Elvis Shakespeare Edinburgh

2nd hand books & records

Mark from Edinburgh

About me I'm Mark. Apart from my university days, I have lived in Edinburgh all my life. I chair Creative Edinburgh, the organisation that helps creative professionals network and grow their businesses. It promotes the city beyond its boundaries. I'm an ad man having worked in advertising since the mid 1980s but for a decade and more have done my own thing. I love art, travel, ...
""Elvis Shakespeare" in Edinburgh is a second hand record shop/bookstore, also committed to darts and television! It's an Aladdin's cave full of stuff..."

You sell second hand records, right?  Elvis made records didn't he?

You sell second hand books, right? Shakespeare wrote books didn't he?

Create the ultimate mashup and the result is Elvis Shakespeare, a barry wee (that's Edinburgh for great little) shop selling records books, CDs, DVD's and the likes.

It's only a stone's throw away from the equally unexpected Borlands that has, for many years, also committed to two specialisations: darts and television.

It's all part of the charm of Edinburgh's finest shopping street - no, not George Street; Leith Walk. A cornucopia of ethnic and local retailers; restaurants, takeaways bars, darts, TV repairs, books and records.

Enter the admittedly not huge portal and rather than finding a Tardis you'll encounter an Aladdin's Cave stuffed full of the above.  Punk, alternative rock, indie and dance are all specialisations.

In the summer, it hosts events at the amazing Leith Late Festival (the picture above was taken then) but year-round it buys and sells second-hand stuff. A quick trawl of the website shows that you can purchase a 7" U2 French import for £179.99 right through to Razorlight's America for only 99p.

Or in books how does Streetwork 1993-1997 by street photographer Philip-Lorca DiCorcia for £225 sound? If that doesn't tickle your fancy maybe Knees up Mother Earth by Robert Rankin for actual FREE does.

Either way, you can lose an hour or two rummaging and ruminating with gregarious owner David Griffin. Then pick up a set of arrows, up the road.

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Edinburgh Spotter Mark

About me I'm Mark. Apart from my university days, I have lived in Edinburgh all my life. I chair Creative Edinburgh, the organisation that helps creative professionals network and grow their businesses. It promotes the city beyond its boundaries. I'm an ad man having worked in advertising since the mid 1980s but for a decade and more have done my own thing. I love art, travel, theatre, music, cinema, food, wine, beer, cooking, cycling, walking – sometimes all in the same day. Some would call me bohemian I suppose. My wife, Jeana, and I have an Air B'n'B room in...

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347 Leith Walk

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1315611363

Dec 2, 2025

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