Leave HackerJoin the betaBank holidays 2026 in Scotland
Scotland has 10 bank holidays in 2026. The best value is New Year’s Day: book 1 day and get 5 days off in a row. For a proper break, Christmas is the one: book 3 days, get 11 off.
All 10 bank holidays in 2026
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| 2 January | Friday | 2nd January |
| 3 April | Friday | Good Friday |
| 4 May | Monday | Early May bank holiday |
| 25 May | Monday | Spring bank holiday |
| 15 June | Monday | World Cup bank holiday |
| 3 August | Monday | Summer bank holiday |
| 30 November | Monday | St Andrew’s Day |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas Day |
| 28 December | Monday | Boxing Day substitute day |
Boxing Day (26 December) falls on a Saturday, so the bank holiday is Monday 28 December.
Add them to your calendar with gov.uk's Scotland calendar file.
The days to book around each bank holiday
Each break below runs from the first day off to the last, weekends included. Only days of leave that buy at least two days off each are listed.
New Year’s Day: book 1 day, get 5 off
New Year’s Day on Thursday 1 January and 2nd January on Friday 2 January.
Book 1 day, get 5 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Mon 5 Jan | 1 to 5 Jan |
| 2 | 6 | Mon 5 to Tue 6 Jan | 1 to 6 Jan |
| 3 | 7 | Mon 5 to Wed 7 Jan | 1 to 7 Jan |
| 4 | 8 | Mon 5 to Thu 8 Jan | 1 to 8 Jan |
| 5 | 11 | Mon 5 to Fri 9 Jan | 1 to 11 Jan |
| 6 | 12 | Mon 5 to Fri 9 Jan and Mon 12 Jan | 1 to 12 Jan |
Easter: book 1 day, get 4 off
Good Friday on Friday 3 April.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Thu 2 Apr | 2 to 5 Apr |
| 2 | 5 | Wed 1 to Thu 2 Apr | 1 to 5 Apr |
| 3 | 6 | Tue 31 Mar to Thu 2 Apr | 31 Mar to 5 Apr |
| 4 | 9 | Mon 30 Mar to Thu 2 Apr | 28 Mar to 5 Apr |
| 5 | 10 | Fri 27 Mar and Mon 30 Mar to Thu 2 Apr | 27 Mar to 5 Apr |
Early May bank holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
Early May bank holiday on Monday 4 May.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 1 May | 1 to 4 May |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 30 Apr to Fri 1 May | 30 Apr to 4 May |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 29 Apr to Fri 1 May | 29 Apr to 4 May |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 5 to Fri 8 May | 2 to 10 May |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 27 Apr to Fri 1 May | 25 Apr to 4 May |
Spring bank holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
Spring bank holiday on Monday 25 May.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 22 May | 22 to 25 May |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 21 to Fri 22 May | 21 to 25 May |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 20 to Fri 22 May | 20 to 25 May |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 26 to Fri 29 May | 23 to 31 May |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 18 to Fri 22 May | 16 to 25 May |
World Cup bank holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 12 Jun | 12 to 15 Jun |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 11 to Fri 12 Jun | 11 to 15 Jun |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 10 to Fri 12 Jun | 10 to 15 Jun |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 16 to Fri 19 Jun | 13 to 21 Jun |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 8 to Fri 12 Jun | 6 to 15 Jun |
Summer bank holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
Summer bank holiday on Monday 3 August.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 31 Jul | 31 Jul to 3 Aug |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 30 to Fri 31 Jul | 30 Jul to 3 Aug |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 29 to Fri 31 Jul | 29 Jul to 3 Aug |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 4 to Fri 7 Aug | 1 to 9 Aug |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 27 to Fri 31 Jul | 25 Jul to 3 Aug |
St Andrew’s Day: book 1 day, get 4 off
St Andrew’s Day on Monday 30 November.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 27 Nov | 27 to 30 Nov |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 26 to Fri 27 Nov | 26 to 30 Nov |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 25 to Fri 27 Nov | 25 to 30 Nov |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 1 to Fri 4 Dec | 28 Nov to 6 Dec |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 23 to Fri 27 Nov | 21 to 30 Nov |
Christmas: book 1 day, get 5 off
Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and Boxing Day on Monday 28 December (substitute day).
Book 1 day, get 5 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Thu 24 Dec | 24 to 28 Dec |
| 2 | 6 | Wed 23 to Thu 24 Dec | 23 to 28 Dec |
| 3 | 11 | Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 25 Dec to 4 Jan |
| 4 | 12 | Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 24 Dec to 4 Jan |
| 5 | 13 | Wed 23 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 23 Dec to 4 Jan |
| 6 | 14 | Tue 22 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 22 Dec to 4 Jan |
| 7 | 17 | Mon 21 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 19 Dec to 4 Jan |
| 8 | 18 | Fri 18 Dec, Mon 21 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 18 Dec to 4 Jan |
| 9 | 19 | Thu 17 to Fri 18 Dec, Mon 21 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 17 Dec to 4 Jan |
Questions
How many bank holidays are there in 2026 in Scotland?
10: New Year’s Day (Thu 1 Jan), 2nd January (Fri 2 Jan), Good Friday (Fri 3 Apr), Early May bank holiday (Mon 4 May), Spring bank holiday (Mon 25 May), World Cup bank holiday (Mon 15 Jun), Summer bank holiday (Mon 3 Aug), St Andrew’s Day (Mon 30 Nov), Christmas Day (Fri 25 Dec) and Boxing Day (Mon 28 Dec).
When is Easter 2026?
Good Friday is Friday 3 April 2026 and Easter Sunday is Sunday 5 April. Easter Monday isn't a bank holiday in Scotland.
What happens when a bank holiday falls at a weekend?
You get a substitute day, usually the next weekday. In 2026: Boxing Day (26 December) falls on a Saturday, so the bank holiday is Monday 28 December.
How do I get the most days off in 2026?
Book the working days between a bank holiday and a weekend. In Scotland the best value is New Year’s Day: book Mon 5 Jan for 5 days off. The best long break is Christmas: book 3 days (Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec) for 11 days off.
Are Scotland's bank holidays the same as England's?
Scotland also has 2nd January (Friday 2 January), World Cup bank holiday (Monday 15 June) and St Andrew’s Day (Monday 30 November), and it has no Easter Monday. The summer bank holiday is Monday 3 August, not Monday 31 August as in England and Wales.
Do I get bank holidays off on top of my annual leave?
Not always. Full-time workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year (28 days for a five-day week), and employers can count bank holidays as part of it. Your contract says which. See gov.uk on holiday entitlement.