There are ten bank holidays in Scotland in 2026, two more than in England and Wales. Scotland adds 2 January and St Andrew’s Day, takes its summer bank holiday at the start of August rather than the end, and does not have Easter Monday. In 2026 it also had a one-off holiday on Monday 15 June to mark the men’s national football team playing at the World Cup. For visitors, the practical point is that most shops, attractions and restaurants stay open on Scottish bank holidays, with Christmas Day and New Year’s Day the big exceptions.

Bank Holidays in Scotland 2026: All Dates

Date	Day	Holiday
1 January 2026	Thursday	New Year’s Day
2 January 2026	Friday	2nd January
3 April 2026	Friday	Good Friday
4 May 2026	Monday	Early May bank holiday
25 May 2026	Monday	Spring bank holiday
15 June 2026	Monday	World Cup bank holiday (one-off)
3 August 2026	Monday	Summer bank holiday
30 November 2026	Monday	St Andrew’s Day
25 December 2026	Friday	Christmas Day
28 December 2026	Monday	Boxing Day (substitute day)

Source: the Scottish Government’s official list of Scottish bank holiday dates on gov.scot. Boxing Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December, giving a four-day Christmas weekend from Friday 25 to Monday 28 December. The next bank holiday in Scotland is St Andrew’s Day, Monday 30 November 2026.

How Scotland’s Bank Holidays Differ from England’s

Holiday	Scotland 2026	England & Wales 2026
2 January	Friday 2 January	Not a bank holiday
Easter Monday	Not a bank holiday	Monday 6 April
World Cup holiday	Monday 15 June	Not a bank holiday
Summer bank holiday	Monday 3 August (first Monday)	Monday 31 August (last Monday)
St Andrew’s Day	Monday 30 November	Not a bank holiday

New Year’s Day, Good Friday, the early May and spring bank holidays, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are shared across Great Britain. If you’re splitting a trip between London and Edinburgh, the August difference is the one most likely to catch you out: the two summer bank holidays are four weeks apart. Our guide to London public holidays in 2026 covers the English side of the calendar.

History of Scottish Bank Holidays

The Bank Holidays Act 1871

The Bank Holidays Act 1871, introduced by the banker and MP Sir John Lubbock, created the first statutory bank holidays in the UK, and it gave Scotland a different list from England from the very start. Scotland’s original days were New Year’s Day, Good Friday, the first Monday in May, the first Monday in August and Christmas Day. That first-Monday-in-August date is why Scotland’s summer bank holiday still falls weeks earlier than England’s. Today, Scottish bank holidays are set under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, and the monarch can add special one-off holidays by proclamation.

Hogmanay and the 2 January Holiday

Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year, has long been the bigger winter celebration in Scotland, while Christmas was played down for centuries after the Reformation. Christmas Day only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1958, and Boxing Day followed in 1974. The 2 January bank holiday reflects the same priorities: a second day off to recover from seeing in the New Year, a holiday England has never had.

St Andrew’s Day: A Bank Holiday Since 2007

St Andrew’s Day, 30 November, is the feast day of Scotland’s patron saint, but it only became a bank holiday under the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007. The Act created the holiday without obliging anyone to take it, so while some public-sector bodies close, most shops, businesses and attractions open as normal. In 2026 it falls on a Monday, so there’s no substitute day to work out.

The 2026 World Cup Bank Holiday

The World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026 is the newest entry in the record. According to the Scottish Government, it marked Scotland’s men’s team playing at a World Cup for the first time since 1998; the holiday was proposed by the First Minister and approved by the King. It joins earlier one-off Scottish bank holidays such as the Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022 and the Coronation of King Charles III in May 2023. It was a one-off and will not recur in 2027.

Public Holidays vs Bank Holidays: Scotland’s Local Holidays

Scotland also has local public holidays, which are set separately by each of its 32 councils and can differ from one city to the next. These are often the days when local schools, council offices and some businesses close, even though they are not bank holidays. Common examples are spring and autumn Monday holidays, Victoria Day in May, and the traditional summer ‘trades’ or ‘fair’ holidays. The City of Edinburgh Council, for example, lists Victoria Day on Monday 18 May 2026, the start of the Trades Holidays on Saturday 4 July 2026 and an autumn public holiday on Monday 21 September 2026. Check the relevant council’s website for dates in other areas.

