Always romanticised the thought of owning your very own bookshop? Love nothing more than neatly organising your own bookshelves?
You could momentarily live out your dream by booking to stay in one of the world’s most unique Airbnbs.
The Open Book, located up in Wigtown in Scotland, offers guests the chance to sleep in the upstairs flat by night and run the bookshop by day – almost like something out of Notting Hill, but in a more rural location.
The Open Book marks Airbnb’s ‘first ever bookshop holiday residency experience’ – and it’s created such a frenzy among book lovers that there’s currently a two-year-long waiting list.
So far, the property has welcomed over 450 budding booksellers to its shelves since the first guests came to stay in 2014, with people travelling from the likes of Beijing and Hawaii to have a pop at it.
Supported by The Wigtown Festival Company, the listing aims to ‘celebrate books, independent bookshops and welcome people from around the world,’ and generates around £10,000 per year for the festival’s charity work.
Charmed? It’s right by the sea and set amidst Scotland’s National Book Town. Wigtown was given the accolade in 1998 and is now home to an array of other bookshops – 10 in total – including The Wigtown Emporium, Number 11, and Faodail.
Just south of the Galloway Forest Park, the locality inspired literary classics including John Buchan’s spy thriller, The Thirty Nine Steps, and Sam Simpson’s historical thriller, The Richmond Papers – so it’s a truly magical place for any bibliophile.
Wondering how it all works? Supported by a team of volunteers, guests are permitted to change the displays, price books and even re-categorise them.
There’s also the opportunity to get creative with the blackboard that customers are greeted with upon entering, with the listing noting that while some temporary booksellers are happy to quietly potter on and keep the shop ticking over, those with a creative flare often bring their own ideas to the table.
This week, the shop is welcoming 41-year-old Daisy Yeung and 42-year-old Lydia Man, who, having been friends since secondary school, have decided to take up the challenge.
‘My dream is to be a bookseller one day, but since it is very hard to be a bookseller and make enough money, we thought it would be fun to have a taste of it,’ Daisy, who travelled from Hong Kong to stay at the unique listing, shares.
Thinking up a theme for their bookshop, the friends decided to spotlight China’s Mid Autumn Festival, which takes place annually on September 17.
‘Traditionally we Chinese people gather with our family and friends on this day and light up lanterns and eat something called moon cakes – which is what we have brought and are sharing with people,’ Daisy says.
‘The festival is a time for loved ones to come together and so we are sharing that with people here – trying to have a good time with the visitors and book lovers alike.’
Want to play bookseller for a week or two? You’ll need to keep an eye on The Open Book’s availability on Airbnb – though it’s already booked out until August 2026.
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