A much-loved community book exchange is set to reopen in Stockbridge next week after its original structure was destroyed by storms.
The Stockbridge Little Free Library will officially reopen on Tuesday, September 8, returning to its familiar spot in the Edinburgh neighbourhood.
The Stockbridge Little Free Library. (Image: Supplied)
The library was first installed in 2016 by bookbinder and artist Rachel Hazell, known as The Travelling Bookbinder, and quickly became a popular fixture among residents and visitors.
It provides a rotating selection of books for people of all ages and interests, operating on the principle of “Take a book, share a Book”.
The original library was destroyed beyond repair during storms in January 2025, leaving the site empty for more than a year.
Ms Hazell began looking for someone who could create a replacement that would be accessible and welcoming while also being able to withstand Scotland’s weather.
She eventually commissioned Mull-based boatbuilder Yann Jameson to build the new structure.
The replacement library has been made from locally sourced larch and finished with three coats of marine-grade oil to provide additional protection from the elements.
The reopening coincides with the National Year of Reading 2026 and forms part of the wider Little Free Library movement.
The global movement began in 2009 and has since grown to more than 200,000 Little Free Libraries across 128 countries.
The Stockbridge Little Free Library. (Image: Supplied)
The movement was inspired in part by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who funded the creation of 2,509 free public libraries across the English-speaking world around the turn of the 20th century.
The library will continue to be informally managed and stocked by Ms Hazell, with books regularly appearing and being taken by members of the community.
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