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 recognized in Scotland, as most public holidays are generally determined by 32 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.
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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 provides that the following are to be bank holidays in Scotland:—
Official bank holidays are:
| Date | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day |
| 2 January | New Year Holiday |
| variable | Good Friday |
| 1st Monday in May | May Day |
| Last Monday in May | Spring Holiday |
| 1st Monday in August | Summer Holiday |
| November 30 | St. Andrew's Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
| December 26 | Boxing Day |
| Total | 9 |
Note: In 2012, there will be a special holiday on Tuesday, 5 June, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Therefore, to make it a four-day weekend, along with the usual First Monday in June public holiday.
If New Year's Day and 2 January fall on a Sunday then it will take place on the next weekday. 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 November 30 fall on a weekend
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.
| Date | Name | Major Towns/Cities (not an exhaustive list) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | all |
| 2 January | ||
| 1st Monday in February | Winter Holiday | Inverness |
| 1st Monday in March | Inverness | |
| Last Monday in March | Lochaber | |
| Easter holiday (variable) | Good Friday | Ayr, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Inverclyde, Kilmarnock, Paisley, Stirling, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire |
| Easter Monday | Ayr, Edinburgh, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Kilmarnock, North Lanarkshire, Paisley, Stirling, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire | |
| 1st Monday in April | Spring Holiday | Carnoustie and Monifieth area, Dundee, Fife, Scottish Borders, Inverness, Perth, |
| 2nd Monday in April | Angus, expect Carnoustie and Monifieth area, Elgin | |
| 3rd Monday in April, or preceding week if would otherwise coincide with Easter Monday | Edinburgh | |
| Monday in April; date varies from year to year | Aberdeen | |
| Last Monday in April | Inverclyde | |
| 1st Monday in May | Labour Day or Early May Bank Holiday | all |
| Tuesday after 1st Monday in May | Victoria Day (*)/Spring Holiday | Clydebank, Stirling |
| Last Monday strictly before 24 May | Edinburgh* | |
| 4th Monday in May | Perth* | |
| Last Monday in May | Ayr, Dundee*, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Paisley*, South Lanarkshire | |
| 1st Monday in June | Galashiels, Inverclyde, Fife | |
| Tuesday after 2nd Thursday in June | Linlithgow Marches | Linlithgow |
| Second Thursday in June | Lanimer Day | Lanark area only |
| Last Monday in June | Fair Holiday | Elgin |
| 1st Monday in July | Falkirk, Inverness | |
| 1st Friday in July | Braw Lads Gathering | Galashiels |
| 2nd Monday in July | Fair Holiday | Aberdeen |
| 3rd Monday in July | Arbroath, Fife, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire except Lanark | |
| 4th Friday in July | Scottish Borders | |
| Last Monday in July | Dundee | |
| 1st Monday in August | Paisley | |
| 1st Monday in September | Late Summer Holiday | Elgin, Inverclyde |
| 2nd Monday in September | Battle of Stirling Bridge | Falkirk, Perth, Stirling |
| 3rd Friday in September | Ayr Gold Cup | Ayr, Kilmarnock |
| Monday after 3rd Friday in September | Ayr, Kilmarnock | |
| 3rd Monday in September | Autumn Holiday | Edinburgh |
| Last Monday in September | Aberdeen, Angus except Carnoustie and Monifieth area, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Paisley, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire | |
| 1st Monday in October | Carnoustie and Monifieth area, Dundee, Inverness, Perth | |
| 2nd Monday in October | Scottish Borders | |
| 3rd Monday in October | Elgin, Fife | |
| 1st Monday in November | Samhain holiday | Inverness |
| 30 November | St. Andrew's Day To be taken in lieu of one of the other statutory holidays at discretion of individual companies/authorities.[2] |
an official holiday in Angus, Fife, Scottish Borders |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | All |
| 26 December | Boxing Day | All |
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