Last verified: June 2026 — sourced from gov.uk/bank-holidays
Scotland has different bank holidays to England and Wales. There are two key dates unique to Scotland — 2 January and St Andrew’s Day on 30 November — and Scotland does not observe Easter Monday. Scotland’s summer bank holiday also falls on a different date to the rest of Great Britain.
Scottish bank holidays 2026 — full list
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| 2 January 2026 Scotland only | Friday | 2nd January |
| 3 April 2026 | Friday | Good Friday |
| Easter Monday | — | Not a Scottish bank holiday |
| 4 May 2026 | Monday | Early May bank holiday |
| 25 May 2026 | Monday | Spring bank holiday |
| 3 August 2026 Scotland only | Monday | Summer bank holiday ⬅ upcoming |
| 30 November 2026 Scotland only | Monday | St Andrew’s Day |
| 25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day ⬅ upcoming |
| 28 December 2026 | Monday | Boxing Day (substitute) ⬅ upcoming |
Why does Scotland have different bank holidays?
Scotland has its own separate legal system and has historically observed different public holidays to England and Wales. The Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 sets out bank holidays differently for Scotland. 2 January has been a Scottish bank holiday since 1974, reflecting the traditional importance of New Year (Hogmanay) in Scottish culture. St Andrew’s Day — 30 November — became a Scottish bank holiday in 2007 under the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007.
See also
For the full UK picture see our UK bank holidays 2026 page, or our Northern Ireland bank holidays 2026 page for NI-specific dates. Use our next bank holiday countdown to see how long until your next day off.