Mainstreet Trading Company. Bookshop in St. Boswells in the Scottish Borders
Mainstreet Trading, located in the village of St. Boswells in the Scottish Borders, is a magical place to visit. Not only is it one of the best bookshops in the country it also has a cafe, deli shop and homewares shop. This place is so good that it is worth making a special journey just to come here. The Borders Railway makes this a straightforward day trip from Edinburgh.
Getting There The Borders Railway, Scotland's newest railway line, makes it easy to visit Mainstreet Trading. The last stop on the line, Tweedbank (around 55 minutes from Edinburgh) is directly opposite a cycle path that takes you 1.75 miles to Melrose and then around 4 miles to St. Boswells. All that you have to do is follow the blue cycle route signs.
Melrose is one of Scotland's best towns with plenty to see and do and a great selection of independent shops. Read my blog about Melrose to find out more.
Harmony House and Gardens in Melrose. One of the many great things about this superb town
Cycling on a Closed Road
The sweetest part of the cycle route occurs just after Melrose where you pedal onto a road that is closed to vehicle traffic. At some point in time this road was given over to the cycle network and gates installed at either end. The white lines are faded and the cats eyes have weeds growing out of them. On a autumn day, with leaves blowing around and the verges overgrown with trees and bushes, there is something post-apocalyptic about this road. 
The closed road between Melrose and Newtown St.Boswells
The road features a tough uphill, but it is worth it for the fast descent waiting at the other end. There is also a fantastic viewpoint overlooking the countryside and hills.
Countryside views from the closed road between Melrose and Newtown St. Boswells
Lookout for the Shetland ponies in one of the fields alongside the road. I saw a woman taking one for a walk- she had a West Highland Terrier on one lead and the Shetland pony on another lead.
Shetland pony near Melrose
After the closed road the route takes you through Newtown St Boswells and down to the A68. This is the point where you must deviate from the cycle route- it crosses the A68 to access quieter roads in the direction of Dryburgh Abbey, but you need to turn right and travel on the A68 for 1 mile to get to Mainstreet Trading.
The A68 is a busy road, so I used the pavement. I have done this a couple of times and have never met a pedestrian. The road is just far too narrow and fast to risk cycling it. 
Mainstreet Trading Company in St. Boswells
It will come as no surprise that The Mainstreet Trading Company is located on Main Street in St. Boswells. It is a long building with an archway that leads through to a yard, which is a good place to park the bike.
You will also notice the Mainstreet Trading van, a classic Citroen, that gets used to travel to schools. They have an ambition that every child in the Borders will be able to meet a Scottish children's author when the van comes to visit their school. 
The Mainstreet Trading Company van
The building was originally a general store that pretty much sold everything. Supermarkets killed it in the 1970s and it was then used as an auction house prior to its current life as a bookshop.
The yard area of Mainstreet Trading Company
I felt so excited about exploring this place because I had heard such good things about it. It exceeded my expectations. For someone who loves books and coffee this is a dream place to spend a few hours. They have over 7000 titles in stock and you can browse them whilst the smell of coffee tickles your nostrils.
I overheard a woman say to her companion, "It's got all the books you heard about and wanted to read." The range of books and the way that they are presented is inspiring. The stripped wooden floor adds to the joy of walking around and browsing the books. You are encouraged to fill out a card with the name of the book that started your reading habit and post it on a wall where others have done the same. At the cafe the cakes are displayed enticingly in a glass case with the name of the cake written on the glass. I took a slice of the chocolate vanilla layer cake and ordered the courgette soup with lemon which arrived with basil leaves and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on the top. It was all delicious, exceptional quality food. On the other side of the yard at the rear of the bookshop you will find the building that houses the deli and homewares department. 
The entrance to the cafe and home section of Mainstreet Trading Company
There is an irresistible selection of specialty foods, like olives, meats and cheeses. There is also a good selection of local produce, including beers from the Born in the Borders brewery.
The homeware department focuses on unusual independent suppliers and there is a good selection of quality stationery, cards and notebooks. Don't just take my word for how good this place is. Mainstreet has won several awards, including Deli of the Year, Independent Bookseller of the Year, Children's Bookseller of the Year and Scottish Independent Bookshop of the Year. It is worth having a little walk around St. Boswells for the idyllic cottages and well tended gardens. There is also a wonderful old fashioned fishing and hunting store called the Borders Gunroom. 
Some of the pretty houses at cottages in St. Boswells
The Borders Gunroom in St. Boswells
At time of writing Mainstreet Trading is open Tuesday to Sunday. There are shorter opening hours on a Sunday. Check their website for current opening times.
For more ideas of places to visit in the Scottish Borders head to my Scottish Borders page.
0 Comments
|
