Emergencies in Edinburgh

Good to Know

• In Edinburgh (and everywhere in the UK), dial 999 for any genuine emergency — it works from any phone, even with no SIM credit, as long as there's signal.
• 112 works exactly the same as 999 in the UK — useful to know if you're used to dialing 112 from elsewhere in Europe.
• For anything urgent but not life-threatening (a break-in that already happened, a lost passport report, etc.), use 101 for police rather than tying up the 999 line.
• If you're out hiking near Arthur's Seat or the Pentland Hills and need to call for help, having the what3words app installed beforehand can make it much faster for responders to find you.
• The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh's Emergency Department only treats patients aged 16 and over — under-16s must go to the adjacent Royal Hospital for Children and Young People instead.
• Both emergency departments are located together at the Edinburgh BioQuarter (Little France), which is a few miles southeast of the city centre, not downtown — factor in taxi/bus time if you're staying in the Old Town or New Town.
• For urgent but non-life-threatening issues, NHS 24 (dial 111) can triage you and direct you to the right service rather than defaulting to A&E, which can have long waits.
• As a visitor, UK NHS emergency care is provided regardless of ability to pay at point of care, though non-UK residents may later be billed depending on reciprocal healthcare agreements or insurance status — check your visa/insurance terms before travel.