Drumbrae Library Hub
Your go-to Edinburgh hub for books, board games, and brilliant community vibes – with free tea and coffee for gamers!
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About
If you're looking for a vibrant community spot in Edinburgh, pop into the Drumbrae Library Hub! Beyond just books, this place is a true gem, especially if you're into tabletop gaming – they host an all-day board game event for adults every Saturday with a fantastic mix of games and welcoming regulars. Plus, they've got amazing free activities for kids and teens throughout the week, from creative writing to Lego time! Don't forget about the unique music instrument library where you can borrow a saxophone or violin. With free Wi-Fi, accessible facilities, and even EV charging, it's a super functional and friendly hub for everyone.
Facilities
Community Venue
Drumbrae Library Hub is a community venue offering large, well-lit tables, a kitchen area, and free refreshments until 3 PM. It hosts a variety of activities and groups for all ages, including board gaming events, children's craft and writing groups, adult book clubs, and a Scottish Seniors Computer Club. The hub also provides a music instrument library, free Wi-Fi, and features full disabled access.
Public Workspace
The Drumbrae Library Hub provides a public workspace with large, well-lit tables, ample space and seating, a kitchen area for water refills and rubbish disposal, and free tea, coffee, and biscuits until 3 PM. Facilities include free Wi-Fi, a photocopier, toilets, baby changing, electric vehicle parking, full disabled access with lifts and internal ramps, and charging facilities for mobile devices and electric wheelchairs. Users are requested to tidy up and be ready to leave by 4:30 PM, with the library closing at 5 PM, and to return extra tables and chairs to the side room after use. Access to the Day Support Centre for events is gained by inquiring at the library desk.
Board Games
This group focuses on modern board games, encompassing a wide range of types including solo, co-op, light, Eurogames, and heavier strategy games. They are very welcoming to newcomers and experienced players alike, fostering a friendly and social gaming environment. Events feature diverse games, with participants encouraged to bring their own or utilize the venue's available collection, covering everything from party games to strategic epics.
Dining
The venue provides a kitchen area for refilling water bottles and disposing of rubbish. Free tea, coffee, and biscuits are available until 3pm. Guests may bring their own lunch or buy food from a Scotmid located nearby.
Kids Programme
The Drumbrae Library Hub offers a variety of regular activities for children and young people, including a weekly Kids Group for P5-P7, fortnightly Junior Creative Writing for P5+ and Chatterbooks for ages 8-11, a weekly Teen Group for S1-S5, fortnightly Funky Craft and Game Time for ages 5+ and 8+ respectively, and fortnightly Lego Time and Comic making workshops for ages 5+ and 8+ respectively. The library also hosts Bookbug sessions.
Full Description
Drumbrae Library Hub is located at 81 Drum Brae Drive, Edinburgh, EH4 7FE, United Kingdom, in the Drum Brae/Gyle locality. It has a high rating of 4.6 based on 80 user reviews. The facility is wheelchair accessible and offers parking. The library operates from 10:00 to 20:00 on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and from 10:00 to 17:00 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It is closed on Sundays. The phone number is +441315295244 and the email is drumbrae.library@edinburgh.gov.uk. The library also has a presence on Facebook (facebook.com/drumbrae/) and Twitter (@drumbraeL). As a library, it provides a range of services including browsing and borrowing books, returning books, picking up free period products, using the photocopier, collecting hearing aid batteries, using public computers and printing, applying for a National Entitlement Card (bus pass), and accessing NHS C:Card Plus services. It also features a Music Instrument Library in partnership with Tinderbox Orchestra, allowing members of all ages to borrow musical instruments for free, just like a book. A wide range of instruments is available, including saxophones, trombones, clarinets, flutes, keyboards, accordions, guitars, ukuleles, violins, and cellos, all donated by the community. Drumbrae Library Hub is also a dog-friendly location on Thursdays. The facilities include free Wi-Fi, a photocopier, toilets, baby changing facilities, and charging facilities for mobile devices and electric wheelchairs. It offers full disabled access with lifts and internal ramps on the ground floor, accessible from both north and south doors at pavement level. Electric vehicle charging is available with seven Type 2 (Socket Only) connections, providing 7 kW power, Level 2 (Medium), AC (Single-Phase) current at 230V and 32 amps. The usage type for EV charging is "Public - Membership Required" with a complicated tariff structure of £0.45/kWh and £0.75/kWh, operated by POD Point (UK). These charging units are operational and noted as an open charge unit at St James Square site at Quarter, Edinburgh. Drumbrae Library Hub hosts a variety of regular activities for both children and young people, and adults. For children and young people, weekly activities include a Kids Group (P5 to P7) on Mondays from 6 to 7pm, and a Teen Group (S1 to S5) on Wednesdays from 5:45 to 7:15pm. Fortnightly activities include Junior Creative Writing (P5+) and Chatterbooks (ages 8 to 11) on Tuesdays from 6 to 7pm, Funky Craft (ages 5+) and Game Time (ages 8+) on Fridays at 2pm, and Lego Time (ages 5+) and Comic making workshop (ages 8+) on Saturdays at 2pm. Bookbug sessions are also available. For adults, regular events include the Scottish Seniors Computer Club on Mondays from 2 to 4pm (booking required via Gordon Scott on 07787962795), an NHS Baby Weigh Clinic on Tuesdays from 10 to 11am, and Hearing Link hearing loss advice (drop-in) on the second Tuesday of the month from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Fortnightly adult activities on Thursdays include Mindful Movement at 10:30am, a Colouring Group at 11am, and a Northwest and Southwest Locality Office Customer Service Drop-in from 2 to 4pm. On the fourth Friday of the month, an RNID drop-in for hearing aid information and maintenance runs from 10:30am to 12:30pm. The Hub Board Gamers event is held on Saturdays, offering all-day board games for adults. Players can discuss what they'd like to play in advance at www.meetup.com/Edinburgh-Gamers. This event features a mix of solo, co-op, light, Eurogames, and heavier strategy games, with some available from the library's collection and others brought by players. The space provides large, well-lit tables with plenty of seating. A kitchen area is available for refilling water bottles and disposing of rubbish, with free tea, coffee, and biscuits provided until 3pm. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lunch or purchase from the Scotmid next door. Hosts Andrew and Craig welcome newcomers and help them find games. It is helpful to comment if intending to arrive after 10:30am to save a space. Participants are asked to tidy up by 4:30pm as the library closes at 5pm. Extra tables and chairs are available from a side room and should be returned there at the end of the day, except for one near the door and two at the windows. The library also hosts book groups on the last Monday and Tuesday of the month, requiring booking. Macmillan Cancer Support information and services are also available. Meeting rooms can be hired at the library. Bus routes serving the hub include Lothian 1, 17, 21, and 26.