Scotish Monetary Breakdown compared to USD

[ravenlegend]

We are planning on a trip to your beautiful country in May 2001. We would like to become familiar with the money before arriving. Could someone please provide us some guidance, I have searched the internet but with little results. We would like to have something to compare it with USD.

[Willy]

Hi Raven,

Currently the BSP is about $1.60 to the American dollar. An excellent website for currency conversion is http://www.foreign-currency.com/ The site will convert money for you in advance and will forward the proper currency to you before you even leave. Play the "game" kind of like the stock market, (i.e. watch the market and predict how it may swing) and you can make out well there by buying at the "RIGHT" time! (not necessarily just when you happen to be there...) The other advantage is you have cash in hand...allready alloted so many dollars for your "mad money" and can always get more later if you need (as opposed to right when you land in another country). You can save hundreds of dollars by doing so.

(As spoken from the former Mtg. Banker...) lol!

Just be smart about it and watch the international economic climate rather than exchanging currency on some random date.

As far as converting "in your mind" for expenses there...just figure 100 BSP is really costing you about 60% more or $160.00 USD. Then it's really quite easy to figure. (but really...watch the market! So few travelers do so and will pay much more due to their naivity).

Also, most major newspapers will list the currency conversion in Sunday newspaper travel sections. Do your homework and you will come out ahead.

[elmsella]

A recent trip I had out to New York suggested that many items were a similar cost to the US due to the exchnage rate then at about $1.45 to 1 Pound Sterling.

So now that things have changed, maybe Scotland is dearer again.

The pound is currently trading at about $1.45. One thing to bear in mind when shopping in Scotland is that all prices are displayed with tax (17.5%) included. The price you see is the price you pay.

As a visitor, you can actually reclaim the tax you pay on larger purchases. Look out for "Tax-Free for Tourists" signs in stores when you are shopping. You still have to pay the tax, but the retailer will issue you with a form which allows you to reclaim the tax when you leave the country. You will need to show your passport in the store to prove you are not resident.

[ravenlegend]

Originally posted by ravenlegend
We are planning on a trip to your beautiful country in May 2001. We would like to become familiar with the money before arriving. Could someone please provide us some guidance, I have searched the internet but with little results. We would like to have something to compare it with USD.

Thanks to Willy, elmsella, and Neil_Caple for your quick response, I have traveler Asia and it is always a good idea have a currency break down prior your arrival. This will help and make the trip much easier. thanks again....

[Ellen_R]

Scotland currency is at the same rate as Great Britain, which is how you will probably see it posted.

[bug-weecher]

Hi

There are notes issued by Scottish Banks and English Banks both are British currency. So don't worry if you have English notes they are treated exactly the same up here. In England however some English shop owners think they don't have to accept Scottish notes, (tut tut!!!).

Different value notes are different colours and easier to distinguish than dollars. £50 and £100 notes can be refused in smaller shops and restruants due to forgeries. £20's £10's and £5's are accepted by all establishments. Travellers checks can be changed in most tourist areas but not in rural areas or smaller shops.

Other than that its all pounds and pence.
P.S. we have been metric since the 70's so
100 pence = 1 pound