For all those out there who are ginger and are sick of getting stick for it, with little in return, one man in Scotland has come up with the perfect way to cash in on his hair colour, literally. 

Having red hair is a pretty tough gig. Kids in school make fun of you because they think that you're different, your ability to stay out in the sun is pretty poor (generally 2-3 minutes before burning) and scientists think that evolution/climate change is trying to kill you off. 

Well, here's a rare piece of good news (beyond the fact that Karen Gillan is a redhead and might possibly be the most lovely creature on the planet) as Scotsman Richard Macrae has come up with the 'Ginger Discount Card' for those out there who, like him, have red hair. 

While it started out as a bit of a joke between friends who gave him the fake card as a present for his birthday, he began to bring it to shops, hoping that a few of them might offer him something, and it seems to be working. Similar to the 'good guy discount' (if you don't know about that, get your ears on this here podcast), it relies on the shopkeepers to see the humour, appreciate that you're not trying to scam anyone, and of course the realisation that the little discount they offer will probably bring them a few more customers by word of mouth, or social media nowadays. 

One shopping centre in Aberdeen has gone for it whole-heartedly as Union Square complex were offering the discount to all gingers across all stores in the centre this past weekend, including Nandos, Superdry, Cotwold Outdoor and TM Lewin, amongst a whole host of others according to ITV News. 

Macrae has been using the cad for years, and estimates that it has saved him at least £200 in his time. He told The Scotsman that “people have always given me stick for my hair colour but now I’m going out three nights a week and saving a fortune. The joke’s on them".

He added that people know him now as the ‘ginger discount guy', and he brings the card everywhere with him. 

“Usually everyone gets the humour behind it. Some people look confused and wonder if it’s real, which is always a laugh, but most get the joke. I’ve saved a couple of hundred pounds maybe, with money off booze, taxis, food and club entries. Over four years it fairly builds up."

Given that we too have a fair number of flame-haired folks on these shores, we're pushing to get the ginger discount here, and we want to be first in line for the card. Ginger power!

Via ITV News and The Scotsman. Main pic via James Andrews on Twitter