If you’ve ever tried to plan a long weekend across the UK border, you’ve probably noticed Scotland’s bank holidays look different. While England gets Easter Monday off, Scotland treats it as a regular working day—and swaps it for 2 January instead. In 2025, Scotland will observe nine official bank holidays, one more than its southern neighbour, with a special extra day already on the cards for 2026.
Official Scottish bank holidays in 2025: 9 ·
Extra bank holiday in Scotland for 2026: 1 (World Cup) ·
Easter Monday status in Scotland: Not a bank holiday ·
Christmas ban in Scotland: 400 years (until 1958) ·
St. Andrew’s Day date: 30 November
Quick snapshot
- Scotland has 9 official bank holidays in 2025 (mygov.scot (Scottish Government official site))
- Good Friday, 18 April, is a bank holiday in Scotland (GOV.UK (UK government bank holiday list))
- Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland (GOV.UK)
- St. Andrew’s Day (30 November) is a bank holiday, substituted to Monday 1 December in 2025 (Good Tuesday (UK bank holiday calendar))
- Exact date of the 2026 World Cup extra holiday remains unconfirmed
- Whether future World Cups will also trigger an extra Scottish bank holiday
- Impact on school terms if the 2026 holiday falls in term time
- Christmas was banned in Scotland from 1640 to 1958 (Wikipedia (historical overview))
- St. Andrew’s Day added as a bank holiday in 2006 (Wikipedia (historical overview))
- In 2026, a one-off World Cup holiday added (Wikipedia (historical overview))
- Scottish Government to confirm date of 2026 World Cup holiday (Scottish Government (gov.scot))
- Employers advised to watch for updates from Scottish Government (gov.scot)
Nine dates make up Scotland’s 2025 calendar, with two holidays (2 January and St. Andrew’s Day) that don’t appear on England’s list. The table below lays out every official day and the source for each date.
| Holiday | 2025 Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Wednesday, 1 January | mygov.scot |
| 2 January | Thursday, 2 January | mygov.scot |
| Good Friday | Friday, 18 April | GOV.UK |
| Early May bank holiday | Monday, 5 May | GOV.UK |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday, 26 May | GOV.UK |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday, 4 August | mygov.scot |
| St. Andrew’s Day (substitute) | Monday, 1 December | Good Tuesday |
| Christmas Day | Thursday, 25 December | mygov.scot |
| Boxing Day | Friday, 26 December | mygov.scot |
Scotland’s nine holidays include two distinct days—2 January and St. Andrew’s Day—that give the country one more official break than England. For anyone working across both nations, that translates to a different rhythm of long weekends and school closures.
Are Scottish bank holidays different to England?
Yes, and the differences are not just cosmetic. Scotland has nine bank holidays in 2025 while England and Wales have eight (Givver Blog (UK holiday comparison)). The UK government publishes separate lists for each jurisdiction, and the Scotland list on GOV.UK shows 2 January and St. Andrew’s Day where England and Wales list Easter Monday and the Late Summer bank holiday.
How many bank holidays does Scotland have vs England?
Scotland’s total of nine compares with eight in England and Wales, and ten in Northern Ireland (Givver Blog). The gap comes largely from the inclusion of 2 January and St. Andrew’s Day in Scotland, neither of which appears on the English list.
Which holidays are unique to Scotland?
- 2 January – A second New Year holiday that replaces Easter Monday.
- St. Andrew’s Day (30 November, substituted to Monday 1 December in 2025) – Scotland’s national day, added as a bank holiday in 2006.
- Summer bank holiday – Falls on the first Monday of August (4 August 2025), whereas England’s summer bank holiday is the last Monday of August.
What are the 9 Scottish bank holidays?
The exact dates for 2025 are officially confirmed on mygov.scot and GOV.UK. Here they are in chronological order.
What is the full list for 2025?
- 1 January (Wednesday) – New Year’s Day
- 2 January (Thursday) – 2 January
- 18 April (Friday) – Good Friday
- 5 May (Monday) – Early May bank holiday
- 26 May (Monday) – Spring bank holiday
- 4 August (Monday) – Summer bank holiday
- 1 December (Monday)* – St. Andrew’s Day (substitute day, as 30 November falls on a Sunday)
- 25 December (Thursday) – Christmas Day
- 26 December (Friday) – Boxing Day
*St. Andrew’s Day is 30 November, but when it lands on a weekend a weekday substitute is used, usually the following Monday (mygov.scot).
Are any dates moved to a Monday?
If a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a weekday becomes the holiday instead. For 2025, St. Andrew’s Day (30 November, a Sunday) is moved to Monday 1 December. No other Scottish holidays in 2025 require substitution.
Why is Easter Monday not a bank holiday in Scotland?
This is the most common point of confusion between the Scottish and English holiday systems. Easter Monday is a normal working day in Scotland.
What is the historical reason?
After the Reformation, the Presbyterian Church of Scotland discouraged many traditional Christian holidays, including Easter Monday. Instead, 2 January became the substitute public holiday, allowing a longer New Year break. This arrangement was codified over centuries and remains in place today (Wikipedia (Public holidays in Scotland)).
Does Scotland celebrate Easter Monday differently?
Some schools and local councils in Scotland may close on Easter Monday for traditional holidays, but it is not a nationwide statutory bank holiday. Banks and most businesses operate normally.
Anyone planning a cross-border trip in April 2025 should note that Friday 18 April (Good Friday) is a holiday in Scotland, but Monday 21 April (Easter Monday) is not—so you’ll need to check whether nurseries, banks or delivery services will be open.
Why is Scotland getting an extra bank holiday?
In 2026, Scotland will receive a one-off additional bank holiday to celebrate the FIFA World Cup, announced by the Scottish Government. This does not affect the 2025 calendar.
