9 weird and wonderful Scottish laws that are still in effect today
By Sarah Wilson
Published 6th Aug 2019, 15:15 GMT
Weird Scottish laws you won't believe are still in place
Have you ever accidentally set fire to a chimney, or fished for sea trout on a Sunday? In Scotland, you could be breaking the law.
Scots law is an interesting mix of civil and common law which traces its roots to several historical sources - meaning there are still a fair few bizarre laws in place that are a hangover from the past. These are 9 of the weirdest that are still around today - though there are few instances of them being broken in the modern age.
Thought to be a hangover from puritan beliefs banning recreation on God's day of rest, it is illegal to fish for salmon or sea trout on a Sunday in Scotland. More recently the law was confirmed to allow stocks to recover.
According to Section 31 of the Town Police Clauses act of 1847, you can incur a penalty if you accidentally allow a chimney to catch fire in the building you're using or residing in.
The Currency and Banknotes act of 1928 makes it an offence to deface a banknote by printing, stamping or writing on it. The Coinage act also makes it illegal to destroy a UK metal coin current since 1969 without a licence.
