Community stores help mental health, loneliness and literacy

THE nation's bookshops have been hailed a haven for people suffering from mental health issues and a place for kids to discover the joy of reading.

- BY DAN VEVERS

Next Saturday, October 11, marks Bookshop Day in the UK and Ireland and it comes as Scotland faces both a mental health crisis and falling child literacy rates.

But Scotland's growing footprint of independent bookshops and chains is filling a gap in communities and helping young and old alike find joy in reading, shop owners say.

Jennifer Batchelor, founder of Chapters of Thornhill in Dumfriesshire, has been amazed at how busy her store is since opening last December.

She said: “Bookshops are on the up. It no longer feels we're just a bookshop, we're also a community hub. People settle in front of my fire with a coffee from next door and sit for hours reading books they've bought. It's just lovely.