Search full image library
Enter words, names or reference numbers. This opens Alamy results in a new tab.
Other languages and quick categories
Search HotpixUK images in Spanish, French, German, Italian, or English. Use the dropdown for shortcuts.
Search Scotland-Bank in other languages
Search All in French
FR Scotland-Bank,
Search All German
DE Scotland-Bank,
Search All Italian
IT Scotland-Bank,
Search All Spanish
ES Scotland-Bank,
Back to all images preview

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,note,notes,pound,pounds,holding,UK,keyboard,keys,Scots,bank,dispensed,from,a,local,Automatic Teller,machine,Glasgow,Scotland,G3,network,banking,of,machines,BOS,RBOS,polymer,plastic,cash,point,cashpoint,finance,finances,money,withdraw,fiscal,union,independence
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2PHJ91T - Scotland sees steepest fall in cash machine withdrawals in 2021
Data from the UK's main cash machine network reveals that ATM transactions fell by up to 68% during the first national lockdown
The UK's main cash machine network LINK has published data showing that despite a 37% fall in ATM transactions in 2020, UK adults on average still withdrew more than £1,500 each from cash machines.
Scotland saw the steepest fall, with adults withdrawing almost £900 less than they did in 2019.
On average, UK adults visited ATMs 12 times less in 2020 than they did in 2019.
In recent years, as consumers use alternative payment methods such as contactless cards or online payments, ATM transactions have fallen on average around 10% year-on-year.
However, in April 2020, when the UK went into the first national lockdown, ATM transactions fell initially by up to 68%.
Despite subsequent lockdowns, on average more than £1.6bn was still withdrawn for cash machines every week for the rest of 2020.
Argyle Street, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, G3 8AD

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,note,notes,20,pound,pounds,holding,UK,keyboard,keys,Scots,bank,dispensed,from,a,local,Automatic Teller,machine,Glasgow,Scotland,G3 8AD,G3,network,banking,of,machines,BOS,RBOS,polymer,plastic,cash,point,cashpoint,finance,finances,money,withdrawing,withdraw
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2PHJ91W - Scots 'battle' to get cash after banks and ATMs shut
Scots are facing an uphill battle to access their cash after a large number of bank and cash machine closures, a consumer organisation has warned.
Research by Which? found 339 Scottish bank branches had closed their doors since 2015, while 290 ATMs had been withdrawn in the past year.
It urged the UK government to appoint a regulator to protect access to cash.
HM Treasury said it recognised the continued importance of cash, especially for more vulnerable people.
It added the existing payment systems regulator was closely monitoring developments within ATM provision.
Which? said the closure of cash machines, the majority of which were free to use, had hit Scotland harder than other parts of the UK because of its many rural communities, combined with an already devastated bank branch network.
In Scotland, withdrawals from machines were down just 3.3% in 2017-18, compared with larger drops of 8.5% and 7.7% in London and the south east of England respectively.
Argyle Street, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, G3 8AD

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,UK,energy,supply,cost,costs,fuel,fossel,fuels,in,note,notes,pound,bank,money,cash,bill,bills,cooking,stove,Scottish,flaming,cook,Scots,householdrs,people,tenants,prepayment,meter,meters,poor,and,householders,Scotland,without,hot,food,Iran War
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2MX9FPP - Concept image showing Scottish banknotes and coins beside a lit domestic gas hob, illustrating the pressure of rising household energy costs on home budgets in Scotland and across the UK. The photograph links everyday cooking, heating and fuel use with consumer finance, inflation, cost of living pressures, utility bills, and the squeeze on disposable income faced by households during periods of high gas prices. Visible cash and currency emphasise budgeting choices, bill payment worries, and the trade off between essential spending and other family costs such as food, rent, mortgage payments, transport and childcare. The blue gas flame provides an immediate visual shorthand for domestic energy consumption, meter usage, tariff changes, supplier charges and the wider debate about affordability, fuel poverty and energy market volatility. This image is suitable for editorial use on stories about gas bills, household finances, inflation, consumer hardship, personal budgeting, winter heating worries, energy affordability, Scottish consumers, British utility costs, and the continuing impact of higher fuel prices on ordinary homes. It also works as a broader symbol of economic stress, financial resilience, money management, cash flow pressure, and the challenge for low and middle income households trying to balance essential utilities against stagnant wages and wider rising living costs. The Scottish notes make the picture especially useful for regional coverage involving devolved policy, Scottish consumers and the domestic effect of energy pricing. Because the money is shown in physical form rather than on a screen, the image underlines the kitchen table reality of budgeting, where higher utility charges are felt as pounds and pence leaving the household purse. It is well suited to reporting on arrears, debt advice, payment support, winter resilience, fuel poverty, and the real world impact of gas price rises on everyday family finances.
Scotland, UK

