Category: Blackhall

New library opening hours to be introduced next month

EARLIER CLOSING AND CHANGED HOURS FOR CITY LIBRARIES

On 30 November 2026 we’re changing our opening hours so that more people across the city can use our library services.

Public library opening hours

We’re changing our opening hours so that more people across the city can use our library services. These changes will take place on 30 November 2026.

The opening times are based on feedback from residents, people who use our libraries, our colleagues who work there and information on how and when our libraries are used.

More information about the background to these can be found at Edinburgh Future Libraries strategy 2025 to 2030 – The City of Edinburgh Council

The new opening hours for libraries will be:

Balerno Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: closed
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Balgreen Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: closed
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Blackhall Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm (currently 10 – 8)
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm (currently 10 – 8)
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm (currently 10 – 8)
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm (currently 10 -5)

Central Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 7pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Colinton Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: closed
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Corstorphine Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm (currently 1- 8pm)
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm (currently 1 – 8pm)
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm (currently 10 – 5pm)

Craigmillar Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Currie Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Drumbrae Library Hub

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Fountainbridge Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Gilmerton Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: closed
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Granton Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm (currently 1 – 8pm)
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm (currently 1 – 8pm)
Thursday: closed
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm (currently 10 – 2pm)

Kirkliston Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: closed
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Leith Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm (currently 10 – 8pm)
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm (currently 10 – 8pm)
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm (currently 10 -8pm)
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm (currently 10 – 5pm)

McDonald Road Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Moredun Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Morningside Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Muirhouse Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm (currently 8pm)
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm (currently 8pm)
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm (currently 8pm)
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm (currently 5pm)

Newington Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Oxgangs Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Piershill Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Portobello Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Ratho Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Sighthill Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: closed
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

South Neighbourhood Office and Library

Monday: 10am to 4pm
Tuesday: 10am to 4pm
Wednesday: 10am to 4pm
Thursday: 10am to 4pm
Friday: 10am to 3.45pm
Saturday: closed

South Queensferry Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm

Stockbridge Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm (currently 1 – 8pm)
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm (currently 1 – 8pm)
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm (currently 10 -5pm)

Wester Hailes Library

Monday: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday: 10am to 7pm
Thursday: 10am to 5pm
Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm.

Edinburgh_Future_Libraries_Strategy_June25Download

The Singing Street at Blackhall Library

MONDAY 26 OCTOBER from 6 – 7pm

We are very excited to be hosting this fabulous local history event on Monday 26 October!

This is a free event with no bookings required. Please note that spaces will be limited though so please arrive early.

Refreshments provided.

TODAY: Last Day of the Dinosaurs at Blackhall Library

Last Dinosaur’s activities for October break at Blackhall library today:

2pm Dinosaur Paper Puppets – kids 4-10 years old

3.30pm Lego Club – Build your very own dinosaurs and their habitats – kids 5+ years old

Booking not needed, free event.

Children under the age 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

Next Week at Blackhall Library

“What’s On” w/b 19th October at Blackhall library

On Monday we still have 2 Dinosoaur’s activities for children:

– 2pm Dino Paper Puppets craft workshop for kids 4-10 years old

– 3.30pm Lego Club – building Dinos and their habitats for kids 5+

Events are free, booking not needed, but children under the age 8 years old need to be accompanied by an adult.

Festival of Flowers at Blackhall St Columba’s Church

Blackhall St Columba’s Church are running a Festival of Flowers later this month – see flyer for details (above).

READ ALL ABOUT IT! Wee Read smashes 50,000 pledge target

Scotland comes together to celebrate the joy of reading

More than 90,000 people took part in Wee Read as Scotland came together yesterday to celebrate the joy of reading – smashing the campaign’s original target of 50,000 pledges.

Wee Read, led by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and funded by the Scottish Government as part of the National Year of Reading 2026, invited people across Scotland to make a simple pledge to read on 7 October. The campaign reached its 50,000 pledge target more than a week before the official reading moment, with a total of 90,717 people pledging to get involved.

Across the country, people of all ages and interests joined the national reading moment, making time to enjoy whatever they like from novels and poetry to comics, magazines, newspapers, recipes and more.

