Beltie Books and Cafe, Wigtown - Bookshop Review
One of the delights of living in the Southwest of Scotland is Wigtown, Scotlands book town.
It is a lovely little town dotted right next to Luce Bay and from the shore, you can see across to Creetown (another lovely town).
I have been coming to the book town for 15 years, and it is now becoming a much better and more varied attraction and place to visit.
Beltie Books and Cafe is one of these bookshops that helps put this little town proudly on the map of Scotland.
Tucked away on the road down to the harbour and shore, just across from the old country buildings, it is a lovely combination of a bookshop and a cafe.
First Impressions
On the day we visited, the weather was fine and clear. As we approached the hour before dusk, the sky had that wonderful Scottish quality (misty pink clouds and clear large sky), that only happens in early spring and late autumn.
As you walk up to the cafe you notice the lovely wooden hanging sign outside that gives a real old-world feeling.
As you open the door you are instantly hit by a vista of books in front of you, the smell of coffee and cake and the chatter of customers. The nooks of wall-to-ceiling bookshelves will instantly draw your attention and you will forget you came in for coffee and cake.
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The Books
The selection of books casts itself across several genres and is diverse in topic and age. When I visited the Scottish and local history section was excellent, plus some interesting nature books.
Additionally, a lovely pocket of 1990's TV show tie-in novels that included Babylon 5 and Xena Warrior Princess. Which was a nice surprise.
The Cafe
Once you have perused the books you can move left and see a lovely high fireplace with a table and chair and then are presented with the main cafe area, which backs onto a garden.
The garden would be lovely to sit in during the summer, we visited in February, so will have to come back.
The garden is also home to stone walls that formed part of the original Wigtown houses which, were later replaced by the current 18th and 19th-century 2 and 3-story stone buildings. So you will be able to have a Coffee amongst a small slice of history.
One wall is also decorated with a wall-sized map of Wigtown and the surrounding countryside, it's a nice touch.
Overall the decor and ambience are perfect for a cuppa after an afternoon adding to your book collection.
The Coffee and Food
The scones, teas and lattes we all had were lovely and just what you want and expect. There was also a section of homemade cakes that looked delicious.
The staff also need a mention as they were very helpful throughout the visit and showed great patience with our busy and noisy toddler.
Overall the drink section and food were good and well worth the trip.
Is there disabled access? The cafe is wheelchair accessible, with a mini ramp to the door. The staff is also very helpful with this.
Is the cafe Dog Friendly? Yes, the cafe is dog-friendly. A lovely cock-a-poo was having a pup-a-chino whilst we had our food and drinks.
How to get there
From Dumfries, travel west along the A75 until you come to the roundabout outside Newton Stewart. Follow the signs to Wigtown, park up and head towards the county buildings and the Cafe is on the left.
From Stranear, travel east along the A75 until you come to the roundabout outside Newton Stewart. Follow the signs to Wigtown, park up and head towards the county buildings and the Cafe is on the left.
Find out more
You can find out more about Beltie Books and Cafe on their Facebook page
You can also read reviews on TripAdviser
Final Thought
Beltie Books and Cafe is well worth visiting for a cuppa after a day shopping for books.