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,Property,ownership,in,Scotland,Scottish,sterling,notes,on,board,green,houses,homes,representing,challenges,challenged,buying,or,renting,fiver,tenner,twenty,homeless,people,SocialHousing,social housing,Bank of Scotland,Royal Bank of Scotland,Clydesdale,bank,banks,Chambers Street,The Mound,Jenners,Twenty,SNP,Independence,currency,laundering
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2K6C9E1 -

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,&,and,exhibition,SEC,river,bank,Clyde,dock,Hydro,crane,disused,giant,Scotland,UK,Scottish,event,campus,G3,Glasgow city,Glasgow,G3 8LD,Glaswegian,Stobcross,Finnieston,summer,SSE Hydro,skyline,pano,panorama,site,venue,exhibitions,conference,conferences,icon,iconic,hotpix.org.uk
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2K41KW3 -
Glasgow city, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, G3 8LD

Description
Keywords: twenty,pound,note,and,cash,BR,TOC,STD,ticket,worth,travelling,poor,Abellio,service,day,return,Warrington,stations,STNS,anytime,Royal,Bank,of,Scotland,Advance Ticket,train tickets,day return,GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,Tony,Smith,UK,GB,Great,Britain,United,Kingdom,Scots,Scottish,British,Scotland,Glasgow,Greater,problem,with,problem with,issue with,City,Centre,cities,Urban,Urbanist,town,infrastructure,transport,tour,tourism,tourists,urban,attraction,attractions,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Images of,Stock Images,Tony Smith,United Kingdom,Great Britain,Greater Glasgow,British Isles,Glasgow City Centre,City Centre
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy HEJ6CN -
Queen St, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Description
Keywords: city,city centre,save,invest,investment,account,bank,building,society,building society,responsible,savers,etched,etched window,Scotland,UK,etched windows,bank window,Saving Bank,TSB,saving,etched bank window,Savings,APR,%,percentage,interest,low risk,deposit,deposits,pay,paying,interest,save money,GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,Tony,Smith,UK,GB,Great,Britain,United,Kingdom,Scots,Scottish,British,Scotland,Glasgow,Greater,problem,with,problem with,issue with,City,Centre,cities,Urban,Urbanist,town,infrastructure,transport,tour,tourism,tourists,urban,attraction,attractions,lit,light,lighted,night,dusk,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Images of,Stock Images,Tony Smith,United Kingdom,Great Britain,Greater Glasgow,British Isles,Glasgow City Centre,City Centre
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy HEJ5TG - A savings bank is a financial institution whose primary purpose is accepting savings deposits and paying interest on those deposits.
They originated in Europe during the 18th century with the aim of providing access to savings products to all levels in the population. Often associated with social good these early banks were often designed to encourage low income people to save money and have access to banking services. They were set up by governments or by socially committed groups or organisations such as with credit unions. The structure and legislation took many different forms in different countries over the 20th century.
The advent of internet banking at the end of the 20th century saw a new phase in savings banks with the online savings bank that paid higher levels of interest in return for clients only having access over the web.
Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Description
Keywords: World,war,II,roller-dried,roller,dried,dry,powdered,20th,century,britain,british,century,white,blue,container,design,driedmilk,drinking,milky,object,packaging,vitamin,vitaminD,ration,rationingMother,baby,child,babymilk,breast-feeding,breast,breastmilk,scheme,National,health,service,Baby Milk,GoTonySmith,SPD,Coupon,Coupons,Voucher,Food,bank,foodbank,housewife,housewives,full,cream,seven,pint,welfare,centre,England,English,Scotland,Scottish,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Welfare Centre
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy F7DC7P - National Dried Milk was a roller-dried powdered, full-cream milk fortified with vitamin D. It was intended for feeding to children at a time of milk rationing. It was also convenient for mothers. It freed them up from breast-feeding at a time when women had to go man the factories for the war effort. At first, it was available only to children under 1 year of age
later 2 years.
The National Dried Milk scheme had been announced by the fall of 1940
by then, physicians were debating how it should best be served to infants and whether full-cream was indeed the best for them.
The storage and distribution of National Dried Milk across the country was contracted out to a company called SPD. You needed ration coupons to purchase it with, and could only get it at chemists (i.e. pharmacies.) There was a proviso, though, which housewives learned to watch for: once the tin at the store was past the Not for consumption after... date, it could be sold to anyone, off-ration, providing a windfall bonanza to the lucky shopper.
England, UK

