Can I exchange Scottish Banknotes for English in London? Should I?
 

I overwithdrew during a recent trip to Scotland, and was in a hurry so didn't pay careful attention to the ATM and so came home with more currency than I wanted. I'm headed to London soon and would like to spend it all there, and ideally avoid having to withdraw any money while there, but I understand that there can be issues in some places with the Scottish notes -- we'll probably be headed to some pubs and a few out of the way places around the north parts of London. Can I change the Scottish notes at a bank without a fee, or is this something that hotels do regularly?

No need to change them you can spend them in London.

Have pubs quit posting notices that they don't accept Scottish notes?

Just give them to your cabbie and tell them they're every bit as much a part of the Union.

HSBC will probably exchange them for you for free, but most people will accept them without any comment.

It has been a long time since I've had any difficulty spending Scottish notes down south. More myth than reality IME.

Same here - although the new Clydesdale notes do raise an eyebrow or two. A £50 may be tricky (not that you see many of them) and don't even try a £100 note!

Ok, thanks -- good to know. It's silly but I'm trying to spend as little on the credit cards or from currency withdrawal this trip as possible, so I'm hoping I can use only these.

I see that I won't be able to use them at the oyster pay up machines at Heathrow upon arrival, but I'm assuming they will be taken at the manned booth for this purpose right? Otherwise, I suppose I can just buy something inexpensive in the airport to get change in English currency.

I've had occasional problems in small places, but fortunately always also had some "real English money" to use instead. It's rare, but if you're at all concerned about it, any bank will exchange them with no hassle and at no charge. You won't be the first person to have asked them to do that. I've never asked at a hotel, but if it's the hotel where you're staying and they have enough cash in the till, I'm sure they'd accommodate you.

(Haven't gotten one of the new Clydesdale £5 notes yet, but just googled them to see what they look like. I can see why someone who'd never seen one before might have to look twice. I had never heard of Sir William Arrol before, either. One learns so much here!)

Some are not unreasonably wary of funny money they rarely see but most places will take them. No issue converting at any bank free of charge.

Not Scottish, but I had Northern Ireland banknotes last July in London and my cab driver refused to accept them. He argued that he'd have to take them to the bank and exchange and was irate that I was trying to scam him. I was pretty sure I was right, but I was a visitor to the country and wasn't going to fight it out with this guy on the street. I ended up paying with credit card. Went inside the bar and asked the bouncer about the notes just to make sure I was right and he ended up giving me 20 gbp for my 15 gbp of notes just because he wanted them since he'd never seen NI notes. :D

I'm afraid that my response in that situation would have been to say "I've offered you perfectly good cash sterling for this fare. I am getting out of the cab now - do you want it or not?".

Or they'll comment, but will accept them without any problem. I've frequently ended up with extra Scottish notes and spent them in London with no issues.

On reflection, I think the notices I remember seeing in London pubs said that only Scottish £50 and £100 notes were not accepted.

The "legal tender" comment is so so true!!! (OP - get ready with this one)