An Edinburgh bookshop has been awarded Independent Bookshop of the Year for Scotland at the British Book Awards.
Book Lovers Bookshop in Newington won the regional award in its category at The Nibbies, beating fellow Edinburgh bookshop Argonaut Books.
Argonaut Books, based on Leith Walk, made headlines in November 2025 after leading a campaign to stop book-selling giant Waterstones adding a new store 100 metres down the street from its premises.
Other Scottish finalists were Daydreams Bookshop in Milngavie, Far From The Madding Crowd in Linlithgow, Heron & Willow in Jedburgh, The Book Nook in Stirling, The Wee Book Shop in Dollar, and Ullapool Bookshop.
Book Lovers’ victory shows the store’s remarkable rise, having only opened its doors in August 2024.
The store focusses primarily on romance novels, having won the Romance Champion of the Year award from the Romantic Novelists Association for 2025.
Caden Armstong, 25, is the owner of Book Lovers and said they were “so honoured” to have received the award.
They said: “We opened up almost a year and a half ago, in August 2024 during the Edinburgh Fringe, and being the UK’s first brick and mortar for romance has been such an honour.
“We’re just really excited that this community gets to be showcased and seen.
“I just want to say a really big thank you to not only the booksellers, but everyone who has truly supported us all the way from the beginning, and a huge congratulations to not only every book shop that was long-listed, but also all of the regional and country winners.”
Armstrong is originally from the United States where similar romance book shops are prominent, and wanted to open their own store after working at The Edinburgh Bookshop in Bruntsfield.
Ullapool Bookshop offered “many congratulations” to Book Lovers.
In a post on its Instagram, Ullapool Bookshop said: “Thank you to everyone who has been so kind and supportive of Ullapool Bookshop being a finalist in this prestigious category.”