Description
Keywords: World,war,II,roller-dried,roller,dried,dry,powdered,20th,century,britain,british,century,white,blue,container,design,driedmilk,drinking,milky,object,packaging,vitamin,vitaminD,ration,rationingMother,baby,child,babymilk,breast-feeding,breast,breastmilk,scheme,National,health,service,Baby Milk,GoTonySmith,SPD,Coupon,Coupons,Voucher,Food,bank,foodbank,housewife,housewives,full,cream,seven,pint,welfare,centre,England,English,Scotland,Scottish,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Welfare Centre
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy F7DC80 - National Dried Milk was a roller-dried powdered, full-cream milk fortified with vitamin D. It was intended for feeding to children at a time of milk rationing. It was also convenient for mothers. It freed them up from breast-feeding at a time when women had to go man the factories for the war effort. At first, it was available only to children under 1 year of age
later 2 years.
The National Dried Milk scheme had been announced by the fall of 1940
by then, physicians were debating how it should best be served to infants and whether full-cream was indeed the best for them.
The storage and distribution of National Dried Milk across the country was contracted out to a company called SPD. You needed ration coupons to purchase it with, and could only get it at chemists (i.e. pharmacies.) There was a proviso, though, which housewives learned to watch for: once the tin at the store was past the Not for consumption after... date, it could be sold to anyone, off-ration, providing a windfall bonanza to the lucky shopper.
England, UK

Description
Keywords: ltd,Limited,Banknote,reference,P325b,legal,tender,sterling,blue,fiver,firm,949096,promise,to,pay,bearer,on,demand,money,cash,paper,history,historic,antique,Royal,Bank,Of,Scotland,PLC,£1,note,1965,UK,banker,bankers,Royal Bank,Bank Of Scotland,GoTonySmith,amount,bill.bills,GB,UK,Great,British,Britain,United,Kingdom,business,capitalism,cash,commercial,currencies,currency,paper,pounds,quid,quids,save,saves,savings,scotch,scotland,scottish,sterling,supply,system,tender,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Scots Money,Scottish Money,Scotland Money,1 pound note,Pound Note,One Pound Note,Scotlands History,Scotlands History
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy F7DCWJ -
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Description
Keywords: United Kingdom,public,publicly,owned,banking,will,the,last,person,to,leave,turn,the,light,out,Edinburgh,Scotland,UK,asset,selloff,street,dusk,people,queue,queuing,Bank of Scotland,Public Asset,Sell Off,GoTonySmith,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,bank,branch,safety,shadows,silhouette,danger,tension,vulnerable
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy EYPFFE -
Tollcross,Edinburgh,Scotland,UK

