Coronavirus

Accessing our facilities

Brunton Theatre and John Muir House

As of Monday 20 July 2020, public opening hours at the Brunton Hall and John Muir House will be 10 am – 4 pm. Only customers who have been given appointments by staff or are in need of urgent assistance should attend during these hours.  If anyone is attending these facilities for an appointment, it is recommended that you wear face coverings and these will be provided at the facility. If customers arrive without an appointment and need to be seen, their details will be taken and kept for 21 days in the event of Test and Protect tracing.

Libraries and community centres

Due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19, we have had to reduce the council's buildings in operation. This is to enable staff to focus on priorities such as supporting local community resilience arrangements and to assist the most vulnerable people living in East Lothian’s communities. All community centres and most libraries are currently closed to the public. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Libraries update - 31 July

Haddington Library, within the John Gray Centre, reopened on 20 July. Musselburgh Library is reopening from Monday 3 August. Both libraries are offering a Click and Collect Service. 

Library borrowers will be able to order specific titles or a selection of items including books, CDs and audio books which they can then collect in person from the library up to a maximum of 6 per person. Only people who have arranged a collection will be able to visit the library at this stage.

Reduced opening hours for collections are as follows:

Haddington Library

• Monday to Friday: 10 am to 1pm and  2pm to 4.30pm
• Saturday: 10 am to 1pm and 2pm to 3.30pm

Musselburgh Library

• Mon to Friday: 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 4.30 pm
• Saturday: 10 am – 1 pm and 2 pm – 3.30 pm

You can place your requests: online; by telephone 01620 827827 (Haddington) or 0131 653 5130 (Musselburgh)

Key points:

• when an order is placed, you will be asked to choose a day and time for collection and you will need to the library to pick up your items
• we ask that all visitors wear a face covering when coming into the library
• there is no access for the public to browse shelves, access wi-fi and PCs or photocopiers or use meeting rooms
• none of the library’s regular events or children’s activities will resume for the time being
• there will be a returns bin available at the collection point to return any library books - an appointment is not necessary to return items
• return bins are also available at the Brunton Hall, John Muir House and Port Seton Community Centre

The future reopening of other branches will be kept under review and due dates for all items will continue to be extended. In the meantime you can access a wide range of online resources through our library service, including e-books and e-audiobooks, e-newspapers and digital comics, and films. Visit our libraries homepage to find out more.

It’s also planned that Haddington Library will re-open for visitors the following week from Monday 10 August. Revised opening hours will be in operation:

• Monday to Friday: 10am to 1pm and  2pm to 4.30pm
• Saturday: 10 am to 1pm and 2pm to 3.30pm

All visitors who come into the library will be required to wear a face covering. An appointment system will be in place for you to come in and browse as we must limit the number of customers coming into the library.  Please follow the guidance on our webpages.

If you currently have outstanding loans these can be returned to Haddington Library; Musselburgh Library; Brunton Hall, Musselburgh; John Muir House, Haddington; and Port Seton Community Centre. All overdue fines have been suspended.

Public toilets

A limited number of public toilets have re-opened. 

These are disabled toilets which will be used temporarily for everyone to use from 10am to 4pm at:

• Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve
• Yellowcraig Beach
• Bayswell Road, Dunbar
• John Muir Country Park
• Shore Road, Dunbar
• Skateraw Beach, Dunbar
• Gullane Bents Beach
• Longniddry Bents car parks 2 and 3
• Fisherrow Harbour, Musselburgh
• Quality Street, North Berwick
• Links Road, Port Seton
• Ayres Wynd, Prestonpans
• Whitesands Beach, Dunbar
• Neilson Park Road, Haddington
• Shorthope Street, Musselburgh

in addition the following public toilets will re-open from Saturday 25 July. They will be open from 10am to 6pm. Enhanced cleaning programmes are in place  - in line with current health guidance.

• Fisherrow Harbour, Musselburgh
• Yellowcraig car park, Dirleton
• Quality Street, North Berwick
• John Muir Country Park
• Shore Road and Bayswell Road, Dunbar

Coastal and countryside car parks

All of East Lothian’s coastal and countryside car parks are now open. As of Friday, 20 June parking charges will have been re-instated at all coastal car parks where they normally apply.

Museums and archives

All East Lothian Council Museums are shut until further notice:

• John Muir’s Birthplace
• John Gray Centre Museum
• Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery (currently closed for the winter season)
• Prestongrange Museum (currently closed for the winter season)

Musselburgh Museum and the Coastal Communities Museum are also shut until further notice. The John Gray Centre Archives Centre is also closed.

Sports facilities/ enjoyleisure

• public health and wellbeing remains the most pressing priority and there is a responsibility to do what we can to continue to supress the spread of the virus
• the implementation and restrictions eased in Phase 3 supports a controlled return to sporting activity initially outdoors only
• the Scottish Government route map in Phase 3 allows for outdoor contact sport for children and young people to return with restrictions in place from 13 July.   Please refer to specific Governing Body guidance for full details of what activity is permitted
• clubs and participants should be aware that not all facilities may be able to open immediately following guidance changes and there will often be time lags as plans are put in place to re-engage staff, set up operations and ensure safety of participants - it is also important to note that the demand for outdoor facility usage will need to be known before a decision can be taken on whether it is possible to confirm opening from the 13 July
• bookings can be submitted to the normal facility operator for all outdoor sports pitches and requests should be accompanied by a COVID 19 Risk Assessment demonstrating how the booking request meets the current guidelines - templates for risk assessment will be available from the relevant Governing Bodies
• facility operators will liaise with organisations and groups submitting booking requests on how to allow a safe return of activity
• the route map for Phase 3 provides an indication that restrictions on indoor sporting facilities are unlikely to be lifted until after 31 July.  Further information and guidance on this will be required before confirm arrangements for any opening of indoor facilities linked to Scottish Government approval

All enjoyleisure facilities temporarily closed on 20 March 2020. Find out more from enjoyleisure.

Bistro at the Brunton

The Bistro is closed until further notice, but is offering a delivery service on a selected menu on Fridays. Free delivery is available within a 7 mile radius of The Bistro, on orders over £20. For more information visit The Bistro on Facebook

Brunton Theatre

The Brunton teams are currently working with their promoters to reschedule many of their events until later in the year and will provide an update on our events as soon as this becomes available.

Where performances are rescheduled customer bookings will automatically be carried over to the new date.  The box office will be in touch to advise customers of new dates and if they are unable to attend, they will be offered a credit voucher to the value of the tickets subject to a stated time period. Refunds may also be offered.

For the latest updates please visit The Brunton’s twitter and Facebook pages.