Public and bank holidays in Scotland

Bank and public holidays in Scotland 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 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. Some of these may be taken in lieu of statutory holidays, while others may be additional holidays, although many companies, including Royal Mail, do not follow all the holidays listed below; and many swap between English and local holidays. Many large shops and supermarkets continue to operate normally during public holidays, especially since there are no restrictions such as Sunday trading rules in Scotland.

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Bank holidays

Since Easter 1996 the Scottish clearing banks have harmonised the days on which they are closed with those in England and Wales, and are therefore closed on Easter Monday and the last Monday in August (rather than the first). This has resulted in a number of local authorities creating a public holiday on Easter Monday. Previously Easter Monday had not been a public holiday in Scotland. There have been many protests about banks opening on 2 January since this decision was taken. This has resulted in many banks now providing only a limited service on 2 January, with most members of staff still entitled to the holiday.

Schedule 1 to the 1971 Act states that the following days are official bank holidays in Scotland:

DateName
1 JanuaryNew Year's Day
2 JanuaryNew Year Holiday
variableGood Friday
First Monday in MayMay Day
Last Monday in MaySpring Holiday
First Monday in AugustSummer Holiday
30 NovemberSt. Andrew's Day
25 DecemberChristmas Day
26 DecemberBoxing Day
Total9

[1]

Notes
  1. Certain bank branches in Edinburgh are open on the last Monday in August when the Edinburgh Festival is taking place
  2. When the stated date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is normally designated a public holiday instead. When Christmas Day falls on a Saturday (and thus Boxing Day on a Sunday), the following Monday and Tuesday are normally designated public holidays instead
  3. In 1995, May Day holiday was moved to the second Monday in May – i.e., from 1 May to 8 May – to commemorate the 50th anniversary of VE Day
  4. In 1999, an additional bank holiday was given to enable people to prepare for the festivities to mark the arrival of the year 2000[2]
  5. In 2002, the Spring Holiday was moved to 4 June. This caused it to follow an extra bank holiday on 3 June, making a four-day weekend to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
  6. In 2011, a public holiday was given to ensure most people would have a chance to celebrate the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, making a four-day weekend as May Day was on the following Monday[3]
  7. In 2012 the Spring Holiday was moved to 4 June. It was then followed by an extra holiday on 5 June, making a four-day weekend to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Unfortunately only Fife, Inverclyde and Scottish Borders were affected as they already take the first Monday in June as a public holiday. Most areas in Scotland did not have the four-day weekend and only had the Tuesday official holiday.

The holiday on 1 January (or 2 January if 1 January is Sunday) is statutory. If New Year's Day is Saturday a substitute holiday is given on 4 January by Royal Proclamation. 2 January is given by Royal Proclamation, with a substitute holiday on 4 January if it is Saturday and 3 January if it is Sunday or Monday.

The St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007, passed by the Scottish Parliament on 29 November 2006, added St Andrew's Day (30 November), or the following Monday should 30 November fall on a weekend.

Special days and substitute bank holidays

Section 1 of the 1971 Act also provides that special days may be appointed as bank holidays (either additional or in place of bank holidays which fall on a Saturday or Sunday) subject to Royal Proclamation each year. These include Boxing Day, which has been an additional bank holiday in Scotland since 1974 and the last Monday in May which has been a bank holiday since 1978.

Section 1 of the 1971 Act also enables the Queen to appoint substitute bank holidays in any one year by Royal Proclamation. Substitute days are customarily appointed for all UK bank holidays which fall on a Saturday or Sunday. Where any of the dates fall on a Sunday, the Act substitutes the following Monday for that date. If any fall on a Saturday (or if Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday), the Royal Proclamation includes substitute days for these days.

Public holidays
DateNameMajor Towns/Cities (not an exhaustive list)
1 JanuaryNew Year's Dayall
2 January
Wednesday after last Tuesday in JanuaryDay after Up Helly Aa fire festivalShetland
First Monday in FebruaryWinter HolidayInverness
First Monday in MarchInverness
Last Monday in MarchLochaber
Easter holiday (variable)Good FridayAberdeen, Ayr, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Inverclyde, Kilmarnock, Paisley, Stirling, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire
Easter MondayAyr, Edinburgh, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Kilmarnock, North Lanarkshire, Paisley, Stirling, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire
First Monday in AprilSpring HolidayCarnoustie and Monifieth area, Dundee, Fife, Scottish Borders, Inverness, Perth,
Second Monday in AprilAngus, except Carnoustie and Monifieth area, Elgin
Third Monday in April, or preceding week if would otherwise coincide with Easter MondayEdinburgh
Monday in April; date varies from year to yearAberdeen
Last Monday in AprilInverclyde
First Monday in MayLabour Day or Early May Bank Holidayall
Tuesday after 1st Monday in MayVictoria Day (*)/Spring HolidayClydebank, Stirling
Last Monday strictly before 24 MayEdinburgh*
Fourth Monday in MayPerth*
Last Monday in MayAyr, Dundee*, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Paisley*, South Lanarkshire
1st Monday in JuneGalashiels, Inverclyde, Fife
Friday and Saturday after 1st Monday in JuneCommon RidingHawick
Tuesday after 2nd Thursday in JuneLinlithgow MarchesLinlithgow
Second Thursday in JuneLanimer DayLanark area only
Last Monday in JuneFair HolidayElgin
Last Friday in June Bo'ness
First Monday in JulyFalkirk, Inverness
First Friday in JulyBraw Lads GatheringGalashiels
Second Monday in JulyFair HolidayAberdeen
Third Monday in JulyArbroath, Fife, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire except Lanark
Fourth Friday in JulyScottish Borders
Last Monday in JulyDundee
First Monday in AugustPaisley
First Monday in SeptemberLate Summer HolidayElgin, Inverclyde
Second Monday in SeptemberBattle of Stirling BridgeFalkirk, Perth, Stirling
Third Friday in SeptemberAyr Gold CupAyr, Kilmarnock
Monday after Third Friday in SeptemberAyr, Kilmarnock
Third Monday in SeptemberAutumn HolidayEdinburgh
Last Monday in SeptemberAberdeen, Angus except Carnoustie and Monifieth area, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Paisley, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire
First Monday in OctoberCarnoustie and Monifieth area, Dundee, Inverness, Perth
Second Monday in OctoberScottish Borders
Third Monday in OctoberElgin, Fife
First Monday in NovemberSamhain holidayInverness
30 NovemberSt. Andrew's Day To be taken in lieu
of one of the other statutory holidays at discretion of individual companies/authorities.[4]		an official holiday in Angus, Fife, Scottish Borders
25 DecemberChristmas DayAll
26 DecemberBoxing DayAll

Sources
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See also

References
  1. BANK HOLIDAYS (STATUTORY) IN SCOTLAND Scottish Government
  2. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 3 June 1998", Hansard, UK Parliament, 3 June 1998, retrieved 28 January 2012
  3. "Royal Wedding: Prince William and Kate set date". BBC News. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  4. St Andrew's Day Bill Scottish Government
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