Telephones
The information on this page is for the Edinburgh Campus telephony service.
Using your phone
On the Edinburgh campus
- To get an outside line, dial 9.
- To use the Contact Portal, dial 0 or 4040
You can direct dial between the Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney campuses
From Edinburgh Campus
Calls to Scottish Borders Campus
- Dial the Scottish Borders Campus 4-digit extension, e.g., 4444
Calls to Orkney Campus
- Dial the Orkney campus 5-digit extension, e.g., 55555 (see People Finder for numbers)
From Orkney Campus
- You can direct dial Edinburgh campus extensions if you precede the 4-digit extension with 1 i.e. 1 xxxx
From Scottish Borders Campus
- You can direct dial Edinburgh Campus extentions if you precede the 4-digit extension with 71 i.e. 71 xxxx
See the Instructions for Telephone Users for full instructions on how to use your Edinburgh campus telephone.
Contact Portal
HWU staff and students using the telephones on the Edinburgh campus have the option of either direct dialing the extension required or using the Contact Portal.
On campus
- Direct dial: enter the 4 digit extension number you required (you can get this from People Finder)
- Contact Portal: dial 0 or 4040
Using the Contact Portal (0 or 4040)
Making a call
- Dial 0 or 4040 for the contact portal
- When prompted, state the name of the person, department or school you require
Voice recognition systems can be sensitive to background noise and different accents. If you have problems with the voice recognition system please direct dial the extension required (see People Finder).
Using the Contact Portal (0131 451 4040) to phone Edinburgh campus from off-campus
Making a call
- Dial 0131 451 4040 for the Contact Portal
- When prompted state the name of the person, department or school you require
- When prompted, state your own name
Voice recognition systems can be sensitive to background noise and different accents. If you have problems with the voice recognition service please direct dial the number required (see People Finder).
Incorrect numbers and feedback
If your phone number in the Contact Portal or on People Finder is incorrect or if you have any other feedback then please email ishelp@hw.ac.uk.
Voicemail
If you don't answer your telephone, the caller will be re-directed to your voicemail.
The voicemail system will email you to let you know that you have a voicemail message.
To retrieve a message from the voicemail system:
- Dial 8080 (if you are on campus) or 0131 451 8080 (if you are off campus)
Please note:
- Deleting the notification email does not delete the voicemail message. It is still stored in your voicemail box. You must log in to your voicemail and delete messages you no longer require.
- If your mailbox fills up, no voicemail messages can be added.
We will email users (monthly) if their mailbox is full - please remove some or all of the old messages so that new ones can be left for you.
Voicemail greeting overview
The default voicemail recording will announce your name (this has been professionally recorded).
However, you may wish to personalise your greeting. Here are a few suggested greetings to get you started:
Standard Voicemail Greetings
"This is (name) of (department). I'm currently unable to take your call. Please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message, and I will contact you as soon as possible. Thanks."
"Hello, you have reached the Voicemail of (name) . I’m currently away from my desk or on another call. Please leave your name and telephone number, I will return your call. Thank you.”
"Thanks for calling, this is (name) of (department) on (todays date). I’m sorry I’m unable to take your call. Please leave a detailed message at the tone along with your name and telephone number. I‘ll return your call as soon as I return. Thank you."
Extended Absence Greeting
"This is (name). I’m unable to answer your telephone call. I am out of the office from (date) to (date) and will not be checking my Voicemail. If you require assistance in my absence please contact (name2) at extension ####. Thank you.”
"This is (name) from Heriot-Watt University. I have left the office for the day. Please leave me a message and I will return your call as soon as possible."
See the Voicemail User Guide for full instructions.
Codes for other campuses and educational establishments (System Abbreviated Dialling)
The University telephone exchange network has been programmed to simplify the communication between Heriot Watt University and other educational establishments. You can use the codes in the attached to direct dial the main switchboards of the establishments listed.
Our overseas campus codes are:
- #6179 – Dubai switchboard
- #6180 – Malaysia switchboard
See System Abbreviated Dialling for a full list of prefixes.