Will I need to exchange British pounds for Scottish pounds when for the part of my trip in Scotland? Does this need to be done at a bank? Is there a fee?
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
13941 posts
No need to exchange money for Bank of Scotland notes. I do recommend you use up Bank of Scotland notes as you get them. Sometimes they are harder to spend in smaller areas in England.
I will add that recently in Northern England, I used ApplePay or contactless CC almost exclusively. The only cash I used was at the seaside ice cream vans which ALL said their "card readers were down". (Did not believe that!) It was generally 3GBP a purchase for the ice cream treat I wound up being slightly addicted to....!!!
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6541 posts
No. The currency is British pounds.
If you do get Scottish notes as change, I recommend you either spend them or convert them to Bank of England notes prior to departure. While the Scottish notes may be used in England some shops are reluctant to accept them.
Posted by
San Diego
18 posts
@Debbie, I agree with the others about using up your Bank of Scotland notes while in Scotland. In May 2023 a London Waitrose grocery store would not accept my Bank of Scotland 20 pound note for payment.
Posted by
Glasgow, Scotland
1644 posts
it is always a bit of 'fun' using Scottish notes south of the border. Mainly it is a lack of familiarity. Though supermarkets tend to be more willing, there is no hard and fast rule. I've spent Scottish notes in places in the middle of nowhere, and places in a tourist place have had problems with them.