South Seas Books in Port Elliot is one of my favourite things, a bookshop café. For people like me whose definition of a relaxing getaway is finding a comfy corner to cuddle up with a book and a cup of tea, this is a great first stop.
Far from being the regular city style bookshop with endless copies of Fifty Shades of Grey piled up next to the register, South Seas is more like I see my ideal living room. It is a comfortable, welcoming series of little book-filled corners and couches and armchairs surrounded by book-lined walls.
Even on the odd occasion I go there 'just for a coffee' (famous last words), there is always a title or an author's name which peeks out from the shelves whispering 'Buy me'.
For those who are just looking for any old book for a holiday or weekend read, there is a wonderful selection covering all genres, including a fantastic children's section. I do have a quick peek through the children's section whenever I'm there just to see all my childhood favourites waiting to be discovered by other children.
The shop also has very well selected fiction and crime/thriller sections and if you're not sure what you're looking for, the staff know every book on the shelves.