POLL: Use of Scottish Money in the UK?

[admin]

Hi All,

We have received differing views regarding the use of Scottish money (bank notes) in the rest of the United Kingdom. In view of this, we've decided to create a poll to find out what the majority have to say. We would appreciate your assistance in clearing this up.

Thank you all in advance for your contribution to the poll.

[ANDY-J3]

To clarify this, it isn't classed as legal tender but rather as a sort of promisary note that Scottish banks are allowed to print as a courtesy by the Bank of England. In England many places will be unwilling to accept Scottish notes though some places will but I never travel to England without English notes so I don't face any problems. Of course everywhere should accept them but realistically you have to understand the unwillingness of some places given the prevalence of forged notes nowadays.

[ScotsTraveller]

Scottish notes can be used throughout the UK and any shop that refuses to accept it is actually breaking some sort of law! Having said that, there are many times that the person in the shop will examine the money closely, but in the case of certain notes I can't say I blame them cos even to me they looked fake!

Concerning that, when I lived in England many years ago, I was in a shop and had some pound notes in my hand. A little boy asked his mum what I was holding and she told him "oh, that's what we used to call money!" It wasn't as if the English £1 note had been out of circulation for long at that point, but it just goes to show there was still a certain attitude towards the Scottish notes... though I never did get short-changed as I heard many supposedly did (tho I sometimes wonder whether that was true or not)!

Anyway, I cannot remember the last time I saw a £1 note and it is rare now to get a Scottish £5 note... so I do wonder if the Scottish banks have stopped producing these! It has also been suggested that use of the Scottish note should completely stop, but I doubt people north of the border will be happy with a wallet full of Bank of England notes! Until such time as that happens, the Scottish notes will still be considered legal tender (at least by me!)

To counteract what Andy has said concerning this, I lived and worked in England for seven years, but spent a lot of time in Scotland as well. I never once thought to change my Scottish money into English money before heading south again... and never once regretted that!

[ANDY-J3]

From a legal viewpoint a Scottish banknote only has the same status as a cheque i.e. it is a negotiable promisary note so no one who refuses to accept it in payment would be breaking a law-even incredibly enough in Scotland.

[ANDY-J3]

Originally posted by ScotsTraveller

To counteract what Andy has said concerning this, I lived and worked in England for seven years, but spent a lot of time in Scotland as well. I never once thought to change my Scottish money into English money before heading south again... and never once regretted that!


Be totally honest. You are saying that you could catch a bus in England and the driver wouldn't have any problem or make any comment if you tried to pay with a Scottish banknote?

[ScotsTraveller]

Originally Posted by ANDY-J3

Be totally honest. You are saying that you could catch a bus in England and the driver wouldn't have any problem or make any comment if you tried to pay with a Scottish banknote?

Yes... or at least, in my experience there's never been a problem! I'm not referring to one part of England either - I lived in Cumbria (until about 14 years ago), but more recently have visited various areas (Wiltshire, East Midlands, Kent, Cheshire) and each time I have travelled with the money withdrawn from bank machines in Scotland... never once did anyone not take that money!

However, I do stand (well sit!) corrected on the legal side of the issue, but, as most people see it, not accepting money is... well, not very clever really! However, I do tend to use my debit card more often than not and, next time I am in England, will use it south of the border. Are shops down there not going to accept that as it is issued by a Scottish bank? I think not!

[Babz]

Ok here's my little bit.....

Since I moved up here from England I have noticed that when I go back down south that people don't
like to take Scottish notes, it seems that they think that they are forgeries !!...

The Clydesdale one's are the one that I seem to be left with, but some good news garages never seem refuse them !!

Some pubs will take them...

Will tell you a tale about one...

My hubby went in what was his local a few months ago and the barmaid refused to take a Scottish
Tenner and when the landlord came in my hubby asked him why it was refused and he said it shouldn't
have been and bought Jim a pint for the inconvience(made his day...lol)... it was a new landlord so he
didn't know that Jim used to be a regular !!

I have been behind people in shops when they have tried to pay with Scottish money and I would
say that about 30% were refused,(Clydesdale again)

If you do find that a shop will not accept your Scottish notes find a Bank or Post Office and they usually
are happy to change to English notes for you !!