Currency of Edinburgh
Scotland’s official currency is the pound sterling, known as the pound (£, GBP) like in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Banknotes and coins
The most common banknotes are £5, £10, £20, £50 and £100. It is also possible to find £1 notes, although these are extremely rare. The coins in circulation are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 and £2.
In Scotland you use both Sterling banknotes issued both by the Bank of England and Scottish banknotes. The Scottish banknotes will always be accepted in Scotland, but in some parts of the UK they are not as easily accepted, so we recommend to use your Scottish banknotes as much as possible while in Scotland and reserve the Bank of England pounds if you're planning to visit the rest of Britain.
Here are some examples of the Scottish banknotes:
If you visit the Museum on the Mound you can even discover the truly fascinating history and development of the Scottish banknote.
How to pay?
The best way to save on commissions is to pay whenever possible with your credit card. If you pay by card the exchange rate is less and, depending on the issuer of the card, the maximum fee is 1%.
Where to exchange currency?
The easiest and usually cheapest option is to withdraw money once you get to your destination, but here are other recommended options:
Withdraw pounds in the ATMs
If you wish to withdraw cash from an ATM in Scotland, the commission is approximately 4%. Before travelling, we suggest finding out from your bank what they charge you for withdrawing money from a foreign ATM, so that you can see what option is better for you.
Exchange money before travelling
If you prefer to exchange money before travelling, we suggest you contact a specialized company, for example, Ria Currency Exchange or Global Exchange, since the rates of exchange in the banks are usually more expensive (up to 10%).
If you request the exchange in any of these companies, they will send you the money to your address without any added cost. Currently, Civitatis has an agreement with Ria, so if you wish to use exchange your money with them you can get a discount by introducing the code “civitatis”.
- Ria Currency Exchange - “civitatis” discount code.
Currency exchange in Scotland
If you prefer to exchange money once you get to Scotland, you can do so in any bank or any exchange office. We recommend you compare the exchange rate and the commission since it can differ from one place to another.