A Guide to Scottish Money | Kingsmills Hotel (2024)

FAQs

Is it illegal to refuse Scottish money in England? ›

The reason is that whilst they are legal tender, they are not legal currency in the UK - i.e. the shop keepers are obliged to accept them but are not legally allowed to give them out as change, this rule is very often ignored or interpreted as the shopkeeper sees fit.

On the front of each note is a picture of Lord Ilay (1682–1761), the first governor of the bank, based on a portrait painted in 1744 by the Edinburgh artist Allan Ramsay. The front of the notes also features an engraving of the bank's former headquarters in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh.

Scottish currency comes in familiar denominations, including £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes. Each note features iconic Scottish imagery, historical figures and landmarks. Scottish coins available are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.

You MIGHT be able to exchange them in a bank but they may well refuse them unless you bank with them. You might have trouble using Scottish notes in England (particularly the South). They are uk currency but this does not mean any retailer HAS to accept them. You can swap Scottish notes for English notes at a bank.

Q: Is a Scottish £1 worth the same as an English £1? A: Yes! It's the same currency (British Pounds Sterling. You will often see the currency code of GBP).

However, if you're stuck with hard-to-shift Scottish notes after a trip to Scotland, it's best you head to a self-service machine. They'll give you not trouble at all.

In Scotland, the unit of currency is the pound (£), which is used throughout the entire UK. All major credit cards can also be used across Scotland, with Visa and MasterCard being most widely accepted. Scotland has its own bank notes that look different to those in the rest of the UK, however their value is the same.

Our Scottish currency is the British Pound (GBP) and all notes that say “Pound Sterling” are accepted. Both Scottish and English notes are widely used in Scotland. We use the same coins in Scotland and England, so they are fine too.

CLEAR WINDOW: There is a clear window in the banknote which you can see through. ROTATE: On the right edge of the window, a 50 appears in the red thistle on the front and the Bank of Scotland logo on the back. HOLOGRAPIC FOIL: The images move and their colours change when you tilt the notes.

Where can people exchange paper £5 and £10 notes? Scottish issuing banks will accept paper notes in pay-ins from customers. Non-customers can exchange their banknotes at the respective issuing bank up to a limit of £250.

Can you put Scottish notes in your bank account? ›

All UK clearing banks, including all English high street banks, always accept Scottish notes, because they are legal sterling currency. No bank in the UK will ever refuse to accept a Scottish note as a deposit. Therefore there is no real reason for shops to refuse them.

A Post Office spokesperson said: "Our guidance to postmasters is to accept Scottish notes in all UK branches, but not to pass them on to other customers outside of Scotland.

Begging has been illegal in the UK for almost two centuries under the 1824 Vagrancy Act. It does not carry a jail sentence under the Act. The maximum sentence is a fine at level 3 on the standard scale (currently £1,000).

Perhaps the most important distinction is that Scotland, unlike England, did not separate the administration of equity and law. The Scottish conception of equity differs from the English system, which is parallel to the common law.

While the Bank of England may consider a ripped note valid and potentially replace it, this does not mean that shops are obliged to accept it. The decision to accept or reject a damaged note as payment lies entirely with the retailer.

Being paid cash in hand is not necessarily illegal, but it can be if you do not declare it to HMRC. This is because you are legally obliged to pay Income Tax and National Insurance on your earnings. However, if you are only being paid a small amount, making a declaration to HMRC may not be necessary.