Description
Keywords: City,Scotland,UK,alley,alleyway,nook,corners,of,detail,of,plaque,brass,Countess,of,Eglinton,Tavern,called,Ships,Tavern',Where,levées,were,held,by,the,General,Assemblys,Lord,High,Commissioner,of,1754,history,ancient,Gotonysmith,housing,housed,the,Government,1821.,The,Royal,Bank,to,1753,home,of,The,Countess,of,Eglinton,Tavern,called,Fortunes,Tavern,Ships,Tavern',Where,levées,were,held,by,the,General,Assemblys,Lord,High,Commissioner,of,1754,Flora,McDonald,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy ED4M1F - OLD STAMP OFFICE CLOSE
This close gets its name as it once housed the Government Stamp Office until 1821. The Royal Bank was also located here from 1727 to 1753.
It also contained the home of The Countess of Eglinton and her seven beautiful daughters. They family would set out to attend dancing assemblies in Assembly Close each in their own guilded Sedan Chair.
The poet Allan Ramsay dedicated The Gentle Shepherd to her.
The close also housed a Tavern called 'Fortune's Tavern' and at one time 'Ship's Tavern' Where levées were held by the General Assembly's Lord High Commissioner of 1754.
Flora McDonald, associated with Bonnie Prince Charlie attended boarding school here.
Old Stamp Office Close, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Description
Keywords: City,Scotland,UK alley alleyway nook corners of old town,Gotonysmith,housing,housed,the,Government,1821.,The,Royal,Bank,to,1753,home,of,The,Countess,of,called,Fortunes,Tavern,Ships,Tavern',Where,levées,were,held,by,the,General,Assemblys,Lord,High,Commissioner,of,1754,Flora,McDonald,associated with Bonnie Prince Charlie attended boarding school here.
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy ED4M1G - OLD STAMP OFFICE CLOSE
This close gets its name as it once housed the Government Stamp Office until 1821. The Royal Bank was also located here from 1727 to 1753.
It also contained the home of The Countess of Eglinton and her seven beautiful daughters. They family would set out to attend dancing assemblies in Assembly Close each in their own guilded Sedan Chair.
The poet Allan Ramsay dedicated The Gentle Shepherd to her.
The close also housed a Tavern called 'Fortune's Tavern' and at one time 'Ship's Tavern' Where levées were held by the General Assembly's Lord High Commissioner of 1754.
Flora McDonald, associated with Bonnie Prince Charlie attended boarding school here.
Old Stamp Office Close, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,Tony,Smith,UK,GB,Great,Britain,United,Kingdom,Scotish,Scottish,Scotch,British,Scotland,Alba,problem,with,problem with,issue with,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Images of,Stock Images,Tony Smith,United Kingdom,Great Britain,British Isles,HQ,Bank of Scotland,office,Bank,iconic,Lloyds,Edinburgh skyline,landscape,finance,system,Rachel Reeves
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DDXKA2 - This landmark building has been a distinctive feature of the Edinburgh skyline for more than 200 years.
It was built in 1806 as the Head Office of Bank of Scotland. Today it is also the registered office and Scottish Headquarters of Lloyds Banking Group.
In 1796, at the Bank of Scotland's 100th AGM, its directors decided to commission a purpose-built head office. It took some time to find a suitable location, due to the cramped nature of Edinburgh's Old Town. Eventually, in 1800, the site at the top of the Mound was purchased from Edinburgh Town Council. It cost £3,500. Construction started soon after, to a design by Robert Reid and Richard Crichton. These were former pupils of the celebrated architect Robert Adam. Their building was a detached Georgian-style villa, topped by a shallow saucer dome. It was completed in August 1806.
The Challenge of the Mound
Straddling Edinburgh's Old and New Towns, the site posed grave challenges for the builders. Firstly, there was a steep drop of 16 metres from front to back. A more serious issue was instability: the 'earthen Mound' (as it was known) was a man-made hill, created from the earth excavated for the New Town. The site had also been a rubbish dump in the past, and contained vast quantities of household waste!
Consequently, there was a serious risk of slippage. To overcome this, a substantial retaining wall was constructed on the north side of the building.
By the 1850s, the building was proving unsatisfactory. It was now too small for the Bank's growing business. There had also been complaints that it looked stark and ugly when viewed from Princes Street. Indeed, the famous judge Lord Cockburn described it as a 'prominent deformity'. Seeking to resolve these issues, several architects were invited to submit plans for extending and improving the building.
The directors eventually selected David Bryce. His solution was to add full-height wings to the east and west, tied back to the original building.
The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK EH1 1YZ

