Currency & The Highlands

Credit card was good almost everywhere we went, the only exception was a small B and B that was cash only.

Allan is right about cards being accepted almost everywhere. And part of the answer depends on how long you are staying.

Truthfully, I would just get a small amount of pounds from an atm when you arrive. With the extra cost of getting currency from your bank and the small amount of cash you will most likely need, it probably won’t be very cost effective to get it ahead.

A day trip would be nice - check cancellation policies and maybe you can make a firm decision a week out. But, of course, be prepared for rain regardless.

I pay for almost everything by card, but I always pay tips in cash. Last week a cafe’s card reader wasn’t working so I had to pay cash for lunch.

You probably won’t need much cash, but it’s as well to have some notes.

After a very dry summer, it’s turning into a wet autumn in the north (we have hardly had any rain in Kent for months). The Highlands are best seen when dry, obviously. Dress appropriately and the weather isn’t an issue.

I just spent six weeks in Scotland. The only time I used cash was in taxis and that was by personal choice. I could have used my credit card.

Its always a good idea to have some sterling "just in case" and the most convenient way to get them is via an ATM once you arrive.

As for visiting the Highlands....clear weather is better but do you plan to return when the weather is good? If not, take the tour.

We spent three weeks, mostly in the Highlands, and I didn't even need my credit card. Google Tap to Pay on my Android worked everywhere but at two cash B&Bs (and one of those took Paypal). For those, I visited an ATM.

It's my understanding that day tours to the Highlands involve a great deal of time on a bus--a bit less if you are starting from Glasgow rather than from Edinburgh. Be sure you're OK with doing a lot of your sightseeing through a bus window.

There have been many positive comments about the Rabbies tour company in general; you might check its offerings.

I’d seen plenty of Rabbies vans on our current trip. We have a rental car. With the exception of the parking machines in Stirling, I could have used a card for everything. I’ve used it for small purchases and for tips. In almost three weeks I’ve used less than £100 cash. What I have seen more of on this trip are the increasing number of restaurants that are card only and restaurants that include an optional 10% tip to the bill. You can have it removed. I withdrew £200 from the ATM only because the exchange rate is so good right now. Regarding weather, it’s been mixed. Highs have been in the 50s. We’ve had a couple days of fairly constant rain and a few days where it rained off and on. We’ve also had a few days with 26-30mph sustained winds.

Today I had an instance at Rosslyn Chapel where their CC machine wasn’t working so you had to pay in cash. Enjoy your trip.

In June we had to take a taxi from Fort Williams to Oban because the busses don't run on Sundays. We booked it the day before and asked about credit card. Good thing, because then we had time to get cash from the ATM before the trip.

In Edinburgh (and probably other larger towns) we had no problems - but I think it is wise to ask before start, if they take credit card.

Thanks for all the responses!

Just read an article in the Seattle Times by Christopher Elliott, said to watch out for huge ATM fees. Going to Scotland in April, plan on using mostly cash. Just read in Forum about some 20 & 50 pound notes not being accepted, I wonder about the notes I have from the Bank Of England. Will they be good?

If they are the current notes like these https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/current-banknotes

yes they will be accepted

Make sure you have the 'new' polymer notes and there won't be a problem as the older paper notes are no longer legal tender and not acceptable.

Many places used to be reluctant to accept £50 notes - fear of forgeries and problems with having enough change. Infact I can't remember when I last saw one!

You will also come into contact with Scottish notes issued by Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank. You can use both English and Scottish notes in Scotland without any problems BUT you may encounter problems if you try and use Scottish notes in England. People aren't used to seeing them. and they may not accept them.

The current issues of the Scottish notes can be seen here. They are the same sizes and basic colours as the Bank of England equivalents, and the security features are developed by all the bank note issuing banks.

If you have any old paper notes, you will be able to see why I think the RBS has gone from the worst to the best of the Scottish notes. In terms of the notes themselves you generally will not have problems with the 5, 10, and 20. Although they may ask if you have something smaller with the 20 if only buying a couple of pounds or less of items. Also expect a lot of coins in change if using self checkouts in shops. The £50 is treated warily as it is so often not seen and in a small shop will wipe out the change in a cash register very easily. Paper £100 notes are issued by all three, but are exceedingly rare, I've never seen one at all in the wild, and the only place you may be able to change them is in the bank.

Cash is good to have because poop happens.

Just received the Scotland Guide, 2023 copy. Said most transactions are done with a "tap-to-pay for big purchases, plus small, little shops, food stands. Very little cash is used anymore. I had planned on using cash using my debit card (ATM), credit card for big purchases. Is this how it is done now? Do I need to get a 'tap-to-pay' credit card?

