Neil Simpson turns over an old leaf and discovers some of Edinburgh’s best-kept secrets.

Edinburgh, to an untrained eye, can at first appear superficial; all castles, bagpipes and flag waving. It is, after all, a tourist attraction par excellence and consequently, isn’t the cheapest of places to study. This presents a problem for you, the struggling student. For richer or poorer, you will be required to buy books - which aren’t cheap. This balance of academic curiosity and cash presents a dilemma.

Edinburgh, to an untrained eye, can at first appear superficial; all castles, bagpipes and flag waving. It is, after all, a tourist attraction par excellence and consequently, isn’t the cheapest of places to study. This presents a problem for you, the struggling student. For richer or poorer, you will be required to buy books - which aren’t cheap. This balance of academic curiosity and cash presents a dilemma.

It is of course tempting to buy the whole reading list and plead ‘educational needs’ when Daddy sees the bill. Aside from the fact this makes you look enormously spoilt, it is also a colossal waste of money. Why buy a brand new paper back for £7.99, say, when you can have a used copy for a quarter of the price? Here, perhaps, is the stingy, dour-faced Scot in me speaking out – but for those of you who translate all monetary value into alcohol, that’s potentially a gain of three pints.

Aesthetically the solution is not a pleasant one and second hand book shops can be woefully frustrating. Often nestled in some random part of the city, and usually cold, musty and disorganised, they have the air of a bumbling academic who is long past it. Black Books is closer to the truth than many realise, and owners are often little more than strange goblin-like creatures skulking in the corner or disinterested readers who just happen to own a shop. But take heart! Unlike many of the sanitised and expensive Waterstones or Blackwells, second hand bookshops tend to have a much broader range of texts, many of which are out of print. They also have ‘character’ - that often overlooked quality in our culturally white-washed age.

Second hand books also present the reader with novelties not available in new books. There is an appeal in buying a Victorian copy of Aristotle for £3 for example, over getting a new Penguin classics edition for £6.99. However, a natural aversion to second hand books is inherent in most people, and it is understandable to at first be hesitant when buying disintegrating dog-eared copies, chewed and digested one too many times. Yet books are not meant to look nice; they are meant for reading. Obviously it helps if they don’t smell of a century’s staleness, but it shouldn’t really matter. It’s the intellectual substance that counts! This, incidentally, is an important lesson to learn when dealing with university academics as well as second hand books.

As your horizons broaden (or in many cases contract, after you grasp the nature of student politics) so too should your interest in buying texts outside your subject. Anyone with a passing interest in anything from global politics to French cooking can find something for their needs, at a fraction of the retail price. Given the number of second hand bookshops in Edinburgh it is hard not to indulge, and thankfully there are plenty of goblin free, organised and useful retailers dotted around the city.

Aurora Books Ltd. and Second Edition

- 6 Tanfield and 9 Howard Street

For those privileged enough to stay in the New Town, there are several second hand bookshops within walking distance of each other. Yet, as the Second Edition owner happily pointed out, these are not bookshops ‘for the ordinary reader.’ Both Aurora and Second Edition specialise in first editions (like second editions, but with mistakes), haven’t got discounts and are fairly pricey.

Armchair Books and Edinburgh Books

- 72-74 West Port and 145-147 West Port

Assuming you’re anywhere near George square, this is your best port of call for buying second hand books. Edinburgh Books, at the top, is well organised and has a massive selection of books (complete with Irish owner, although no Manny to speak of.) Armchair Books, further down the road, is not as organised or clean – although the student discount is 20%, compared to Edinburgh Books 10% – and it is well stocked. These two are definitely worth a look, especially considering how central/near to Grassmarket pubs they are.

Till’s Book Shop

- 1 Hope Park Crescent

Very close to George Square, well organised and with a large nerd (that is science fiction/fantasy–section), as well as tonnes of literature. It does lack in academic texts however.

Oxfam

- 116 Nicholson Street and 109 High Street

Two decent second hand book shops within walking distance of George Square. Although the Nicolson street branch is fairly small it has a good selection, is well organised and caters for students (although no discount.) It is also very close to a Barnardos bookshop on 45 Clerk Street. On the Royal Mile the Oxfam bookshop is certainly bigger, and thus has a wider selection, although is aimed more at tourists than students.