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,Tony,Smith,UK,GB,Great,Britain,United,Kingdom,Scotish,Scottish,Scotch,British,Scotland,Alba,problem,with,problem with,issue with,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Images of,Stock Images,Tony Smith,United Kingdom,Great Britain,British Isles,HQ,Bank of Scotland,office,Bank,iconic,Lloyds,Edinburgh skyline,landscape,finance,system,Rachel Reeves
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DDXKAC - This landmark building has been a distinctive feature of the Edinburgh skyline for more than 200 years.
It was built in 1806 as the Head Office of Bank of Scotland. Today it is also the registered office and Scottish Headquarters of Lloyds Banking Group.
In 1796, at the Bank of Scotland's 100th AGM, its directors decided to commission a purpose-built head office. It took some time to find a suitable location, due to the cramped nature of Edinburgh's Old Town. Eventually, in 1800, the site at the top of the Mound was purchased from Edinburgh Town Council. It cost £3,500. Construction started soon after, to a design by Robert Reid and Richard Crichton. These were former pupils of the celebrated architect Robert Adam. Their building was a detached Georgian-style villa, topped by a shallow saucer dome. It was completed in August 1806.
The Challenge of the Mound
Straddling Edinburgh's Old and New Towns, the site posed grave challenges for the builders. Firstly, there was a steep drop of 16 metres from front to back. A more serious issue was instability: the 'earthen Mound' (as it was known) was a man-made hill, created from the earth excavated for the New Town. The site had also been a rubbish dump in the past, and contained vast quantities of household waste!
Consequently, there was a serious risk of slippage. To overcome this, a substantial retaining wall was constructed on the north side of the building.
By the 1850s, the building was proving unsatisfactory. It was now too small for the Bank's growing business. There had also been complaints that it looked stark and ugly when viewed from Princes Street. Indeed, the famous judge Lord Cockburn described it as a 'prominent deformity'. Seeking to resolve these issues, several architects were invited to submit plans for extending and improving the building.
The directors eventually selected David Bryce. His solution was to add full-height wings to the east and west, tied back to the original building.
The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK EH1 1YZ

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,Tony,Smith,UK,GB,Great,Britain,United,Kingdom,Scotish,Scottish,Scotch,British,Scotland,Alba,problem,with,problem with,issue with,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Images of,Stock Images,Tony Smith,United Kingdom,Great Britain,British Isles,HQ,Bank of Scotland,office,Bank,iconic,Lloyds,Edinburgh skyline,landscape,finance,system
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DDXKAR - This landmark building has been a distinctive feature of the Edinburgh skyline for more than 200 years.
It was built in 1806 as the Head Office of Bank of Scotland. Today it is also the registered office and Scottish Headquarters of Lloyds Banking Group.
In 1796, at the Bank of Scotland's 100th AGM, its directors decided to commission a purpose-built head office. It took some time to find a suitable location, due to the cramped nature of Edinburgh's Old Town. Eventually, in 1800, the site at the top of the Mound was purchased from Edinburgh Town Council. It cost £3,500. Construction started soon after, to a design by Robert Reid and Richard Crichton. These were former pupils of the celebrated architect Robert Adam. Their building was a detached Georgian-style villa, topped by a shallow saucer dome. It was completed in August 1806.
The Challenge of the Mound
Straddling Edinburgh's Old and New Towns, the site posed grave challenges for the builders. Firstly, there was a steep drop of 16 metres from front to back. A more serious issue was instability: the 'earthen Mound' (as it was known) was a man-made hill, created from the earth excavated for the New Town. The site had also been a rubbish dump in the past, and contained vast quantities of household waste!
Consequently, there was a serious risk of slippage. To overcome this, a substantial retaining wall was constructed on the north side of the building.
By the 1850s, the building was proving unsatisfactory. It was now too small for the Bank's growing business. There had also been complaints that it looked stark and ugly when viewed from Princes Street. Indeed, the famous judge Lord Cockburn described it as a 'prominent deformity'. Seeking to resolve these issues, several architects were invited to submit plans for extending and improving the building.
The directors eventually selected David Bryce. His solution was to add full-height wings to the east and west, tied back to the original building.
The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK EH1 1YZ