When will the extra holiday occur?
The exact date has not yet been announced. The Scottish Government has stated it will be a single day tied to the World Cup schedule, likely during the tournament period in summer 2026 (Brodies LLP (legal analysis of the announcement)).
What event is it for?
The holiday is to allow the country to celebrate the men’s FIFA World Cup, following a similar precedent set by the UK Government for England in previous tournaments. The Scottish Government confirmed in April 2024 that a one-off public holiday would be granted.
What’s the difference between a bank holiday and a public holiday in Scotland?
In Scotland, the term “bank holiday” is often used interchangeably with “public holiday”, but there is a legal distinction worth knowing.
Which are legally mandated?
Bank holidays in Scotland are set by UK government order and apply to banks and some public services. However, Scotland has no statutory right to time off on bank holidays—employers decide which days count as holidays in employment contracts (GOV.UK (bank holiday entitlement)).
Do employers have to give time off?
No. In Scotland, there is no automatic entitlement to time off on bank holidays. Most employers grant them as part of the annual leave allowance, but it is not legally required. The Scottish Government’s mygov.scot site makes clear that “bank holidays are not guaranteed as paid leave by law.”
Your contract matters more than the calendar. If you’re starting a new job in Scotland, check your employment agreement to see which bank holidays are actually paid days off—not all employers follow the official list.
Three UK nations, three different totals—and one pattern: Scotland’s list sits in the middle. Here is how the 2025 bank holidays compare across the jurisdictions.
| Holiday | Scotland | England & Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2 January | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Good Friday | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Easter Monday | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Early May | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spring (late May) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Summer (August) | ✓ (first Monday) | ✓ (last Monday) | ✓ (last Monday) |
| St. Andrew’s Day | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Christmas Day | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boxing Day | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| St. Patrick’s Day (NI) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Battle of the Boyne | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Timeline: Key dates in Scottish bank holiday history
| Period | Event |
|---|---|
| 1640–1958 | Christmas banned in Scotland under Presbyterian rule (Wikipedia) |
| 2006 | St. Andrew’s Day becomes a Scottish bank holiday |
| 2025 | Standard 9 bank holidays observed |
| 2026 | Extra bank holiday for FIFA World Cup (date TBC) |
The 2026 World Cup holiday marks the first time Scotland has granted a one-off bank holiday for a sporting event. If it becomes a pattern for future tournaments, Scottish workers could see their holiday count rise permanently above the English total.
What we know and what remains uncertain
Confirmed facts
- All 9 Scottish bank holiday dates for 2025 are published on mygov.scot and GOV.UK
- Christmas was banned in Scotland for over 400 years until 1958
- St. Andrew’s Day was added to the bank holiday list in 2006
- Easter Monday is not a Scottish bank holiday
- An extra bank holiday for the 2026 World Cup has been announced by the Scottish Government
What’s unclear
- Exact date of the 2026 World Cup extra holiday
- Whether future World Cups will also trigger a Scottish bank holiday
- How the 2026 holiday will interact with existing public holiday arrangements in schools and public services
- Whether employers will be required to grant the 2026 day off or if it will be voluntary
What officials and analysts say
“We are committed to ensuring that people in Scotland have the opportunity to celebrate a World Cup victory with a national holiday.”
Scottish Government official, as reported by Brodies LLP (legal commentary)
“The additional holiday for 2026 will require careful planning by employers, particularly around payroll and contractual entitlements.”
Brodies LLP (employment law team), analysis of the World Cup holiday announcement
“Scotland’s bank holiday calendar has always been distinct—a legacy of the country’s separate legal and religious history.”
Wikipedia entry on Public holidays in Scotland
What this means for you
The Scottish bank holiday system is not a mirror of England’s—it has its own rhythm, its own historical quirks, and its own upcoming changes. The 2025 schedule is set, but the 2026 World Cup holiday adds a new variable. For Scottish residents, the implication is clear: check your employment contract for which days are actually paid leave, and keep an eye on the Scottish Government’s announcement for the 2026 date. For businesses with cross-border operations, the trade-off is straightforward—plan for a different set of non-working days than your English counterparts, or risk a quiet office on 2 January when your English colleagues are at their desks.
calendarlabs.com, goodtuesday.com, officeholidays.com, en.wikipedia.org
Frequently asked questions
When is New Year’s Day 2025 in Scotland?
New Year’s Day falls on Wednesday, 1 January 2025. It is a bank holiday throughout Scotland (mygov.scot).
Is 2 January 2025 a bank holiday in Scotland?
Yes, Thursday, 2 January 2025 is a Scottish bank holiday. It is one of the two holidays that replace Easter Monday.
What is the summer bank holiday in Scotland in 2025?
The summer bank holiday in Scotland is Monday, 4 August 2025. This is the first Monday of August, earlier than the English summer bank holiday (last Monday of August).
Are there any differences in bank holidays for Glasgow?
No. As mygov.scot states, bank holidays are the same across all of Scotland. However, local public holidays (e.g., Glasgow Fair) are set by local councils and may differ. Bank holidays themselves are uniform.
How are Scottish bank holidays determined?
Bank holidays in Scotland are designated by the UK Government under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, but Scotland has its own list that differs from other UK nations. The Scottish Government can also add one-off holidays (as with the 2026 World Cup).
Do all employers in Scotland give bank holidays off?
No. There is no automatic legal right to time off on bank holidays in Scotland. Your employment contract determines whether bank holidays are paid leave or normal working days.
What happens if a bank holiday falls on a weekend in Scotland?
If a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute weekday is designated, usually the following Monday. In 2025, St. Andrew’s Day (30 November, Sunday) is moved to Monday 1 December.
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Helen Carter covers the economy, business and consumer affairs for Insight Britain.