11 days off for 3 days of annual leave
Bank holidays 2026 in Scotland
Scotland has 10 bank holidays in 2026, every one of them on a weekday. The smartest move: take 3 days of annual leave and get 11 days off, 25 December 2026 to 4 January 2027.
- Bank holidays 2026
- 10
- on weekdays
- 10
- bridge days
- 0
- off for 3 days of annual leave
- 11 days
The 2026 calendar in Scotland
Scotland has 10 bank holidays in 2026, as published by GOV.UK. Most employers give them as paid days off on top of, or as part of, the 5.6 weeks of statutory annual leave, so placing your leave around them is how a short break becomes a proper holiday.
Scotland
EnglandEvery bank holiday falls on a weekday this year. Across the UK the lists differ: Scotland 10 days, Northern Ireland 10 days and England and Wales 8 days.
ScotlandEnglandBank holidays 2026 in Scotland and what each one gives you
Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer break.
- Thursday 1 January: New Year's Day. New Year's Day is a bank holiday across the UK, a quiet day after the midnight celebrations. When it falls on a weekend, the day off moves to the following weekday. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, 1 to 4 January.
- Friday 2 January: 2nd January. Scotland adds 2 January to New Year's Day, a tradition from Hogmanay. Two days off in a row make the Scottish New Year one of the longest winter breaks in the UK. You get 4 free days in a row, 1 to 4 January, with no leave needed.
- Friday 3 April: Good Friday. Good Friday is a bank holiday across the UK. It opens the Easter weekend, which often overlaps with school Easter holidays, so book trips early. You get 3 free days in a row, 3 to 5 April, with no leave needed.
- Monday 4 May: Early May bank holiday. The Early May bank holiday falls on the first Monday of May, often with May Day fairs and morris dancing. It opens the spring season of long weekends in the UK. You get 3 free days in a row, 2 to 4 May, with no leave needed.
- Monday 25 May: Spring bank holiday. The Spring bank holiday on the last Monday of May lines up with half term in many schools, making it one of the busiest weeks for UK breaks at home and abroad. You get 3 free days in a row, 23 to 25 May, with no leave needed.
- Monday 15 June: World Cup bank holiday. A one off bank holiday declared for the football World Cup. It adds a summer day off that pairs well with a weekend away or a watch party with friends. You get 3 free days in a row, 13 to 15 June, with no leave needed.
- Monday 3 August: Summer bank holiday. The Summer bank holiday closes the school summer. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it falls on the last Monday of August, in Scotland on the first; beaches, festivals and roads get busy. You get 3 free days in a row, 1 to 3 August, with no leave needed.
- Monday 30 November: St Andrew's Day. St Andrew's Day honours Scotland's patron saint on 30 November. When it falls on a weekend, the bank holiday moves to the Monday, and ceilidhs and Scottish food fill the calendar. You get 3 free days in a row, 28 to 30 November, with no leave needed.
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day. Christmas Day is a bank holiday across the UK, when almost all shops and public transport close. Booking leave in the days between Christmas and New Year gives a long break for few days of leave. You get 4 free days in a row, 25 to 28 December, with no leave needed.
- Monday 28 December: Boxing Day. Boxing Day, 26 December, brings football fixtures, winter walks and the big sales. With Christmas Day it gives two bank holidays in a row, the start of the longest break of the year. The date itself, Saturday 26 December, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Monday 28 December. You get 4 free days in a row, 25 to 28 December, with no leave needed.
Where your days of annual leave go furthest in 2026
Each break below starts and ends on a free day, contains at least one bank holiday, and needs no more than 10 days of annual leave. They are ranked by how many days off each day of leave brings.
Around Good Friday, 4 days of annual leave on Mon 30 March, Tue 31 March, Wed 1 April and Thu 2 April unlock 9 days away, 28 March to 5 April.
Around Early May bank holiday, 4 days of annual leave on Tue 5 May, Wed 6 May, Thu 7 May and Fri 8 May unlock 9 days away, 2 to 10 May.
Around Spring bank holiday, 4 days of annual leave on Tue 26 May, Wed 27 May, Thu 28 May and Fri 29 May unlock 9 days away, 23 to 31 May.
Around World Cup bank holiday, 4 days of annual leave on Tue 16 June, Wed 17 June, Thu 18 June and Fri 19 June unlock 9 days away, 13 to 21 June.
Around Summer bank holiday, 4 days of annual leave on Tue 4 August, Wed 5 August, Thu 6 August and Fri 7 August unlock 9 days away, 1 to 9 August.
Around Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and 2nd January, 3 days of annual leave on Tue 29 December, Wed 30 December and Thu 31 December unlock 11 days away, 25 December 2026 to 4 January 2027.
