This webpage presents a complete schedule of Scotland’s bank holidays for 2024. It’s important to be aware that these dates could be revised following any official updates, so we encourage you to revisit this page frequently to stay informed about any changes.
It’s also worth mentioning that this schedule does not cover every public holiday in Scotland, as many holidays are established at the local level.
While national and country-wide holidays can be replaced by local observances, various local holidays also take place across the year.
You may also be interested in UK or England Bank Holidays.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Sun | New Year’s Day |
| 2 Jan | Mon | New Year Holiday |
| 3 Jan | Tue | New Year Holiday |
| 7 Apr | Fri | Good Friday |
| 1 May | Mon | May Day |
| 8 May | Mon | Coronation of King Charles III |
| 29 May | Mon | Late May Bank Holiday |
| 7 Aug | Mon | August Bank Holiday |
| 30 Nov | Thu | St Andrew’s Day |
| 25 Dec | Mon | Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec | Tue | Boxing Day |
| Visit gov.uk for the original release. | ||
Bank holidays in Scotland have a unique history.
They are determined under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 and the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007.
Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, most bank holidays are not recognised as statutory public holidays in Scotland, as most public holidays are determined by local authorities across Scotland. Since Easter 1996, the Scottish clearing banks have harmonised the days on which they are closed with those in England, resulting in a number of local authorities creating a public holiday on Easter Monday.
Previously, Easter Monday had not been a public holiday in Scotland.
The history of bank holidays in Scotland dates back to the 1871 Act, which made Good Friday a bank holiday in Scotland.
The 1971 Act brought England, Wales, and Northern Ireland their first official bank holidays, while Scotland had New Year’s Day, Good Friday, the first Monday in May, the first Monday in August, and Christmas Day as bank holidays.
In 1974, New Year’s Day became a bank holiday in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and Boxing Day became a bank holiday in Scotland.
The history of bank holidays is intertwined with legislation, tradition, and practical approaches to work and life.
The first bank holidays in Scotland were Easter Monday, Whit Monday, the first Monday in August, and Boxing Day.
The history of bank holidays is a combination of tradition, religion, days of historic significance, legislation, and a practical approach to work and life.
Scotland Bank Holidays FAQs
Employees living in Scotland typically get nine bank holidays a year. This is one more than in England and Wales, and one less than in Northern Ireland. The bank holidays in Scotland include New Year’s Day, 2nd January, Good Friday, Early May, Spring, Summer, St Andrew’s Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
Yes, there are additional bank holidays in Scotland for special events. One-off bank holidays are occasionally added to the calendar to mark special occasions. For example, in the past, one-off bank holidays were added to mark the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee on 5th June 2012, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on 5th June 2022, and King Charles III’s Coronation on 6th May 2023. In the case of bank holidays in honor of the reigning monarch, dates are set by the government in London, but the decision about whether Scotland also marks these holidays is made locally.
Scotland has nine statutory bank holidays, which is one more than in England and Wales, and one less than in Northern Ireland. The bank holidays in Scotland include New Year’s Day, 2nd January, Good Friday, Early May, Spring, Summer, St Andrew’s Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, most bank holidays in Scotland are not recognised as statutory public holidays and are determined by local authorities across Scotland. Scottish bank holidays are the same across the whole of Scotland, but banks in Scotland do not always close on these holidays. Additionally, one-off bank holidays are occasionally added to the calendar to mark special occasions, such as royal weddings and jubilees.
Yes, there are bank holidays in Scotland that are not observed in other countries of the United Kingdom. Scotland has its own set of bank holidays, which include 2nd January and St Andrew’s Day. 2nd January is a bank holiday in Scotland, but not in the rest of the United Kingdom. St Andrew’s Day, celebrated on 30th November, is also a bank holiday in Scotland, while it is not a bank holiday in the rest of the United Kingdom. Additionally, some local authorities in Scotland have the flexibility to create additional public holidays, resulting in variations across different parts of the country.
Easter Monday is not a statutory bank holiday in Scotland, although some local councils in Scotland, such as Edinburgh, Falkirk, and Dundee, do recognize it as a bank holiday. The reason for this is that all local councils in Scotland have the power to make certain days local public holidays. Additionally, since Easter 1996, the Scottish clearing banks have harmonised the days on which they are closed with those in England, resulting in some local authorities creating a public holiday on Easter Monday. Previously, Easter Monday had not been a public holiday in Scotland. The decision about whether Easter Monday is recognised as a bank holiday in Scotland is made locally, and it is not a nationwide bank holiday in the country.
January 2nd is a bank holiday in Scotland due to the historical significance of the New Year celebrations, particularly the tradition of “Hogmanay,” which is a bigger celebration in Scotland than Christmas. The festivities associated with New Year’s in Scotland extend beyond January 1st and into January 2nd, which is why January 2nd is a traditional bank holiday in Scotland. This tradition dates back to the 1971 Act, which designated January 2nd as an additional bank holiday in Scotland. While it is not a bank holiday in the rest of the United Kingdom, it is a day off for many Scots, providing an extra day to recover from the New Year celebrations.
In Scotland, the last Monday in August is not a statutory bank holiday, but banks are typically closed on this day for business reasons to align with the rest of the United Kingdom. This practice is done to harmonize the closure of banks with those in England and Wales, where the last Monday in August is a bank holiday. The decision about whether to close on this day is made by individual banks for business reasons, and it is not a nationwide bank holiday in Scotland. This practice has resulted in some confusion, as the closure of banks on the last Monday in August may give the impression that it is a bank holiday, even though it is not recognised as such in Scotland.
Additional bank holidays are occasionally declared in Scotland to mark special occasions. For example, one-off bank holidays were added to the calendar to mark the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee on 5th June 2012, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on 5th June 2022, and King Charles III’s Coronation on 6th May 2023. These one-off bank holidays are typically declared to commemorate significant national or royal events. The dates for these additional bank holidays are set by the government, and the decision about whether Scotland also marks these holidays is made locally.
