Third of English residents think Scottish bank notes are fake - survey

It is an age-old gripe of Scots - from Judy Murray to one man who tried to report it as a hate crime.

Go in to a shop in England and try to pay with a banknote issued north of the border, but get told it can't be accepted.

A survey has examined the extent of the confusion about how to handle currency printed in Scotland.

A third of people living in England who were shown notes from three Scottish banks thought they were fake.

Just over three quarters - 76% - could not identify where the currency was from.

A further group of 16% believed the notes were now out of circulation and 12% said they were unsure of the exchange rate between Scotland and England.

In total, 23% confirmed they would reject the notes if someone tried to use them.

The research of 1,710 people was commissioned by market research firm Censuswide Scotland.

Which bank issued the notes was also found to be factor.

Some 16% said the Clydesdale Bank ones were fake, compared with 17% for Bank of Scotland and 21% for Royal Bank of Scotland.

The confusion is thought to arise because Scottish banknotes are legal currency in the UK but not "legal tender".

The Royal Mint says the phrase is a narrow technical term referring to the settlement of debts.

It adds that in ordinary transactions both parties can agree to accept "any form of payment".

A Scottish Liberal Democrat MP is trying to change the law to make it legally binding for Scottish banknotes to be accepted across the UK.

It would mean no distinction could be drawn between Scottish banknotes and others in the UK as forms of payment.