Exchanging and using Scottish pounds
I have a friend going to Scotland and was planning on giving them money to give me Scottish pounds.
I already have all of the Bank of England pounds and don't need any more of those. But the Scottish pounds are another matter.
From what I've read Scottish pounds are issued by private banks. Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank. But I also get the impression Bank of England notes are legal tender in Scotland as well.
My question is... what's the best way to get these bank notes? If my friend tries to get them from a currency exchange place at, say, DFW or JFK or whatever is he likely to get Bank of England notes or would he be likely to get Scottish banknotes?
If you make a purchase from a business in Scotland what would you likely get back from there?
Like Vatican city has it's own Euros but you're not going to get Vatican City Euro in change from Vatican city. Only way you're gonna get them is buy buying a proof or uncirculated set.
Also, from what I've read online, it sounds like they use the same coins that the UK uses?
Best Answer
There are three banks in Scotland which issue banknotes - Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, and the Clydesdale Bank. Each has their own designs. They represent the same currency as English notes (pounds sterling), so there's no exchange rate or fluctuation to worry about.
In Scotland, there is technically (and strangely) no legal tender (except coins - see below). In practice, you will find only Scottish notes are dispensed by ATMs, banks, etc. (although some "English"-branded banks will dispense English notes, as Rabbit points out), but both Scottish and English notes are accepted pretty much everywhere, and (correction) sometimes retailers may give you English notes in change if they've picked some up along the way. In theory, you might be able to get Scottish notes abroad or from currency exchanges, but from experience I think this is highly unlikely, unless perhaps you are exchanging currency in Scotland itself.
In England, English money is the only legal tender. Contrary to popular opinion, Scottish money is not. Many, if not most, retailers, taxis, vendors, and so on will take it, and sometimes you can try to insist, but technically they aren't required to, and sometimes you'll have trouble in more rural areas; as such, folks who've visited Scotland often try to get rid of their notes before they leave. Banks and post offices will take them though, so that's your last resort if you are having trouble elsewhere.
The coins are identical in both countries (correction: as Rory says, sometimes the designs do vary, and as Mike says, they are valid in both).
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Can you exchange Scottish pounds in England?
The shortest of answers is yes, but no business is legally obliged to accept your money. In England, no business is legally forced to accept banknotes printed by the Scottish and Northern Irish banks.Can you use English money Scotland 2021?
The answer is... of course you can! Our Scottish currency is the British Pound (GBP) and all notes that say \u201cPound Sterling\u201d 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.Where can I exchange Scottish money?
Exchanging Currency Foreign currency is rarely accepted, but don't worry, it's easy to exchange any foreign currency in Scotland. Banks, hotels and Bureau de Change kiosks can be found at our international airports and also in most of our city centres.Can you still use Scottish pound notes?
Scottish banknotes are legal currency throughout the United Kingdom, though they are not legal tender. As currency Scottish banknotes are accepted in other countries of the United Kingdom, and holders have the same level of protection in law as those holding Bank of England notes.Kent Police dealing with 'hate crime' after Scottish note refused
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Answer 2
Andrew's answer is not completely correct. In England The only currency that is legal tender is that issued by the Bank of England. In practice all UK currencies do need to be accepted in England and Scotland - retailers have no excuse for not accepting them as all banks will... they have an agreement made simpler as these are effectively the same currency.
The coins are also the same as Bank of England coins, except they may have differing designs on the face, reverse or edge.
Any shop is likely to give you Scottish money, but it could be whatever is in the till. They don't discriminate between English and Scottish notes.
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