A third of people in England think Scottish bank notes are fake, survey reveals

A third of people living in England think Scottish bank notes are "fake", according to a new survey.

Photos of notes from the Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank were shown to 1,710 people.

Of the participants, 76 per cent couldn’t identify which country the notes belonged to, while 33 per cent believed them to be counterfeit.

Another 23 per cent told Censuswide Scotland, who conducted the market research survey, they would not accept the notes, and 16 per cent believed them to be out of circulation.

Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland, lodged a private members’ bill in the Commons at the start of April to make it legally binding for Scottish banknotes to be accepted across the UK.

In response to the survey’s findings he 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 of banknotes in use across these islands.”

If approved, Mr Carmichael’s Legal Tender (Scottish Banknotes) Bill will remove any distinction between Scottish banknotes and others in the UK as forms of payment.

David Mundell, who is now the Scottish secretary, previously campaigned for Scottish banknotes to be accepted throughout the UK. His bill was put before the UK parliament in 2009 but was not made law.