1 in 3 people in England think Scottish banknotes are fake
Last updated 22nd Apr 2019
It probably won't come as a surprise to Scots who've done a lot of travelling south of the border, but one in three people in England have rejected Scottish banknotes as fake.
In a survey a total of 33% of the 1,710 people aksed said they thought the notes were counterfeit.
Market research firm Censuswide Scotland showed participants images of notes from the Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank.
Just over three quarters (76%) were unable to identify where the currency was from.
One in six (16%) believed the notes were now out of circulation and around one in 10 (12%) said they were unsure of the exchange rate between Scotland and England.
Nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) would reject the notes.
Royal Bank of Scotland notes were the least likely to be accepted by those surveyed with a fifth (21%) believing they were fake.
A total of 17% thought Bank of Scotland notes to be fake, dropping to 16% for the Clydesdale Bank.
Earlier this month, Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael lodged a Private Members' Bill in the House of Commons in a bid to make it legally binding for Scottish banknotes to be accepted across the UK.
Scottish banknotes ARE legal currency in the UK but - due to a technicality - are not legal tender.
The Royal Mint explains the phrase is a narrow technical term referring to the settlement of debts, and in ordinary transactions both parties can agree to accept "any form of payment''.
Mr Carmichael's Legal Tender (Scottish Banknotes) Bill would mean no distinction could be drawn between Scottish banknotes and others in the UK as forms of payment.
An earlier attempt to legislate for Scottish banknotes to be accepted throughout the UK was made by current Scottish Secretary David Mundell.
His Scottish Banknotes (Acceptability in United Kingdom) Bill was put before the UK Parliament in 2009 but was not made law.
Mr Carmichael said: "These figures show just how common it is for people elsewhere in the UK to be confused by Scottish currency.
"If you're Scottish or Northern Irish, chances are that you will have a tale of a time that your banknotes were met with bafflement.
"The UK Government need to encourage businesses across the UK to recognise and accept these notes.
"Alongside giving their support for the measure outlined in my bill, they should also launch a public awareness campaign to boost public knowledge of the different types bank notes in use across these islands."