New ten pound note design unveiled

Bank of Scotland has unveiled the design of its new £10 polymer note, due to come into circulation later this year.

The note will retain the portrait of Sir Walter Scott, the Scottish novelist and poet who currently features on the front of the bank's paper £10 notes.

The image of The Mound, the historic head office of the Bank of Scotland in the centre of Edinburgh, will also be kept.

An image of the Glenfinnan Viaduct - the structure which helps carry the West Highland Railway Line from Fort William to Mallaig - will remain on the reverse of the design, but with the addition of a steam locomotive hauling a heritage tourist train.

Bank chiefs said the polymer note, designed by the banknote manufacturer De La Rue, incorporates the enhanced security features introduced on the polymer £5 note.

These include the anti-counterfeit "window effect'', which will be built into the windows of the image of The Mound and the "rolling bar" metallic ink which changes colour as you move the note.

It will also feature a new tactile emboss", created by a series of raised dots, to help the visually impaired.

Mike Moran, director at Bank of Scotland, said: Bank of Scotland has been issuing bank notes for more than 320 years, evolving our designs to pay homage to our heritage.

"The new note retains our much-loved design of Sir Walter Scott with the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct pictured on the back and we've evolved the design by introducing the popular heritage tourist train crossing the bridge.

"With polymer notes being cleaner, more secure, and more durable than paper notes I'm sure our new #10 note will prove popular across Scotland."

The new notes, which will be slightly smaller than the existing paper ones, are expected to enter circulation in the autumn.

All £10 paper notes issued by the bank will then be gradually withdrawn following the issue of the new note.