Libraries, schools, workplaces, families and communities marked the day in their own ways, creating a shared celebration of reading and demonstrating that there is no single way to take part.

Activity ranged from East Renfrewshire’s dedicated Harry Potter readings and South Lanarkshire’s Gruffalo scavenger hunt, to a BSL Bookbug session in Paisley, school visits in Edinburgh and Midlothian, family activities in South Lanarkshire and community reading sessions in Inverclyde.

In Motherwell, a readathon in the library’s immersive room surrounded readers with calming imagery of their choice, before the Wee Read mantra video and a message from Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic Màiri McAllan were showcased.

Across the length and breadth of the country, libraries and communities also hosted reading hours, storytelling, book swaps, quizzes and crafts, reflecting the many different ways people came together to make time for reading.

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic Màiri McAllan said: “I’m delighted to support Wee Read. Stories, songs and words form the bedrock of our lives, our culture, our history and our future. Scotland’s plays, books and comics are internationally renowned, as are our playwrights, authors and illustrators.

“Reading and writing play a lifelong role in learning and wellbeing, and in tackling poverty, which remains a key priority for this Government. That’s why we’re taking action to improve access to books and encourage reading for pleasure, through programmes including Bookbug, Read Write Count with the First Minister, Reading Schools, and the School Library and Public Library Improvement Funds.

“Just a few minutes of reading for enjoyment reduces stress and improves wellbeing, and for children it has a positive impact on learning and attainment at school. By taking part in Wee Read, you’re joining thousands across Scotland helping us build a country where reading is valued, shared and enjoyed by all.”

The campaign also highlighted the important role Scotland’s libraries play in helping people find something they enjoy and make reading part of their everyday life – beyond the national reading moment.

With free access to a wide range of reading materials, alongside digital resources, reading groups, events and activities, libraries offer something for people at every stage of life.

Alison Nolan, chief executive of SLIC, said: “Reaching over 90,000 pledges for Wee Read is a fantastic achievement and a wonderful reflection of the enthusiasm for reading across Scotland.

“We set out with a simple ambition – to give people a reason to make time for reading and to celebrate the many different ways that reading can be part of our lives. Seeing so many people, communities and organisations take part has really brought that notion to life.

“Whether someone read for five minutes or fifty, picked up an old favourite or discovered something completely new, we hope Wee Read reminded them of the joy that reading can bring and, importantly, encouraged people to keep that habit going beyond 7 October.”

Wee Read forms part of the UK’s National Year of Reading 2026, a year-long celebration of the pleasure, inspiration, connection and opportunities that reading brings.

Alison added: “Wee Read may have taken place on one day but the campaign’s message is intended to last much longer: there is no right way to read, every read counts and there is always time to read something you enjoy.

“Our libraries are here all year round to help people find their next read, discover something new and connect with their community. And if you didn’t manage to join in with Wee Read, that’s no reason to miss out – you can pick up something new at any time.

“We’d encourage everyone to keep that spirit going, make space for reading and turn to their local library for inspiration, new ideas and everything else it has to offer.”

Find out more and discover ways to keep reading at www.WeeRead.scot.

Share your Wee Read memories and recommendations using #WeeRead26.

Help with IT at Blackhall Library

Over the age of 50 and need help with IT?

We are very excited to announce that ACE IT will be based at Blackhall Library every Wednesday morning from the 7th October.

To book an appointment please contact ACT IT directly on 0131 667 2053 or info@aceit.org.uk for these free digital coaching sessions.

Strachan House Care Home to host free weekly Coffee Mornings

Staff and residents at Strachan House care home in Edinburgh wish to invite neighbours and friends from the local community to their free weekly coffee morning. 

Taking place every Friday from 2nd October 10.30am-12pm, residents from within the local community will have a chance to meet and chat over tea or coffee and homemade cakes provided by the home.

Guests will also have a chance to take a tour of the home, and ask any questions they might have about care.

General Manager of the home, Fran Fisher said: “Our Community Coffee Morning allows individuals from the local area to meet and connect with one another regularly. It’s a great chance to share stories, make new friends, and of course, enjoy our wonderful spread provided by our hospitality team!’

Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. 

Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.