Description
Keywords: New,Town,Scotland,UK,chimney,roof,classic,symbol,of,a,pawnbroker,pawnshop,financial,crash,secured,loans,personal,property,used,as,collateral,pledge,cash,pawned,to,the,broker,sign,money,to,bank,banking,banks,broke,the,Lombard,gotonysmith,jewelry,electronics,collectibles,musical,instruments,tools,Pawngo,three,spheres,suspended,from,a,bar,symbol,Medici,family,of,Florence,Italy,three,balls,orbs,plates,discs,coins,and,more,as,symbols,of,monetary,success,Buy Pictures of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DG3874 - The pawnbrokers' symbol is three spheres suspended from a bar. The three sphere symbol is attributed to the Medici family of Florence, Italy, owing to its symbolic meaning of Lombard.[12] This refers to the Italian province of Lombardy, where pawn shop banking originated under the name of Lombard banking. The three golden spheres were originally a symbol medieval Lombard merchants hung in front of their houses, and not the arms of the Medici family. It has been conjectured that the golden spheres were originally three flat yellow effigies of byzants, or gold coins, laid heraldically upon a sable field, but that they were converted into spheres to better attract attention.
Most European towns called the pawn shop the Lombard. The House of Lombard was a banking community in medieval London, England. According to legend, a Medici employed by Charlemagne slew a giant using three bags of rocks. The three-ball symbol became the family crest. Since the Medicis were so successful in the financial, banking, and moneylending industries, other families also adopted the symbol. Throughout the Middle Ages, coats of arms bore three balls, orbs, plates, discs, coins and more as symbols of monetary success. Pawnbrokers (and their detractors) joke that the three balls mean Two to one, you won't get your stuff back.
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of pawnbrokers. The symbol has also been attributed to the story of Nicholas giving a poor man's three daughters each a bag of gold so they could get
Frederick St Edinburgh New Town Scotland UK

