Edinburgh sits half an hour from our Thornton yard over the Queensferry Crossing, which makes it one of the cheapest areas for us to service and one of the best prices we can pay. We collect from the whole city, from Leith right out to Balerno.
Scrap A Car Scotland collects scrap cars, vans and MOT failures in Edinburgh free of charge, pays by bank transfer the same day and handles the DVLA side, including the Certificate of Destruction. The town is 30 miles from our licensed yard at Thornton in Fife, and collection is often same week, frequently next day. What we quote is what you are paid: no admin fee, no collection charge, nothing knocked off at the kerb.
Controlled parking zones and the city centre LEZ shape when we can get to you. We schedule central Edinburgh lifts around the restrictions, so if your car is on a residents' bay let us know the street and we will pick a window that works.
Edinburgh is 30 minutes from the yard over the Queensferry Crossing, which makes it one of the cheapest areas in Scotland for us to service. Short runs mean we can offer collection windows rather than an all-day wait, and we can often fit a same-week booking in around an existing job.
The city's LEZ and controlled parking zones drive most of our Edinburgh volume. A lot of customers are clearing a second car they no longer use because the permit cost and the zone charge together outweigh the value of keeping it on the road. Student and rental turnover around Newington and Marchmont adds another steady stream.
Telling us where the vehicle actually sits is the single biggest thing that stops a wasted visit. These are the situations we deal with most often locally:
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Scrap prices move with the metals market, so we will not publish a fixed figure that is wrong by next week. What we can tell you is how a Edinburgh vehicle is valued: weight of the shell, the parts still worth recovering, and the transport cost of getting it the 30 miles back to our Fife facility. Give us the registration and we price it properly on the call.
| Vehicle type | Typical examples | How it affects your quote |
|---|---|---|
| Small hatchback | Corsa, Fiesta, Polo, Aygo | Lightest shells, value driven mainly by reusable parts |
| Family saloon / estate | Focus, Astra, Golf, Mondeo | The most common vehicle we buy in Scotland |
| 4x4 and SUV | Qashqai, Freelander, X-Trail, Discovery | Heavier shells and catalysts, usually the strongest prices |
| Van and light commercial | Transit, Vivaro, Sprinter, Berlingo | Priced on weight the same as cars, no commercial surcharge |
| MOT failure or non-runner | Any make, any age | No deduction for not starting, moving or being roadworthy |
Your car leaves Edinburgh on our own transporter and goes straight to the Authorised Treatment Facility at Strathore Road, Thornton, Fife KY1 4DF. It is never left with a third party or resold as a runner.
Fuel, oil, coolant, brake fluid and refrigerant are drained and disposed of under our SEPA waste carrier licence WCR/R/1137358. Reusable parts are recovered and the shell is baled for steel recycling - typically over 95% of the vehicle by weight is recovered.
We notify the DVLA the same day and issue your Certificate of Destruction. That is the document that legally ends your responsibility for the vehicle, including tax, insurance and any future penalty notices.
Payment is made by transfer on the day of collection. Cash payment for scrap metal has been illegal in Scotland since 2016 - anyone offering it is not operating within the law.
The same trucks, drivers and paperwork every time - here is the kit that turns up when you book a scrap car collection in Edinburgh.
Our Edinburgh transporter covers the surrounding towns on the same route, so if the vehicle is not actually in Edinburgh you are still very likely inside our free collection area. Pick the closest town for local postcodes, timings and access notes.
We schedule central Edinburgh lifts around the controlled parking zone hours so the truck is not sitting illegally while we load. Give us the street name on the call and we will pick a window that suits the restrictions on your bay.
It affects demand, not our price. The zone has pushed a lot of older diesels off the road in EH postcodes, and we buy those on the same weight and parts basis as anything else, so being non-compliant does not reduce your quote.
Yes. Kerbside collection is normal in central Edinburgh. We need a clear stretch of road alongside the vehicle for the winch, so we will agree a time when the street is quietest rather than turning up at the school run.
Edinburgh is about 30 miles from our Thornton yard over the Queensferry Crossing, one of the shortest runs we do. That keeps our transport cost down and means collection is frequently next day.
Free, everywhere in Edinburgh and across Lothians. We do not charge for the uplift and we do not take an admin cut, so the quote and the payment match.
Collection is often same week, frequently next day from the point you say yes. We are 30 miles away at Thornton in Fife.
Yes. Runners, non-runners, MOT failures, accident damage, insurance write-offs and cars sat on SORN for years are all bought. It does not need to start or move.
The bank transfer is made on the same day as collection and may arrive after the car has been collected. Cash is not an option for anyone: it has been banned for scrap metal in Scotland since 2016.
The V5C logbook and photo ID. We handle the DVLA notification and hand you a Certificate of Destruction from the Authorised Treatment Facility, so the car is legally off your name.
A missing logbook is not a blocker. Photo ID and proof of address in the keeper's name are enough for us to buy the car and notify the DVLA. Be wary of any buyer in Edinburgh who shrugs the paperwork off, because the liability stays with you until the DVLA is told.
Yes. Our recovery units winch vehicles with flat tyres, seized brakes, dead batteries or no keys. Mention it when you book so the right truck comes to Edinburgh rather than a standard transporter.
An adult needs to be at the vehicle with the logbook and ID. Plenty of our Edinburgh collections are handled by a relative or neighbour while the owner is at work, and payment still goes to the keeper.
No. No cancellation fee, no call-out charge. If your plans change before the truck sets off for Edinburgh, phone us and we rebook or cancel with nothing to pay.
You will. The DVLA issues the refund for whole months left on the tax as soon as we report the vehicle destroyed, and it stops any direct debit.
Yes. Cars, vans, pickups, 4x4s, light commercials, motorhomes, hybrids and electric vehicles are all collected free across Edinburgh.
"Excellent service as they come to you. Reis picked my car up. Was as helpful as can be, gave excellent communication regarding pickup time and was a laugh. Handled the document side of things and made the process ease. Will use the service again if needed."
Jordan Cameron
"Brilliant service! Fast, polite, and a good price given. A great experience all round - would highly recommend."
Emma Ashby
"Easy quote, best price around compared to the rest. Arrived to collect on time, collection driver was very helpful. Would I use them again... absolutely."
John Gray
