The first Scottish £20 note to feature a woman other than the Queen has entered circulation.
Historic entrepreneur Kate Cranston is the face of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s new polymer £20 note.
Cranston made her mark by establishing a series of tearooms across Glasgow.
Her flagship venue at 217 Sauchiehall Street is celebrated by architects and designers due to the interior designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Following her death in 1934, her fortune was left to support the poor and the homeless in the city.
Royal Bank of Scotland’s Scottish board chair Malcolm Buchanan said: “Kate Cranston’s legacy touches so many aspects of Scottish life that we, as a nation, are justifiably proud; entrepreneurialism, art, philanthropy and dedication.
“On the eve of International Women’s Day it is fitting that such a figure as Kate Cranston will be celebrated on the face of our most popular note.”
The note is now available from eight branches, including Dundee High Street, Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, St Nicolas Street in Aberdeen and St Andrew Square in Edinburgh.
As part of the launch, Judy Murray, mother of tennis stars Andy and Jamie, took part in a podcast explaining why she was inspired by Cranston’s philanthropy.
Murray said: “The impact Kate Cranston has made to the very fabric of Scotland can’t be underestimated. For years – and rightly so – the world has celebrated her support of the artistic work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh but personally, it is her philanthropy that has the biggest reach.
“Her approach that good business isn’t just about a balance sheet but the difference it makes to a community feels very modern – but was something she was doing more than 100 years ago. That’s why I’m delighted she is being celebrated by Royal Bank of Scotland on their £20 note.”
The polymer £20 follows the £5 polymer note, which was launched in 2016 and features poet Nan Shepherd, and the £10 polymer, which was launched in 2017 and includes the portrait of scientist Mary Somerville.
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