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Public and bank holidays

Last updated
8 Dec 2023

Local public holidays

Each local council in Scotland has powers to make certain days 'local' public holidays.

Aberdeen City Council Aberdeenshire Council Angus Council Argyll and Bute Council Clackmannanshire Council Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) Dumfries & Galloway Council Dundee City Council East Ayrshire Council East Dunbartonshire Council East Lothian Council East Renfrewshire Council Edinburgh Council Falkirk Council Fife Council Glasgow City Council Highland Council Inverclyde Council Midlothian Council Moray Council North Ayrshire Council North Lanarkshire Council Orkney Islands Council Perth & Kinross Council Renfrewshire Council Scottish Borders Council Shetland Islands Council South Ayrshire Council South Lanarkshire Council Stirling Council West Dunbartonshire Council West Lothian Council

Bank holidays

Bank holidays are the same across Scotland. If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a substitute weekday becomes a bank holiday. This would normally be the Monday after the original date.

Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays. Check your employment contract for what days your employer agreed you could take.

Bank holidays might affect when:

Find bank holiday dates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on GOV.UK.

Bank holiday dates in 2024
Date Day of the week Bank holiday
1 January Monday New Year's Day
2 January Tuesday 2 January
29 March Friday Good Friday
6 May Monday Early May bank holiday
27 May Monday Spring bank holiday
5 August Monday Summer bank holiday
2 December Monday St Andrew's Day (substitute day)
25 December Wednesday Christmas Day
26 December Thursday Boxing Day

Past bank holidays

Bank holiday dates in 2023
2023 Day of the week Bank holiday
26 December Tuesday Boxing Day
25 December Monday Christmas Day
30 November Thursday St Andrew's Day
7 August Monday Summer bank holiday
29 May Monday Spring bank holiday
8 May Monday Coronation 
1 May Monday Early May 
7 April Friday Good Friday
3 January Tuesday 2 January (substitute day)
2 January Monday New Year's Day (substitute day)
Bank holiday dates in 2022
2022 Day of the week Bank holiday
27 December Tuesday Christmas Day (substitute day)
26 December Monday Boxing Day
30 November Wednesday St Andrew's Day
1 August Monday Summer bank holiday
3 June Friday Platinum Jubilee bank holiday
2 June Thursday Spring bank holiday
2 May Monday Early May bank holiday
15 April Friday Good Friday
4 January Tuesday 2 January (substitute day)
3 January Monday New Year's Day (substitute day)
Bank holiday dates in 2021
2021 Day of the week Bank holiday
28 December Tuesday Boxing Day (substitute day)
27 December Monday Christmas Day (substitute day)
30 November Tuesday St Andrew's Day
2 August Monday Summer bank holiday
31 May Monday Spring bank holiday
3 May Monday Early May bank holiday
2 April Friday Good Friday
4 January Monday 2 January (substitute day)
1 January Friday New Year's Day
Bank holiday dates in 2020
2020 Day of the week Bank holiday
28 December Monday Boxing Day (substitute day)
25 December Friday Christmas Day
30 November Monday St. Andrew's Day
3 August Monday Summer Bank Holiday
25 May Monday Spring Bank Holiday
8 May Friday Early May Bank Holiday (VE day)
10 April Friday Good Friday
2 January Thursday 2 January
1 January Wednesday New Year's Day
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