Edinburgh’s cash-strapped Signet Library to be public cafe

FOR almost 200 years, it has been a haven of tranquillity at the heart of Edinburgh’s legal establishment, amid the hustle and bustle of the Royal Mile.

FOR almost 200 years, it has been a haven of tranquillity at the heart of Edinburgh’s legal establishment, amid the hustle and bustle of the Royal Mile.

The Signet Library, on Parliament Square, is still home to one of the oldest professional bodies in the world, who have had exclusive use of its elegant surroundings.

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But in a major break with tradition, its lower library is to be opened to the general public under plans to install a cafe to help generate income for the WS Society, Scotland’s independent association for lawyers.

Officials say dwindling demand for the library’s facilities combined with a lack of suitable places for the legal fraternity to meet and do business over a coffee has triggered the move.

Plans have been lodged with Edinburgh City Council to create the new facilities, which will be operated by a catering firm that already has lucrative contracts with the National Galleries of Scotland and Hopetoun House in South Queensferry.

It is hoped the move will persuade more lawyers to make use of the library space, which has its main entrance tucked away off the Royal Mile behind St Giles’ Cathedral.

Food is expected to be served daily from as early as 8am, with facilities also available for private hire in the evening, and an alcohol licence is expected to be sought. The WS Society, which has about 1,000 members paying a £395 annual fee, already relies on hiring out the building for weddings and corporate functions for about a third of its income.

Chief executive Robert Pirrie said: “As one of the country’s finest law libraries, the Signet Library has always been an important stop-off point for lawyers. However, with more and more research taking place online, we need to broaden the range of useful things our members and others can do in the building.

“By providing a cafe, we will be taking the Signet Library back to its roots – which in the 21st century means a place for lawyers and the public to meet, work, talk or go online for research and e-mails. Another great benefit of this will be to allow the public to enjoy a visit to one of Scotland’s finest legal buildings.

“At the moment, a lot of lawyers actually meet up over crowded tables in cafes on or around the Royal Mile, which isn’t ideal. We think this might be a bit more amenable.”

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The cafe plan follows an experiment during last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe when the lower library hosted a “pop-up” champagne bar, which is to return again next year. Planning permission for the permanent cafe has just been lodged with the city council and, if successful, it should be up and running early next year.

Mark Miller, executive director at catering firm Heritage Portfolio, said: “This is an interesting project to be involved in as the cafe will run alongside a working library. It’s all part of their strategy to make the building more relevant for these times and become a hub for lawyers again.”