Where To Find Queer Goodies in Scotland

There’s no doubt that England is great at celebrating all things queer. Not only was the UK’s first Pride march held in London, but what other country would get Sophie Ellis Bextor to headline Poole’s first-ever Pride event? However, you don’t have to look very far to know that queer excellence and LGBTQIA+ pride spans all four nations - including, of course, Scotland.

Whether it’s previous Drag Race champion Lawrence Chaney, steadfast trans-ally David Tennant , or the fact that kilts are probably one of the campest national clothing items I can think of, there’s a lot of LGBTQIA+ pride rolling about the Scottish hills.

So, the next time you brave the train past Carlisle, why not head to the following queer-owned establishments and retailers to get a big tartan-themed dose of queer Scottish pride?

Scotland is where you’ll find just some of our wonderful stockists, as all of these stores stock Rainbow & Co goodies!

Finding the perfect cafe in Edinburgh can be tricky, so we’ll save you the effort of having to navigate through all the tourists getting lost up and down The Royal Mile by sharing the location of a perfect LGBTQIA+ coffee spot: Kafe Kweer.

This award-winning Edinburgh venue serves as a cafe and sober queer space, giving both LGBTQIA+ locals and visiting tourists a space to enjoy a tasty coffee, pastry and some lunch - and most importantly, some much-needed respite from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Kafe Kweer has a basement space that can be hired for a range of events, and also puts on its own programmes for the queer community. I’m talking zine-making afternoons, tarot readings, rapid HIV testing and even lingerie sales.

You can check out the next event at Kafe Kweer on their Facebook page , or if you’re not visiting Edinburgh anytime soon but would still like to help the cafe continue serving Scotland’s queers, you can donate to their GoFundMe campaign page.

Find Kafe Kweer at 5 St. Peter's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH3 9PG 

Have you really been to Scotland unless you come back with a memento to prove it? Well, how about something you made in a workshop of folk arts and witchcraft ? If you’re nodding your head right now, it might be time to pop into Wheel of Fate .

This one-of-a-kind store in Edinburgh is a hub of interesting activities for those looking to do something a little bit different during their time in Scotland; they hold regular sessions where visitors to the store can make their own broomsticks, bind spell books or create unique fibre art. They also have regular tarot and astrology readings with in-house experts.

If you don’t have enough time to get crafty, you can take a craft-at-home kit back with you, or instead browse their incredible selection of art from local artists - which, thinking about it, might be easier than trying to get a broomstick onto an Avanti train at the end of your trip.

Get your witch on at Wheel of Fate at 63 Causewayside, Edinburgh, EH9 1QF 

Ever wondered what the best name for a queer-owned bookshop would be? Well, Category Is Books has already beaten you to it. One of the only two LGBTQIA+ bookshops in Scotland, this haven for queer bookworms is a must if you find yourself in Glasgow soon.

Run by wusband and wusband team, Charlotte (they/them) and Fionn (‘Fin’) Duffy-Scott (they/them), Category Is Books was started as a safe space for Scotland’s queer community to share in their love of queer literature - and explore queer history and culture.

Category Is Books has an extensive stock of books, magazines, zines, comics, films and art just waiting to be picked up. They also do a home delivery service for queer books, zines and comics for those who live in Scotland that would prefer their queer literature to be delivered right to their door.

If you aren’t in a position to buy books, Charlotte and Fin also run a pay-it-forward system. The community pre-pay for books and gift vouchers to use inside the bookshop so that fellow LGBTQIA+ peers can still take a book home with them if they’re running low on funds.

Live your real-life queer Matilda fantasy at Category Is Books at 34 Allison Street, Glasgow, G42 8NN

Describing themselves as an unapologetically activist , intersectional, feminist, and antiracist LGBTQIA+ community space, there’s not much more I can say about Lighthouse Bookshop that they’ve not said already. In fact, as summaries go - that’s a pretty damn good endorsement.

This queer-owned and woman-led independent community bookshop houses 10,000 titles across a variety of interesting genres. Sure, they stock books about politics, history and travel writing, but they also sell titles about intersectional feminism, revolutionary history and radical, left-wing Scottish politics. Whatever you’re into, they’ve got it - and more.

Lighthouse Bookshop was nominated as Scotland’s Best Independent Bookshop just a few years ago, and the venue has a brilliant year-round programme of events. If you can time your visit right, it’s worth heading over for their Book Fringe in August and their Radical Book Fair in November. In the meantime, you can see what their booksellers are currently reading and recommending on their site.

Find Lighthouse Bookshop on the high street at 43- 45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DB

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