Queensferry Crossing celebrated on new £20 note

The front of the new £20 note

Bank of Scotland has unveiled its new £20 note design.

The polymer design has retained an image of Sir Walter Scott and The Mound in Edinburgh as well as the Forth Bridge.

But a limited edition commemorative £20 note, to be released alongside the Forth Bridge design, celebrates the completion of the Queensferry Crossing.

The notes are smaller than existing £20 notes and have several new security features.

The front of the note will continue to feature the portrait of the novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott, alongside the image of The Mound. The distinctive red Forth Bridge, which was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2015, is on the reverse.

One of the key security features of Bank of Scotland's polymer notes is the anti-counterfeit "window effect" which can be found in the windows of The Mound.

The £20 polymer note features a holographic depth stripe, the top of the foil features a Northern Lights effect when tilted and additionally the clouds adjacent to the goddess Fame will move left to right when tilted east to west.

Holders of the new £20 polymer note will recognise a new image of the Forth bridges, with the Queensferry Crossing visible in the background.

In celebration of the longest three-tower, cable stayed bridge in the world, the Queensferry Crossing will be celebrated in its own right by featuring on a limited number of commemorative £20 notes.

Designed by De La Rue, the commemorative notes will be marked with "QF & QC" with this pre-fix featuring only on this design.

• How Scotland changed the face of British banknotes

Tara Foley, managing director of the bank, said: "Bank of Scotland has issued bank notes for more than 320 years, showcasing the country's proud history.

"The Queensferry Crossing is the perfect example of Scottish ingenuity and innovation, and that's why we have decided to commemorate the landmark site on a collection of our £20 polymer notes."

The back of the commemorative note makes a feature of the Queensferry Crossing

Transport Minister Michael Matheson said: "It is marvellous to see Bank of Scotland marking the arrival of the record breaking structure over the Firth of Forth, the Queensferry Crossing, in this commemorative £20 note.

"It's a fitting tribute to the ingenuity and endeavour of all of the people involved in the creation of this iconic bridge to have a special edition note dedicated to them."

Measuring 139 x 73 mm (5.5in x 2.9in) compared to the current 149 x 80mm, (5.9in x 3.1in) the two notes are slightly smaller than the existing paper £20 notes in circulation. This size is consistent with the new £20 notes that will be issued by the Bank of England and other UK banks next year.

Like the £10 Polymer note, the £20 note will also introduce the tactile emboss feature to aid the visually impaired.

All existing paper Bank of Scotland £20 notes will be gradually withdrawn following the issue of the new note, but any currently in circulation will continue to be accepted at shops, banks and cash payment machines

The Queensferry crossing

The Queensferry Crossing is featured on the new bank of Scotland commemorative £20 note

The Queensferry Crossing opened to traffic on 30 August 2017.

The structure spans 1.7 miles (2.7km) making it the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world.

It is the biggest infrastructure project in Scotland for a generation.

The bridge helped set a new world record in 2013 when Transport Scotland achieved the largest continuous underwater concrete pour. The 24-hour non-stop operation successfully poured 16,869 cubic metres of concrete into the water-filled south tower caisson.

Prior to the completion of the final closure sections on the deck, the balanced cantilevers which extend 322m (352 yards) north and south from the central tower, i.e. 644m (704 yards) tip to tip, were recorded by Guinness World Records as the longest ever.

They are highest bridge towers in the UK at 210m (230 yards).