For book lovers, there is a chance to swap the usual day job for an altogether different role: running a working second-hand bookshop in Scotland.
That is exactly what guests can do at The Open Book in Wigtown, Galloway. The unusual Airbnb pairs a self-catering apartment upstairs with a working shop below, giving visitors the keys for the duration of their stay.
Your Holiday Comes With a Shop
The unusual setup gives guests plenty of freedom. They can choose their opening hours, refresh window displays, recategorise books, and set prices, with guidance provided. The shop can also accommodate small events, with previous guests using the space for quizzes, bookmark-making sessions, karaoke, tea parties, treasure hunts, wine tastings, and author events.
The space can comfortably accommodate around 12 to 15 people for events. Anne Barclay, Communities Director for the Wigtown Festival Company, says guests can decide how involved they want to be: 'It's a choice how much or how little people choose to do (while they're here), and as a result of that, we don't want to overwhelm them with lots of boxes of unpriced books to deal with—unless they want to.'
There is one major restriction: guests are not allowed to redecorate. Barclay says the rule followed an incident in which guests painted the shop's woodwork from pale green to dark brown.
@ruth.aisling Running a bookshop in Scotland’s National Book Town. In Wigtown, a small town in southwest Scotland, you can stay inside a bookshop and run it for the week. It’s called The Open Book and it’s part of a project that brings book lovers from around the world to this quiet corner of Dumfries and Galloway. You live upstairs, and downstairs is your very own secondhand bookshop. I thought it was so cosy and such a lovely way to slow down and be part of the community, even for just a few days. 📍Wigtown, Scotland’s National Book Town #wigtown #scotland #dumfriesandgalloway #wigtownbooktown #scotlandstartshere
♬ original sound - ruth.aisling - ruth.aisling
Sleep Above the Bookshelves
The experience is marketed as a holiday rather than a conventional job: guests pay for their accommodation and run the bookshop as part of their stay. The rate listed by the Wigtown Festival Company in March 2026 was £175 per night. Guests can book stays of between six and 14 nights.
However, the real challenge is getting a spot. The Wigtown Festival Company said in March 2026 that The Open Book was fully booked until the end of February 2028.
From Creative Experiment to Global Sensation
The Open Book began in August 2014 as a creative residency, inviting writers, musicians, and artists to live above the shop, pursue their own projects, and run the bookshop for two weeks. After the initial six-month creative project, the concept evolved into the bookshop holiday experience it is today.
At first, uptake was patchy and the project operated at a loss, but in 2016, a BuzzFeed article sent interest soaring. Soon, bookings were being made years in advance, turning a local experiment into an international attraction. It now contributes around £10,000 a year to Wigtown Festival Company's charitable work, including projects for children and young people.
Wigtown Is Part of the Magic
The setting is almost as important as the shop itself. Wigtown was designated Scotland's National Book Town in May 1998 and has since built a reputation around its second-hand bookshops and annual literary festival. The Open Book sits on Wigtown's main street, putting guests right among the town's booksellers, shops, and literary scene.
The point, Barclay says, is not simply to operate the shop. 'It's about the whole experience of being here in Wigtown, and not just having the doors open from nine to five,' she said.
That connection with the town has become part of the appeal. Barclay says many guests choose to return to Wigtown after their stay, including one couple who comes back every year to volunteer at the festival. 'It's an incredibly unique experience, and it's a fantastic way to experience Wigtown as Scotland's National Book Town,' she added.
