New Bank of Scotland £20 note enters circulation

Bank of Scotland’s new £20 note – featuring an image of the Forth Bridge with the Queensferry Crossing – has entered circulation.

The front of the polymer note continues to feature the portrait of Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott, alongside an image of The Mound in Edinburgh.

Forth Bridge: The Queensferry Crossing is visible in the background.

On the reverse, a new image of the Forth Bridge is accompanied by the Queensferry Crossing in the background.

The Queensferry Crossing has also been celebrated in its own right with a limited number of special commemorative £20 notes.

The notes feature a series of anti-counterfeit measures, such as a ‘window effect’ which can be found in the windows of The Mound.

They also have a holographic depth stripe, the top of the foil features a northern lights effect when tilted, and the clouds on the notes will move left to right when tilted east to west.

Like the £10 polymer note, the £20 notes have the ‘tactile emboss’ feature to aid the visually impaired.

Queensferry Crossing: The bridge appeared on a limited number of notes.

All existing paper Bank of Scotland £20 notes will now be gradually withdrawn, but any in circulation will continue to be accepted at shops, banks and cash payment machines.

Tara Foley, managing director of Bank of Scotland, said: “It is important to us that any new bank note we produce proudly represents the values and history of Scotland, and our new Bank of Scotland polymer £20 note is the result of months of careful work.

“We encourage people to keep an eye out for the new design and take a moment to spot some of the new features.”

Note: Sir Walter Scott remains on the front.

Earlier this month, Bank of Scotland auctioned a total of 50 special commemorative notes containing the most sought after serial numbers with the AA pre-fix.

The auction raised £112,590, which will be donated to the bank’s charity of the year, Mental Health UK.

Brian Dow, chief executive of Mental Health UK, said: “At Mental Health UK we know there is a growing need for support for young people.

“That’s why, with funding from Bank of Scotland and the rest of Lloyds Banking Group, we created Bloom – the largest UK-wide programme for 14-18 year olds – which focuses on supporting young people’s mental health resilience.

“With this support we can expand our reach to over half a million young people, equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to support their mental health now and in the future.”