Scotland Bank Holidays 2026
There are 10 bank holidays in Scotland in 2026.
Next bank holiday: Monday 30 November (St Andrew's Day)
10 bank holidays in 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Friday | 2nd January | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday | World Cup bank holiday | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Monday | St Andrew's Day Next | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | |
| Monday | Boxing Day Substitute day |
Planning leave for staff in Scotland?
OfficeSimplify adds Scotland's bank holidays, including 2 January and St Andrew's Day, to your team's calendar. When someone books leave, it counts the right working days, taking bank holidays into account the way you've set them up.
How the UK nations differ in 2026
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have New Year's Day, Good Friday, the early May bank holiday, the spring bank holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The table shows where they differ.
| Holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd January | – | – | |
| St Patrick's Day | – | – | |
| Easter Monday | – | ||
| World Cup bank holiday | – | – | |
| Battle of the Boyne | – | – | |
| Summer bank holiday | |||
| St Andrew's Day | – | – | |
| Total | 8 | 10 | 10 |
Staff in more than one UK nation? OfficeSimplify gives each office the right bank holidays for where it is, so everyone in a team split between Scotland and England sees their own days off.
Try it free for 30 daysWhy Scotland's bank holidays are different
Scotland's summer bank holiday is on the first Monday in August, not the last. That was the date the Bank Holidays Act 1871 set for the whole UK. England and Wales moved theirs to the end of August in 1971, and Scotland kept the original date. In 2026 it falls on Monday 3 August.
Scotland also has a bank holiday on 2 January. In 2026 it falls on Friday 2 January.
Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland, although some employers and councils give it as a local holiday.
St Andrew's Day on 30 November became a bank holiday under the St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007. Employers don't have to give it as a day off, so decide whether you do and tell your staff. In 2026 it falls on Monday 30 November.
Many Scottish towns and cities also have local holidays set by the council, such as spring and autumn holidays. These are separate from bank holidays and vary by area.
2026 also has the World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June, a one-off bank holiday.
Free tools for employers
Bank holiday questions
When is Easter 2026 in Scotland?
Easter Sunday was 5 April 2026, which isn't a bank holiday. In Scotland, Good Friday (Friday 3 April 2026) was a bank holiday, but Easter Monday wasn't.
When are the May bank holidays in 2026 in Scotland?
The early May bank holiday was Monday 4 May 2026 and the spring bank holiday was Monday 25 May 2026, across the UK.
When is the August bank holiday 2026 in Scotland?
In Scotland the summer bank holiday was Monday 3 August 2026, the first Monday in August. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the summer bank holiday was Monday 31 August 2026, the last Monday in August.
When is the 2nd January bank holiday in 2026?
The 2nd January bank holiday in Scotland was Friday 2 January 2026.
When is the World Cup bank holiday in 2026?
The World Cup bank holiday in Scotland was Monday 15 June 2026.
When is the St Andrew's Day bank holiday in 2026?
The St Andrew's Day bank holiday in Scotland is Monday 30 November 2026.
When are the Christmas bank holidays in 2026 in Scotland?
Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so the Christmas bank holidays are Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026 and Monday 28 December 2026, across the UK.
How are bank holidays in Scotland different from England and Wales?
Scotland has 10 bank holidays in 2026 and England and Wales has 8. Compared with England and Wales, Scotland adds 2nd January, the World Cup bank holiday and St Andrew's Day, has no Easter Monday and has its summer bank holiday on Monday 3 August 2026.
What are UK bank holidays?
Bank holidays are public holidays in the UK, when banks and many workplaces close. In England and Wales there are usually 8 bank holidays a year, in Scotland 9 and in Northern Ireland 10. The government sometimes adds one for a special event, such as a coronation or a jubilee.
Do employers have to give bank holidays off?
No. In the UK there's no legal right to time off on bank holidays. Full-time staff are entitled to 28 days' paid annual leave, and employers can count bank holidays as part of it or give them on top. What matters is that everyone gets their full 28 days, or the pro-rata equivalent for part-time staff.
How are bank holidays calculated for part-time staff?
Part-time staff have no legal right to bank holidays off, and neither do full-time staff. But the Part-Time Workers Regulations say part-time staff mustn't be treated less favourably. So if full-time staff get bank holidays on top of their annual leave, part-time staff should get a pro-rata share. Someone working 3 days a week would get 3/5 of them: 4.8 days out of 8 in England and Wales. That applies whether or not they usually work on the days the bank holidays fall.
Do bank holidays count towards annual leave?
It depends on the employment contract. Many employers give bank holidays on top of annual leave, and some include them in it. A contract that says "20 days plus bank holidays" gives them on top. One that says "28 days including bank holidays" counts them as part of the 28.
Do shift workers get extra pay for working a bank holiday?
Not by law in the UK. Staff who work a bank holiday get their normal pay unless their contract says otherwise. Many employers pay time-and-a-half or give a day off in lieu.
Works in Slack and Microsoft Teams
Handle bank holidays and leave where your team already works
- Loads Scotland's bank holidays for your offices in Scotland, and the right ones for every other office
- Counts the right working days for each person, taking bank holidays into account the way you've set them up
- Shows who's already off, so you can spot clashes before approving leave
- Staff request leave and managers approve it in Microsoft Teams or Slack, as well as on the web