The dream of many book lovers is to hide in a distant cottage, and read, read, read. There is now something far more exciting. Something that will let you immerse in the books deeper than you have ever thought.
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There is a beautiful town in Scotland, full of friendly people and homely bookshops. And there is a bookshop that you will have a chance to run during your stay in an apartment upstairs.
This bookshop & apartment in one is called The Open Book. It was set up by The Wigtown Festival Company. As we read in the official info: “Its aim is to celebrate books, independent bookshops and welcome people around the world to Scotland’s National Book Town.”
You can rent The Open Book on Airbnb, an online platform that offers unique accommodations from private hosts in over 190 countries. The cost is £28 ($40) per night. The minimum stay is six nights.
For that price, you’ll have your very own two-person apartment upstairs, and the bookshop on the ground floor.
The apartment includes a cozy living room, a kitchen space, a bedroom with a twin bed, and a free wireless internet. There are also a laptop and bicycles waiting for you.
The Open Book apartment
The bookshop was lately renovated. You’ll find here books about Scotland, literary fiction, and books or gardening, cookery, or crafts, among others.
Obviously, you’ll be given assistance in running the bookshop. A team of The Wigtown Festival volunteers will make sure you’ll feel nothing except happiness.
Running a bookshop is a fantastic way to live the life of this magical town. So far, many residents, with just a little help from the volunteers, have had a busy time joining local families for dinner or gatherings at the pub.
The Open Book bookshop
Wigtown is a picturesque little town located right by the sea, 100 miles (150 kilometers) south of Glasgow. It’s best known as the “book town,” and is very often compared to Hay-on-Wye in Wales.
Fans of Harry Potter probably know Wigtown as the home of a Quidditch team. The town was also a setting for The Thirty-Nine Steps, an adventure novel by John Buchan, adapted to the big screen by Alfred Hitchcock.
In 1998, Wigtown was officially selected as Scotland’s National Book Town. Currently, with just 1,000 inhabitants, the town has ten bookshops, offering well over 250,000 books – a heaven for book lovers.
What’s the best time to visit Wigtown and live a happy life of a bookshop owner? In September, Wigtown Book Festival takes place. This year it will be for ten days, between September 23 and October 2. Lots of attractions are being planned for adults and children, including not only literature, but also music, theatre, and performing arts.
As you may have imagined, The Open Book is already taken for that time. But for the book lover, every time is suitable for visiting this magical place. You can read the stories of current residents on The Open Book Tumblr blog.
The Open Book apartment & bookshop is located at 2 High Street, very close to main square and city hall. Have a quick look on Google Street Map, like the page on Facebook, and, most of all, head to Airbnb and book the bookshop holiday of your dreams.
All images: The Open Book. Via Trend Hunter.
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