🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland • Edinburgh

Edinburgh Area Code
is 0131

Connect with Scotland's capital. Whether you're calling a financial institution in the city centre or a business in Leith, the 0131 code covers it all.

How to Dial
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How to Call Edinburgh

Edinburgh numbers are 11 digits long in total (including the leading 0). When calling from outside the UK, remember to drop the first '0'.

01

International

Dial +44 131 followed by the 7-digit number.
(Drop the leading 0)

02

From UK Landline

Dial 0131 followed by the 7-digit number.
(If outside Edinburgh)

03

Local Call

Just dial the 7-digit number.
(If calling from an 0131 landline)

Establish a Scottish Presence

Edinburgh is the UK's second-largest financial centre. Having an 0131 number gives your business immediate credibility in Scotland.

Perfect for Financial Services & Tech
Route calls to any country

Why use an 0131 Number?

Whether you are expanding your services to the Lothians or running a remote team, a virtual Edinburgh number allows you to build trust with local customers without the overhead of a physical office.

Calling Edinburgh From Overseas: Formats, Timing, and Number Types

In short

Edinburgh's dialing code is 0131 inside the UK. From any other country you drop that leading zero and dial +44 131 followed by the local number. Beyond the format, two things trip up overseas callers, confusing Edinburgh landlines with UK mobile numbers that cost more, and misjudging the UK clock, which shifts between GMT and BST.

Turning 0131 into an international number

The rule for every UK number is the same, remove the leading zero and put +44 in its place. An Edinburgh number written locally as 0131 followed by seven digits becomes +44 131 and the same seven digits when dialed from abroad.

From the United States and Canada the traditional prefix is 011, so the sequence is 011 44 131 and the number. From most of Europe, Asia, and Africa it is 00 44 131. In a browser dialer like StartACall's, the plus format works from everywhere, which is the simplest habit to keep.

Landline or mobile, check before you dial

0131 is a geographic code, so a +44 131 number is a fixed line in the Edinburgh area, a home, office, shop, or university department. UK mobiles are different animals entirely, they start with 07 locally and +44 7 internationally, and they are not tied to any city.

The distinction affects your wallet. Calls to UK mobiles are typically priced higher than calls to UK landlines, so when a contact gives you both numbers, the 0131 line is usually the cheaper one to ring. Rates for each are shown before you call.

Edinburgh's clock, GMT in winter and BST in summer

Edinburgh keeps Greenwich Mean Time from late October to late March and moves one hour ahead to British Summer Time for the rest of the year. New York sits five hours behind Edinburgh, Los Angeles eight, and Sydney is nine to eleven hours ahead depending on the season.

For calling offices, universities, or shops, aim for 9 am to 5 pm Edinburgh time on weekdays. From the US east coast that window opens at 4 am and closes at noon, so late morning US time catches the Edinburgh afternoon comfortably.

Placing the call without a UK SIM or app

There is no need for an international plan, a UK SIM, or any software to reach Edinburgh. StartACall dials +44 131 numbers straight from Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge over your existing internet connection, billing by the minute with no connection fee.

For a first attempt, use the free call that new users receive. It confirms your microphone, the number format, and the line quality to Scotland before you commit any credit.

Frequently asked questions

How do I dial 0131 from the United States?+

Dial 011 44 131 followed by the seven digit local number. The 011 is the US exit code, 44 is the UK country code, and the leading zero of 0131 is dropped. In a browser dialer you can simply enter +44 131 and the number.

Do I always drop the zero when calling Edinburgh from abroad?+

Yes. The zero at the start of 0131 is a UK internal trunk prefix and is never dialed internationally. Every Edinburgh number called from another country begins +44 131, with the zero removed.

Is a +44 131 number a landline or a mobile?+

A landline. 131 is Edinburgh's geographic code, tied to fixed lines in the city and surrounding area. UK mobiles begin +44 7 instead and are usually more expensive to call, so a 131 number is generally the cheaper option.

What time should I call Edinburgh from North America?+

Edinburgh is five hours ahead of the US east coast and eight ahead of the west coast. Morning in North America reaches the Edinburgh afternoon, which suits both social calls and business hours that run 9 am to 5 pm local time.

Last reviewed June 2026Reviewed by the StartACall calling teamDialing rules cross checked against ITU international dialing procedures
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