in Gaelic in the churchyard next door, on hearing this Queen Anne instructed that a Gaelic church be built here. The church has resided here since 1792, reconstructed in 1822 and became Greyfriars Free Church in 1954. Since 1979 the church has been a bookshop, café and art gallery. During the renovation into a bookshop, human bones were found underneath the church – no one knows how or why they are there – enjoy your coffee!