Should you be looking for the ideal Christmas gift for the little reader in your life then there's a cosy wee shop in Stockbridge that might just be the answer.
Ginger and Pickles on St Stephen Street is an independent children's bookshop that caters exclusively for younger ages, with books ranging from baby and pre-school to teen and young adult.
The warm and welcoming wee store, which is set within just one room, regularly hosts authors, illustrators and writers and offers writing workshops, book clubs, and even monthly writing competitions for children of ages 7 and up.
Keen to help kids discover new books, the team have a 'Book of the Week' to help them find new authors and genres to enjoy.
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Owner Julie Richardson opened the independent bookstore back in 2020, and is about to celebrate her third Christmas in charge of the shop.
Speaking about what people can expect, she said: "Our shop is very tiny but also very cosy, warm and inviting. I think we are the smallest bookshop in Edinburgh (maybe Scotland but I'm not sure about that one)."
Adding that they are the only dedicated children's bookshop in the city, Julie confirmed that they are happy to help people find the ideal Christmas present for their wee ones.
She said: "We try to give good advice and everyone is always so grateful for our recommendations and come back to tell us, but we do not claim to know everything as there are so many children's books nowadays.
"As our shop is small, we are very particular on what we carry. We have curated a beautiful selection of picture books - including non-fiction and tend to favour good stories (old and new) over the latest trend. We also try to support local writers when we can and although the space is small - we have a dedicated Scottish section for both younger and older readers."
Describing herself as fortunate to be part of such a vibrant neighbourhood where most of the local shops are independent, Julie is always looking for ways to connect with the community.
"As our shop is very small we are also lucky to have close ties to our local primary school," she added. "Where we collaborate on author events.
We hold also writing competitions almost every month and try to donate as many books as we can to schools, nurseries and other charitable organisations."
And it seems Julie and her team have been garnering fans, with people regularly taking to Facebook to praise them for their excellent service.
One fan wrote: "Two years running I have bought Christmas books for my grandchildren here. Always excellent advice and service." While another regular customer described it as a "lovely little shop".
Over Christmas, Julie and her team are open most days during the week from 9.30 am until 7pm (1pm on Wednesday) and from 10 am until 5pm on Sundays.
From Christmas Eve on December 24 until December 28, and January 1 and 2 they'll be closed, with reduced hours in the days in between.
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