The best breaks 2026 in Scotland
Every row is a run of weekends, bank holidays and days of annual leave. The highlighted row brings the most days off per day of leave.
| Dates | Result | Leave on | Bank holidays | School holidays | Plan a trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan to Sun 11 Jan | 11 days offfor 5 days of annual leave, 2.2 days off per day of leave | Mon 5 Jan · Tue 6 Jan · Wed 7 Jan · Thu 8 Jan · Fri 9 Jan | New Year's Day, 2nd January | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat 28 Mar to Sun 5 Apr | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Mon 30 Mar · Tue 31 Mar · Wed 1 Apr · Thu 2 Apr | Good Friday | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat 2 May to Sun 10 May | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue 5 May · Wed 6 May · Thu 7 May · Fri 8 May | Early May bank holiday | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat 23 May to Sun 31 May | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue 26 May · Wed 27 May · Thu 28 May · Fri 29 May | Spring bank holiday | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat 13 Jun to Sun 21 Jun | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue 16 Jun · Wed 17 Jun · Thu 18 Jun · Fri 19 Jun | World Cup bank holiday | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat 1 Aug to Sun 9 Aug | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue 4 Aug · Wed 5 Aug · Thu 6 Aug · Fri 7 Aug | Summer bank holiday | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat 28 Nov to Sun 6 Dec | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue 1 Dec · Wed 2 Dec · Thu 3 Dec · Fri 4 Dec | St Andrew's Day | none | Plan a trip |
| Fri 25 Dec to Mon 4 Jan | 11 days offfor 3 days of annual leave, 3.67 days off per day of leave | Tue 29 Dec · Wed 30 Dec · Thu 31 Dec | Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, 2nd January | none | Plan a trip |
What 1 to 10 days of annual leave bring
For each budget, the longest run of days off in 2026.
3 days of annual leave
11 days
25 December to 4 January
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, 2nd January
7 days of annual leave
17 days
19 December to 4 January
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, 2nd January
10 days of annual leave
18 days
1 January to 18 January
New Year's Day, 2nd January
2026 calendar for Scotland
- Bank holiday
- Annual leave in a break
- Weekend
- School holidays
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
How far each day of annual leave goes in 2026
Three days stretch to 11 days off (25 December 2026 to 4 January 2027). Five days, a typical week, become 11 days off around Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and 2nd January, 25 December 2026 to 4 January 2027.
Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 18 days in a row, 1 to 18 January. For nine days or more away you need 3 days of annual leave.
Full-time workers in the UK are entitled to 28 days including bank holidays, so a few days around Easter and Christmas usually leave plenty for a summer fortnight.
When the bank holidays fall in 2026
Winter: New Year's Day on 1 January, 2nd January on 2 January, Christmas Day on 25 December and Boxing Day on 28 December. The pick of the season is 25 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 with 3 days of annual leave for 11 days off.
Spring: Good Friday on 3 April, Early May bank holiday on 4 May and Spring bank holiday on 25 May. The pick of the season is 28 March to 5 April with 4 days of annual leave for 9 days off.
Summer: World Cup bank holiday on 15 June and Summer bank holiday on 3 August. The pick of the season is 13 to 21 June with 4 days of annual leave for 9 days off.
Autumn: St Andrew's Day on 30 November. The pick of the season is 28 November to 6 December with 4 days of annual leave for 9 days off.
Scotland compared with other nations
Scotland leads the list with 10 bank holidays in 2026, England and Wales the fewest with 8.
Its best break, 25 December 2026 to 4 January 2027, returns 3.7 days off per day of leave. 2 nations get a better ratio this year, mostly thanks to an extra bank holiday next to a weekend.
Bank Holiday Planner 2026 for Scotland as a PDF
Every stretch, holiday and school break in Scotland on one printable page. Plus The Sunday Getaway every week and a note whenever a long weekend is worth it.
Where to on the long weekends?
For the six strongest stretches: places with the right climate that month, flights from EDI, GLA, ABZ.
