Can I spend Scottish money in England?

Yes, you can – but it doesn't legally have to be accepted. Three banks in Scotland are authorised to issue notes: Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland. There are also four note-issuing banks in Northern Ireland: Bank of Ireland; AIB Group (which trades as First Trust Bank in Northern Ireland), Northern Bank and Ulster Bank.

Banknotes issued by all seven are legal currency and can be accepted throughout the UK. But it doesn't necessarily mean they will be.

The Association of Commercial Banknote Issuers states: "The term 'legal tender' has very little practical meaning as far as ordinary, everyday transactions are concerned, and it has no bearing on the acceptability of authorised banknotes as a means of payment …" Crucially, it adds: "The acceptability of any means of payment, including banknotes, is essentially a matter for agreement between the parties involved."

English shopkeepers who are unfamiliar with them may refuse to accept Scottish or Northern Irish notes. This is usually because they cannot tell whether the note is genuine, rather than their feeling towards the Scots.

Trivia fans may like the following: by law, authorised banks are required to hold backing assets for their notes at all times, which can be done in the form of special Bank of England notes – amounts can range up to £1m notes (Giants) and £100m notes (Titans).