Best Record Shops in Edinburgh

Ah, the joys of digging in a record shop. Nothing beats running your hands through a case of vinyl, finally spotting the record you’ve been pining after for what feels like ages, and clinging to it all the way home until you can finally open and play it.

But to relish this transcendental experience, you need to know which shops to check out. You need to know which record shops are best for you and your tastes, and that’s what we’re here to help you with. So here are the best record shops in Edinburgh, where you can find them, and what music they specialise in.

Underground Solution

Where: 9 Cockburn St in Edinburgh EH1 1BP

Specialises in: dance, electronic, and hip hop

Underground Solution is Edinburgh’s last-standing independent record shop that mainly specialises in dance and electronic music. The perfect spot for musicians and DJs, the shop opened its doors back in 1996 and now sells a range of music equipment, including turntables, headphones, MIDI controllers, Hi-Fi turntables, and speakers. The shop stocks hundreds of new electronic releases each week. But there's still plenty of rock, pop, indie, jazz, funk, soul, disco and more. As such a historic shop, it's worth a quick browse no matter what you're into. 

VoxBox

Where: 21 St Stephen Street in Edinburgh EH3 5AN

Specialises in: pre-owned indie, rock, jazz and blues LPs and singles 

This independent record shop might be the only record shop in Edinburgh with a B side. Side A, the front of the shop, features jazz, rock, folk, reggae, blues, indie, new wave, and punk LPs. The backroom, side B, is full of LPs and singles, all at the delightfully low price of £1. And you can also find plenty of vinyl by Scottish artists on independent local labels so you can support your local scene! You’ll also find some music books, magazines, and cassettes. The only genre they claim not to have an abundance of is techno, so it's not the best shop for avid techno fans. 

Assai Records

Where: 1 Grindlay St in Edinburgh EH3 9AT

Specialises in: modern pop, indie, rock, alternative, and music by Scottish artists

Open since April 2017, Assai has plenty going on from new music deliveries, in-store performances and signings, competitions, limited edition presses, signed vinyl, and Dinked Edition vinyl. While Assai focuses mainly on indie and alternative music, you can find plenty of other genres along with books, memorabilia, and turntables. If you want to see what it’s all about before heading down, head to their socials for live streams and videos of performances, or their website to see what records they've got in. 

Vinyl Villains 

Photo: Vinyl Villains / Facebook.com 

Where: 5 Elm Row in Edinburgh EH7 4AA

Specialises in: rock and punk vinyl 

Vintage vinyl shop Vinyl Villains has probably been considered one of the best record shops in Edinburgh since it opened in 1983. Focusing mainly on older releases, you can find lots of rock and punk alongside jazz, soul, reggae, blues, and folk, plus DVDs, CDs and more that you probably won't be able to find in your typical HMV. Most of the records are preowned, but Vinyl Villains is very particular about the condition of the records, only accepting those of excellent quality and putting the not-so-good quality records in a bargain bin. 

Almond River Records 

Photo: Andy Almond River / Instagram.com 

Where: 253 St. John’s Road in Edinburgh EH12 7XD

Specialises in: second-hand indie, classic rock, punk, blues, and alternative vinyl

Almond River Records opened its doors to the public in December 2021 after shop owner Andy decided it was time to open a physical store following his success selling records online. Obsessed with music and collecting records since he was a child, Andy is deeply passionate about music and owns around 4,000 records himself. The shop received a warm reception from locals, which is fantastic as the city now has another brilliant shop on the block.

FOPP

Photo: Fopp Edinburgh / Instagram.com 

Where: 42 Shandwick Place in Edinburgh EH2 4RT

Specialises in: new releases, modern indie, alternative, hip hop, pop, and dance records 

Although owned by HMV, FOPP maintains that indie shop feel with in-store performances, signings, and that intimate “we’re all here for the music” vibe. FOPP also has plenty of films and books and strives to sell them at low prices. Situated at its new location on Shandwick Place, the shop, thanks to being a widely adored chain, is bigger than many others on this list, giving you space to have a proper dig and lose yourself in all the books, DVDs, vinyl, CDs, and even tech!

Record Store Day 2025 is just around the corner! And now you're aware of the best record shops in Edinburgh, you have a solid list of places to celebrate. But, to be fair, we’re sure you don’t need Record Store Day as an excuse to check out these top shops. We definitely don’t!

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

 Header image: Assai Records - Edinburgh / Facebook.com