BBCA corner shop in a small town in the south of Scotland might not seem like a major holiday destination.
However, Open Book in Wigtown – which has been running for a decade – now has a two-year waiting list.
The brainchild of writer and filmmaker Jessica Fox, the volunteer-run company allows visitors to live out their dream of opening their own bookstore.
In the process, it now also donates around £10,000 a year to the Wigtown Festival Company’s charitable work.
But who came to stay and open a shop and what draws to this corner of southwest Scotland?
One of the newest residents is humanitarian aid worker Isabella Garcia from Austin, Texas.
He stayed for five nights, taking the opportunity to open the shop for four days.
“I found out about Open Book years ago – I would say maybe five years or so,” he said.
“I’m a book lover so usually every city I enter, every place I visit, one of the first things I look for is a bookstore or a bookstore-coffee shop together.”
He read about a place in rural Galloway while looking for a holiday for book lovers.
“I came across an article talking about it and I thought it was very interesting and especially, at that time, there was no place to open a bookstore,” he said.
“I recently discovered that there are a few other Airbnbs – but nothing like this one.”
However, while it is relatively easy to understand about the store, securing the stay is another matter.
“It’s always booked every time,” Isabella said.
“There’s nothing available, even over the Christmas holidays.”
In fact, since we started taking orders in August 2014, almost 450 guests have arrived.
A map on the wall shows where they come from – with locations as far away as Hawaii and Beijing.
Isabella put herself on the waiting list to join that number but stumbled across two open dates of the year and surprised people up.
He said that some days he was very happy – despite coming to Scotland in the wettest of summers.
And business turned out better than expected.
“I was really surprised that as many people came to the store as they did,” he said.
“We arrived late – after 18:00 – and the town was empty.
“It’s been amazing.”
He said it was a stark contrast to his work on the front lines in crisis points such as Ukraine and Haiti and that the homes in Wigtown had the look of a picture book.
“This is a throwback in time,” she said.
“It’s like the old days, it’s a small town, everyone’s friendly, there’s just a lot of space.
“It makes you think about the sustainability of the city as well as the environment and the conservation of the resources you use.”
Her advice to anyone hoping to follow in her footsteps?
“I’m going to keep checking because you never know when it’s going to pop up,” he said.
“Walking through the bookstore is definitely worth it.
“There’s no better feeling than someone buying the book you put on it.”
And he himself remains more than living up to expectations.
“I feel like this is a book lover’s dream,” he said.
“It’s a small town, which means there’s not much to do.
“The window seat is amazing, it’s in the corner and looks straight out over the city.”
And with 14 bookstores he says “you will never have anything to read”.
“I can see myself retiring and opening a bookstore and something like this — an independent bookstore in a small town,” Isabella added.
“I like the fact that there are a lot of small businesses.
“I’m hoping to be back here during the book festival and from what I’ve seen and heard, I’ll have to make accommodations early.”
The festival runs from September 27 to October 6 this year.
Even if Isabella doesn’t come back, she will do her best to support Scotland’s national city of books.
