Scottish Pounds vs. English Pounds

You'll be fine using Scottish notes in big shops, major attractions etc. However smaller businesses may never have seen a Scottish note. If you're a small trader you're going to be really cautious about accepting something unfamiliar to you, in case it's a forgery.

So make sure you use your Scottish notes at bigger concerns where they're more likely to be familiar with them.

Bear in mind there are several different Scottish banks whose notes all look different. I can understand a small trader being leery about accepting them.

The whole of the UK does indeed use pounds but traders have the responsibility to themselves not to accept notes they think might be forged because they look so odd.

The simplest way of using banknotes issued in Scotland or Northern Ireland in England is to use them in a self-service shop checkout. No stroppy individual to argue with there.

I rarely have a problem with Scottish notes, but ones from Northern Ireland still faze people more.

it's all sterling

if some shopkeepers are too thick to accept notes because of unfamiliarity then shop elsewhere

'Rambling on' is right, it's all sterling. But getting people to accept Scottish notes in London might prove problematic as it's possible they've never seen them, and it's a matter of ignorance. Even here in the north it can be problematic occasionally but it's still ignorance. Your notes are legal tender in England even if it says 'Scotland' on them. If you've no further use for the Scottish notes, calling into a bank may be a good idea so they can exchange them for the 'English' version. But you are only doing this to overcome the ignorance of others!

Have a great trip!

Ian

To me this does not seem to be a policy that promotes ease of travel across the Scotland-England and Northern Ireland.

All the notes are "real money" and all are the same currency. "English notes" are issued by the Bank of England, which is the official bank of the entire UK (equivalent to the US Federal Reserve.) The Scottish and NI notes are all issued by private banks much like if, say, CitiBank in the US was allowed to print dollars. It's a historical oddity that mildly inconveniences Scots, Northern Irish and the odd tourist.

There's no will to change it as it doesn't affect most British people and any change would be politically "difficult" (ie Nationalists would go ape!)

Legal tender always comes up in these discussions. :)

Scottish notes are not legal tender but legal tender doesn't mean what you probably think it does. It doesn't mean shops must accept your money.

From the Bank of England's website
"Are Scottish & Northern Ireland banknotes "legal tender"?

In short ‘No’ these banknotes are not "legal tender..."

As the Committee of Scottish Bankers say:

You should not rely absolutely on Scottish notes being accepted outside Scotland and this is particularly true when travelling abroad. 

I haven't made it into a bank yet today but had no trouble using the Royal Bank of Scotland notes at the Tower of London. Heading to Harrods with my wife and 3 kids so i'm sure I'll have no problem blowing through the last of them! Thanks for the all the replies!

Another thing to note: most US banks and currency exchange booths will NOT exchange the Scottish or Irish pound notes but have no issues with the English ones. I know, I tried. Luckily I was able to return to the UK and had no issues using those notes during that trip.

This is all really good to know. I was not aware of this issue. This forum is so valuable.

I'very known people who've also had trouble exchanging Scottish pound notes in Europe for euros but had no problem with English ones.

The phrase is 'of course they are genuine, I printed them this morning.'

Also all Scottish notes carry the currency name 'sterling' on them, you can point this out. Or use self checkout. Travelling down south it is often not the back of beyond places that refuse it is places in the bigger cities.

There are plenty of places in Scotland that decline Northern Ireland banknotes and you would think they would be used to the concept.

A friend of mine encountered this in a shop in Edinburgh and returned the 'favour' after paying with a BoE note by refusing Scottish notes in change saying 'if you won't accept any of mine why should I accept any of yours?'

These things do depend very much on the business. I have had NI notes in change here, generally ok in Glasgow and the west given the close line nos to NI.