0131 Edinburgh Numbers

Why an 0131 number helps your business

Edinburgh is Scotland's capital and home to the Scottish Parliament. It has a long-established financial services sector, a large legal profession, several universities and a busy tourism trade, especially during the festivals each August. Many firms here deal with clients who expect a local and professional point of contact.

For a business outside Scotland, an 0131 number shows Edinburgh customers that you take their market seriously. Callers are more likely to ring a number they recognise as local, and less likely to wonder where you are based. You do not need an office in Edinburgh for this. Calls can go to your team in Glasgow, London, Birmingham or anywhere else in the UK.

About the 0131 area code

0131 covers Edinburgh and nearby towns, including Leith, Portobello, Corstorphine, Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Loanhead, Currie, Balerno and South Queensferry. Livingston and Penicuik have their own codes. Edinburgh numbers are written 0131 xxx xxxx, with seven digits after the code.

The code was 031 until PhONEday in April 1995, when it became 0131. Callers abroad dial +44 131 and then the seven-digit number.

Who uses Edinburgh numbers

Festival and tourism businesses

Accommodation providers, tour guides and event companies get a rush of calls in the run-up to the summer festivals. Time-of-day routing sends calls to the office during the day and to a mobile in the evening, when many late bookings come in.

Financial and professional advisers

Advisers and law firms based elsewhere who act for Edinburgh clients can use a local number on letters and websites, while calls stay with their existing team.

Companies opening in Scotland

A UK business expanding north can start with an Edinburgh number before hiring local staff. Once the Scottish office opens, you simply point the number at the new phones.

How your 0131 number works

Your 0131 number can divert to any UK landline or mobile, or to Alphatalk's cloud phone system. Change where calls go at any time in myAlphaTalk, our customer portal. Time-of-day routing lets you set one destination for working hours and another for evenings and weekends. Voicemail messages are emailed to you, and call statistics show how many calls you receive. Every number costs £4.99 a month and includes 1,000 free UK minutes. Standard numbers have no setup fee, Silver and Gold numbers have a one-off charge, and Platinum numbers are priced on application.