Quick answer. Arriving at Edinburgh (EDI) is straightforward: a bank cashpoint in the single terminal dispenses sterling at the interbank rate, and the tram outside runs to the city centre. The part travellers get wrong is the departure. Scotland's three note-issuing banks, Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale, print their own designs, and while those notes are perfectly valid sterling, English retailers and especially self-service tills sometimes refuse or query them. If you are connecting through London or flying home, spend your Scottish notes before you leave rather than discovering the problem at a Heathrow sandwich counter. The UK has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner since Barclays left in 2021. Decline DCC and choose pounds.
Where to get pound at EDI
The Edinburgh pattern for withdrawals is the standard British one, a free bank cashpoint against a fee-charging standalone machine and a much worse exchange counter. The distinctive Edinburgh cost is not a fee at all: it is carrying Scottish notes home and finding them awkward to spend. The cost math below assumes you withdraw the equivalent of $100 in pounds.
| Option | Where | Markup | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free bank cashpoint at EDI | Terminal arrivals | Interbank rate, no operator fee | ~$100 |
| Bank cashpoint + Schwab (fee refunded) | Terminal arrivals | Interbank rate, any fee refunded | ~$100 |
| Any cashpoint with a BoA card (no Alliance since 2021) | Arrivals | Interbank rate + BoA 3% non-network fee | ~$97 |
| Fee-charging standalone machine | Terminal concourse | Flat operator fee per withdrawal, disclosed on screen | ~$95-97 |
| Exchange counter at EDI | Arrivals / departures | Several % off interbank, plus commission | ~$88-92 |
Where to find the cashpoints at Edinburgh Airport (EDI), and what to do with Scottish notes on the way out
Edinburgh (EDI) is Scotland's busiest airport, working from a single terminal with the tram terminus directly outside the doors. Cashpoints are available both landside in the arrivals concourse and airside beyond security, and the usual British split applies: bank-branded machines are free to use, while standalone operators in high-traffic spots levy a disclosed flat fee. Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland machines dispense sterling at the Visa and Mastercard interbank rate. What makes Edinburgh different from any English airport is what comes out of the slot. Scotland has three commercial note-issuing banks, so your twenties may carry Bank of Scotland, RBS or Clydesdale designs rather than Bank of England ones. They are valid sterling everywhere in the UK, but acceptance south of the border is inconsistent in practice, which makes the departure side of EDI the part worth planning. The UK has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee. Decline DCC and take pounds.
Single terminal (arrivals and departures)
All traffic through one building, including easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways, Jet2, KLM and transatlantic services
In arrivals, use a Bank of Scotland or RBS cashpoint rather than a standalone charging machine, decline DCC and choose pounds. Note whose banknotes you receive. On departure, cashpoints airside let you top up for a final purchase, which is the sensible way to convert Scottish notes into something you actually want before flying south. The tram stop is directly outside the terminal doors.
Do you actually need cash at Edinburgh (EDI)?
Very little. The tram, the Airlink bus, taxis and effectively all of central Edinburgh take contactless. Keep a small sterling float for Royal Mile street performers and the odd cash-only pub. Here is what a card covers getting into the city:
Edinburgh Tram to the city centre (~£7.50): Runs from outside the terminal to St Andrew Square and York Place in about 30-35 minutes; contactless accepted at the platform machines and onboard readers.
Airlink 100 bus (~£5.50): Express Lothian Buses service to Waverley Bridge, often a little quicker than the tram and cheaper; takes contactless on boarding.
Taxi (~£25-30 to the centre): From the rank outside arrivals, roughly 25-30 minutes depending on traffic; all licensed cabs take cards.
Uber / Bolt (~£20-28 to the centre): Both operate at EDI with a designated pick-up zone and charge your card in the app.
⚠ DCC trap. When the ATM or terminal asks if you want to be charged in your home currency instead of the local currency, always decline and choose the local currency. Accepting locks in a 3-13 percent markup that your no-FX-fee card cannot undo. Full DCC explainer →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash to get from Edinburgh (EDI) to Edinburgh?
No. The tram from outside the terminal and the Airlink 100 bus both take contactless, as do Edinburgh's taxis and rideshares.
Can I order pound before flying?
Yes. CEI Currency Exchange ships pounds to your US address in 2-5 days, and pre-ordered notes are Bank of England ones, which sidesteps the Scottish-note acceptance question entirely.
Where are the cashpoints at Edinburgh Airport?
Both landside in the arrivals concourse and airside beyond security, which matters here: the airside machines are how you top up for a final purchase and turn Scottish notes into something you actually want before flying south.
Should I exchange money at EDI?
No. The counters quote well off interbank. Use a Bank of Scotland or RBS cashpoint instead, and note whose banknotes come out, since Scottish designs can draw hesitation from English retailers later in your trip.
What should I do with leftover Scottish notes when I fly out of EDI?
Spend them, ideally before you reach the gate. Scottish notes are legal currency across the United Kingdom, but they are not Bank of England notes and English shops, taxi drivers and particularly automated self-service tills sometimes hesitate or decline. Airside at Edinburgh they are accepted without a second thought, so buy your coffee, your book and your duty-free with them there. If you are connecting through Heathrow or Gatwick, do not count on spending them on the other end. Any UK bank branch will swap them for Bank of England notes free of charge, but you will not find one airside.
Are Scottish notes accepted in England?
Legally they circulate throughout the UK, and no retailer is doing anything wrong by taking them; the friction is practical rather than legal. Larger chains and banks handle them routinely. Smaller independents, market traders and unattended machines in England are the ones that balk, usually because staff are unfamiliar with the designs rather than out of any policy. Northern Irish notes face the same issue. The simple approach when leaving Scotland is to run your cash down to near zero and rely on contactless, which is universal in both countries.
Is there a cashpoint airside at Edinburgh Airport?
Yes. Edinburgh has machines both in the landside arrivals and check-in concourse and beyond security in the departures area, which is useful given the note situation: if you want to convert Scottish notes into goods rather than carry them home, you can still get cash airside for a last purchase. As elsewhere in the UK, check the on-screen wording, since bank-branded machines are free to use while standalone operators charge a disclosed flat fee per withdrawal. Decline dynamic currency conversion and always choose to be billed in pounds.
Does the Edinburgh Festival change how much cash I need?
A little, and in an unexpected direction. Through August the Fringe and the International Festival fill the city with pop-up venues, street performers and temporary bars. Ticketed venues and most pop-ups run on card readers, so cash is not required, but street performers working the Royal Mile and the Mound genuinely rely on coins and small notes, and that is the one context where having sterling in your pocket matters. Withdraw a modest float rather than a large sum, because everything else, including the trams packed with festival crowds, takes contactless.