Visiting Scotland on a Bank Holiday: What Opens and Closes

Shops, restaurants and attractions: Most stay open on ordinary bank holidays, often on Sunday hours. There is no law requiring businesses to close on bank holidays.

Banks: According to the Scottish Government, Scottish banks don’t always close on Scottish bank holidays, and tend to follow the England and Wales calendar for business reasons. If you need a branch, check its own opening times.

Christmas and New Year: This is when closures really bite. Many attractions close on 25 and 26 December and some on 1 January, so check each one’s festive hours before planning a visit.

Trains: In recent years ScotRail has run no trains at all on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, with a reduced Boxing Day timetable and earlier last trains on Christmas Eve and Hogmanay. The 2026 festive timetable is usually published in late autumn on the ScotRail website and app.

Accommodation: Long weekends, especially in May and early August, push up demand and prices in popular areas such as Edinburgh, Skye and the Highlands. Book earlier than usual if your dates overlap.

Bank holiday dates last checked: September 2026.

Bank Holidays in Scotland 2027

The 2027 dates below are the ones published for Scotland on the UK Government’s bank holiday list. The Scottish Government’s own gov.scot page hadn’t added 2027 at the time of checking, so it’s worth confirming nearer the time. Scotland has nine bank holidays in 2027. Because 2 January, Christmas Day and Boxing Day all fall at weekends, each moves to a substitute weekday.

Date	Day	Holiday
1 January 2027	Friday	New Year’s Day
4 January 2027	Monday	2nd January (substitute day)
26 March 2027	Friday	Good Friday
3 May 2027	Monday	Early May bank holiday
31 May 2027	Monday	Spring bank holiday
2 August 2027	Monday	Summer bank holiday
30 November 2027	Tuesday	St Andrew’s Day
27 December 2027	Monday	Christmas Day (substitute day)
28 December 2027	Tuesday	Boxing Day (substitute day)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bank holidays are there in Scotland in 2026?

Ten. That’s the usual nine plus the one-off World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026. England and Wales have eight.

Is St Andrew’s Day a bank holiday?

Yes, in Scotland only. In 2026 it falls on Monday 30 November. It has been a bank holiday since 2007, but nobody is obliged to take it, so most shops, businesses and attractions stay open.

Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Scotland?

No. Good Friday is a bank holiday in Scotland, but Easter Monday is not, unlike in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Some Scottish councils treat Easter Monday as a local holiday instead.

Why was there a World Cup bank holiday in Scotland?

To mark Scotland’s men’s football team playing at a World Cup for the first time since 1998. The one-off holiday on Monday 15 June 2026 was proposed by the First Minister and approved by the King.

What are local holidays in Scotland?

Local holidays are public holidays set by each Scottish council rather than by law, so they vary from area to area. They often include spring and autumn Mondays, Victoria Day in May and summer trades or fair holidays, and they are when local schools and council offices usually close.

Do banks close on Scottish bank holidays?

Not necessarily, despite the name. The Scottish Government notes that Scottish banks tend to close on the same days as banks in England and Wales for business reasons, and there is no law requiring banks or any other businesses to close on a bank holiday.

When are the bank holidays in Scotland in 2027?

Scotland has nine bank holidays in 2027: 1 January, 4 January, 26 March, 3 May, 31 May, 2 August, 30 November, 27 December and 28 December. The January and December dates include substitute days for holidays falling at weekends.

Planning a trip around a long weekend? Free Things to Do in Edinburgh is a good place to start for a city break, and our guide to tipping in Scotland covers the etiquette once you’re there. Browse the full Plan Your Trip collection, or head to the Scotland hub for guides across the country.

Scotland’s calendar is its own record, from an 1871 list that already differed from England’s to a football holiday in 2026. We’ll keep this page updated as each year’s dates are confirmed.