Description
Keywords: Scotland,regional,money,note,Clydesdale,bank,banks,BOS,Halifax,exotic,tourist,travel,exchange,West,Lothian,East,machine,in Edinburgh,Midlothian,Scotland,UK,GB,united,Kingdom,Great,Britain,accepted,not,unacceptable,spend,refused,refuse,Gotonysmith different to English England currency in a shopping street,high st shopping centre,cash
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DECWAR -
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Description
Keywords: Scotland,regional,money,note,Clydesdale,bank,banks,BOS,Halifax,exotic,tourist,travel,exchange,West,Lothian,East,machine,in Edinburgh,Midlothian,Scotland,UK,GB,united,Kingdom,Great,Britain,accepted,not,unacceptable,spend,refused,refuse,Gotonysmith different to English England currency in a shopping street,high st shopping centre,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,laundering,cash,banknote design,travel in Edinburgh
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DECX4H - Close-up documentary stock photograph of Scottish sterling banknotes being taken from a Royal Bank of Scotland cash machine in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. A hand holds colourful Scottish paper money beside the ATM keypad, with the red cancel button, yellow clear button and number pad clearly visible. The image shows everyday personal banking, cash withdrawal, physical currency, retail payments and the continuing visibility of banknotes in a society shaped by contactless cards, mobile payments and online banking. The scene has strong editorial value for stories about high street banking, ATM access, cash machine closures, consumer choice, financial inclusion and the role of cash for residents, visitors and small businesses. Scottish banknotes are issued by authorised Scottish banks rather than the Bank of England, and RBS notes remain legal currency, although the Bank of England explains that Scottish notes are not technically legal tender in either England or Scotland. That distinction often creates confusion for tourists and shoppers travelling between Scotland and the UK, making the image useful for articles about acceptance of Scottish notes, currency awareness and practical travel money. The visible £20 note and other sterling notes also make the photograph relevant for themes including cost of living, cash budgeting, spending power, bank accounts, ATM networks, holiday spending, Scottish identity and the mixed currency landscape within the United Kingdom. Taken in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and a major tourist and financial centre, the image combines a recognisable banking interface with human action. The tight composition, diagonal notes and cropped keypad give it a practical, real-world feel suitable for news, finance, consumer advice, travel features and banking reports. Lighting appears to be natural or ambient ATM light, with no weather visible, and the image is best read as a candid everyday money and Scottish currency detail.
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Description
Keywords: Clydesdale,bank,ATM,cash,dispensing,machine,Scotland,UK,scottish,independance,independence,soveregn,nation,SNP,national,party,money,monetary,union,issues,problems,problem,finance,financial,vote,voting,20,10,pounds,ten,twenty,note,banknotes,official,currency,gotonysmith legal tender retail,finger,fingers,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DG374N - While provincial banks in England and Wales lost the right to issue paper currency altogether, the practice of private banknote issue has continued in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The right of Scottish banks to issue notes is popularly attributed to the author Sir Walter Scott, who in 1826 waged a campaign to retain Scottish banknotes under the pseudonym Malachi Malagrowther.
Scott feared that the limitation on private banknotes proposed with the Bankers (Scotland) Act 1826 would be have adverse economic consequences if enacted in Scotland because gold and silver were scarce and Scottish commerce relied on small notes as the principal medium of circulating money. His action eventually halted the abolition of private banknotes in Scotland.
Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are unusual, firstly because they are issued by retail banks, not central banks, and secondly, as they are not legal tender anywhere in the UK “ not even in Scotland or Northern Ireland “ they are in fact promissory notes.
Seven retail banks have the authority of HM Treasury to issue sterling banknotes as currency. Despite this, the notes can be refused at the discretion of recipients in England and Wales, and are often not accepted by banks and exchange bureaus outside of the United Kingdom. This is particularly true in the case of the Royal Bank of Scotland £1 note, which is the only £1 note to remain in circulation within the UK.
In 2000, the European Central Bank indicated that, should the United Kingdom join the euro, Scottish banks (and, by extension, Northern Ireland banks) would have to cease banknote issue. During the Financial crisis of 2007“2008, the future of private banknotes in the United Kingdom was uncertain. It has been suggested that the Banking Act 2009 would restrict the issue of banknotes by commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland by removing many of the provisions of the Acts quoted above.Banks would be forced to lodge sterling.
Dalkeith, Edinburgh, Scotland UK

Description
Keywords: Edinburgh,Scotland,lothian,lothians,rear,gotonysmith,December,winter,festive,presents,LEcosse,Edimbourg,Schotland,Schottland,La,Scozia,Edimburgo,Escocia,Edimburgo,Dome Club Christmas tree,Edinburgh,Scotland in red,lit,by,lights,Xmas,This,tree,is,at,the,rear,of,the,Dome,and,can,be,viewed,from,Rose,Street,in,Edinburgh.,In,summer,it,is,an,upmarket,outdoor,eating,area,gotonysmith,The Dome is a bar,restaurant,and,conference,complex,and,was,originally,the,long,since,defunct,Commercial,Bank,of,Scotlands,HQ,At,Christmas,the,exterior,on,George,Street,and,the,interior,are,both,lavishly,decorated,As,you,enter,the,building,there,is,a,distinct,whiff,of,cinnamon,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy CF7D8T - Dome Club Christmas tree, Edinburgh, Scotland in red, lit by lights
This tree is at the rear of the Dome and can be viewed from Rose Street in Edinburgh. In summer it is an upmarket outdoor eating area
The Dome is a bar, restaurant and conference complex and was originally the long since defunct Commercial Bank of Scotland's HQ. At Christmas the exterior on George Street and the interior are both lavishly decorated. As you enter the building there is a distinct whiff of cinnamon.
Rose street, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK




