How to Call Scotland

Learning the Codes

If you are calling Scotland from any country other than Scotland, then you will need to enter a nation-specific "exit code" before you dial the Scottish number. The two most common exit codes are 00 and 011. Run a web search for "[your country] exit code" to find the proper digits. The exit code is also known as the international access code or IDD (International Direct Dialing) code. You will need it to dial out of your country, regardless of which other country you are calling. 011 is the exit code for the United States, Canada, and some Caribbean island countries: e.g. the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. 00 is the exit code for most nations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. 0011 is the exit code for Australia. Some countries have unique exit codes. The Russian Federation, for instance, is 8 (pause) 10. The exit code for calling from Brazil depends upon which telecom company you are using.

Dial 44 after the exit code. This is the country code for the United Kingdom. Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom, which also includes England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Thus, you can use the same country code to call any of these countries.

Dial the relevant area code or city code. Find the local code for the city or region that you are trying to call. Most codes comprise 2-5 digits. Learn the codes for major cities: 1224 for Aberdeen 1382 for Dundee 131 for Edinburgh 141 for Glasgow

Dial the local telephone number. This may range from 5 to 7 digits. The local area code combined with the telephone number usually totals 10 digits, although numbers from some areas may total up to 9 digits. If you don't know the person's telephone number, try looking them up on the British Telecom Directory.

Add all of the codes together. Your string of digits should include, in this order: the exit code for the country you're calling from, 44, the local area code, and the local telephone number. The total string may range from 12 to 17 digits, depending on where you are calling from and where you are calling to. To call Glasgow, Scotland from the US: 011 – 44 – 141 – xxx – xxxx. To call Langholm, Scotland from the US: 011 – 44 – 13873 – xxxxx.

Knowing When to Call

Account for time difference. Scotland observes GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) between the last weekend in October and the last weekend in March, and changes to British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT) from March to October. Look up the current time in GMT or BST. Then, compare this time to the time in your location to figure out the time difference. Do not call someone in Scotland in the middle of the night unless they have explicitly asked you to do so. Shops in Scotland are usually open from 9am-5pm Monday through Saturday. Businesses in villages and rural areas usually keep more limited, traditional hours than businesses in major towns and cities. If the time is 8pm in Los Angeles, 11pm in New York, 5am in Paris, and noon in Shanghai: it is 4am in Scotland. Check the time difference before you call!

Call at off-hours for cheaper fees. Calls made to Scotland between 6pm and 8am GMT (local time) may be charged at a lower rate than calls made during peak hours. That said: let the preference of the person whom you are calling dictate the time of the call.