@Brojanna1004

I had no issues! I just used my CC each time and I only used my tap feature twice because I didn't even know the card had it - LOL. I used the chip feature for my transactions.

On our recent holiday (July, 2022), I'd have to say that we used cash about 75% of the time. Merchants have to pay about 3% for the convenience of accepting credit cards. I'd much rather give them (mom & pop stores, charity shops, B&Bs, etc.) cash, so that more money goes to the merchant. We did use a credit card for advance lodging and car reservations, but once we arrived in Scotland, cash was king! Love those "hole in the wall"s!

Mike (Auchterless)

Mike, it isn't quite so simple. As a person who until just before the plague owned a business which accepted both cash and card I will say it is about a wash, with the cost benefit analysis tipping slightly to card, and tipping even more in recent times.

Yes, there are charges associated with accepting cards. There is the cost of the machine - used to be a monthly charge but now many are small iZettle type machines or apps on phones which are very inexpensive, with no continuing costs. The bank, or more likely card processing company, do charge a small fee for card transactions.

But there are big benefits. The money is immediately in the bank account available for use, at worst it is next day.

There are significant costs for accepting cash too. There needs to be a secure place to keep the takings before taking to the bank - probably an expensive safe. Time is money and somebody needs to take the time to assemble and balance the deposit, and either take it to the bank (with the security issues of doing that) and wait in the queue and return, probably using a car (with those costs and inconvenience) and with all that time they are not on the sales floor generating income. Or pay for an expensive security company to collect and take to the bank. Plus, here's the big one - our bank (one of the main high street banks) charged a really high fee for accepting cash. I don't remember the exact amounts but something like £25 per month plus 2% of the cash deposited under a certain amount per deposit and 3% for higher amounts. They also charged such a high amount for depositing coin that we almost always avoided depositing any coin.

So this may or may not be of interest to most travellers who think they are doing the merchant a favour by paying in cash, but there are reasons for card only, or card encouraging businesses. Many still allow cash, primarily as a service to elderly customers who don't have cards.

If I still had the business (sold it at just the right moment - wow - ) I know which I'd be tending towards.

One last thing - that's based on my experiences running a business in England. Things may be different in other Home Nations of the UK, and elsewhere in Europe. Dunno. But probably not much.

I think that most of the B&Bs that prefer (or require) cash are those that don't want to get involved with booking.com and the hefty related fees. I realize there's no direct connection. That opinion is gleaned from talks with several proprietors over breakfast. I think they might look at it as a "slippery slope" situation. Sometimes the only way you can find one of the under-the-radar B&Bs is to do a Google Streetview drive around an area reading signs.

Nigel, I had no idea that English banks treated small business owners so poorly! I wonder if any of our forum contributors who reside in Scotland can let us know if the three major Scottish banks treat their business customers in such a cavalier fashion.

It truly looks like a case of damned if you do, and damned if you do. Small business owners lose if they accept credit cards, and lose if they accept cash. Truly a Hobson's choice!

I thought that I was doing small businesses a favour by paying cash, but I suppose the next time I'm on holiday in Scotland, I'll have to ask if they prefer cash or credit. Usually it's the other way 'round!

Thank you for the information, and Happy Christmas to you and yours!

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

The USA has much higher card fees than the UK: for example the interchange fee which goes to Visa/MC is only 0.2-0.3% for consumer cards in Britain.

For many new small businesses it can make no financial or commercial sense to accept cash, as they have little direct use for it, and there are significant additional costs and inconveniences associated with doing so as Nigel explained. Established and larger companies do so for convenience of a shrinking customer base that still use it.

Legitimate cash only companies are still around, where they operate in a cash-based sector where they are paying their own costs in cash and don't want to deal much with banking.

In terms of the Scottish v the English banks on the way they operate, it is going to be largely the same way. There are some differences due to the two legal systems, but regulating banks is a reserved matter and all the Scottish banks belong to groups that also include English groups.

For businesses preferring cash or card it is often down to choice. A business might prefer taking cash, but also really disliking having £1000s hanging around before it can be banked.

Somehow I don't think that the charity shops, rural B&Bs, and small retailers that I patronize have to worry about keeping thousands of pounds on the premises! :) Tesco and the Co-op get the credit cards!

Happy Christmas!

Mike (Auchterless)

Mike, you would be surprised how much these cash businesses have kicking around. I deal with a couple of businesses that prefer cash, and they are properly VAT registered, and the bills can be in £100s a time.