25 December to 4 January: 3 days of leave, 11 days off
Warm, up to 4 hours away in December, flights from EDI
iPhoto: Marco Riss · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsAgadir22 °C by day · Sea 18 °C · Flight about 3 h 54Plan a trip for these daysSee Agadir
28 March to 5 April: 4 days of leave, 9 days off
Warm, up to 4 hours away in April, flights from EDI
iPhoto: This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author. I would · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMarrakech25 °C by day · Flight about 3 h 44Plan a trip for these daysSee Marrakech
iPhoto: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCosta Blanca21 °C by day · Sea 16 °C · Flight about 2 h 52, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Costa Blanca
Djerba21 °C by day · Sea 17 °C · Flight about 3 h 40Plan a trip for these daysSee Djerba
2 May to 10 May: 4 days of leave, 9 days off
Warm, up to 4 hours away in May, flights from EDI
- iPhoto: This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author. I would · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMarrakech29 °C by day · Flight about 3 h 44Plan a trip for these daysSee Marrakech
- iPhoto: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCosta Blanca25 °C by day · Sea 18 °C · Flight about 2 h 52, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Costa Blanca
iPhoto: Thomas Wolf , www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia CommonsAthens25 °C by day · Sea 18 °C · Flight about 3 h 52, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Athens
23 May to 31 May: 4 days of leave, 9 days off
Warm, up to 4 hours away in May, flights from EDI
- iPhoto: This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author. I would · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMarrakech29 °C by day · Flight about 3 h 44Plan a trip for these daysSee Marrakech
- iPhoto: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCosta Blanca25 °C by day · Sea 18 °C · Flight about 2 h 52, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Costa Blanca
- iPhoto: Thomas Wolf , www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia CommonsAthens25 °C by day · Sea 18 °C · Flight about 3 h 52, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Athens
13 June to 21 June: 4 days of leave, 9 days off
Beach in June, flights from EDI
Dubai33 °C by day · Sea 31 °C · Flight about 7 h 11Plan a trip for these daysSee Dubai
Cyprus33 °C by day · Sea 24 °C · Flight about 4 h 43, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Cyprus
iPhoto: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsSharm el-Sheikh37 °C by day · Sea 26 °C · Flight about 5 h 31Plan a trip for these daysSee Sharm el-Sheikh
1 August to 9 August: 4 days of leave, 9 days off
Beach in August, flights from EDI
Rhodes30 °C by day · Sea 27 °C · Flight about 4 h 16, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Rhodes- Dubai35 °C by day · Sea 33 °C · Flight about 7 h 11Plan a trip for these daysSee Dubai
- iPhoto: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCosta Blanca32 °C by day · Sea 26 °C · Flight about 2 h 52, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Costa Blanca
Bank holidays 2026 in Scotland
| Date | Weekday | Bank holiday | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thursday | New Year's Day | nationwide |
| 2 January | Friday | 2nd January | across the nation |
| 3 April | Friday | Good Friday | nationwide |
| 4 May | Monday | Early May bank holiday | nationwide |
| 25 May | Monday | Spring bank holiday | nationwide |
| 15 June | Monday | World Cup bank holiday | across the nation |
| 3 August | Monday | Summer bank holiday | across the nation |
| 30 November | Monday | St Andrew's Day | across the nation |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas Day | nationwide |
| 28 December | Monday | Boxing Day | nationwide |
Where to go on a long weekend from Scotland
From Scotland, the Highlands and the Isle of Skye suit late spring and summer, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs are close for a quick break, and Edinburgh's festival season fills August. Winter weekends lead to Aviemore and the Cairngorms.
Your strongest breaks this year fall in March, May and June, so pick the trip that suits that season, and book early: everyone else in Scotland has the same days off.
Scotland in other years
2027 and 2028 are planned as well, each with its own dates and breaks.
Holiday dates move every year: fixed-date days change their weekday, and Easter moves between late March and late April, which is why the best breaks are never the same twice.
Where these dates come from
Every date on this page comes from the official source for Scotland: GOV.UK bank holidays, read directly and compared day by day with an independent second source. A year appears once its official list is published, and we never fill a gap with another nation's dates.
The planner treats weekends and full bank holidays as free days and works out where your days of annual leave turn into the longest time off. Days kept in part of Scotland or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on 1 October 2026.
Bank Holiday Planner 2026 in Scotland: frequently asked questions
How many bank holidays does Scotland have in 2026?
10 bank holidays: New Year's Day on 1 January, 2nd January on 2 January, Good Friday on 3 April, Early May bank holiday on 4 May, Spring bank holiday on 25 May, World Cup bank holiday on 15 June, Summer bank holiday on 3 August, St Andrew's Day on 30 November, Christmas Day on 25 December and Boxing Day on 28 December.
What is the best long weekend in Scotland in 2026?
25 December 2026 to 4 January 2027: 3 days of annual leave give 11 days off around Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and 2nd January.
How many days of annual leave do I need for nine days off in 2026?
3 days of annual leave: take 29 to 31 December off and you are off 25 December 2026 to 4 January 2027.
Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Scotland in 2026?
No. Easter Monday is not on Scotland's official list for 2026, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
Is St Andrew's Day a bank holiday in Scotland in 2026?
Yes. St Andrew's Day is a full day off on Monday 30 November.
2026 in the other nations
How the Bank Holiday Planner works
Holidays: the public holidays from the official list in Scotland, checked date by date. The planner counts only days off for the whole region.
Stretches: start and end on a day off, include at least one holiday and at most 10 days of annual leave. Ranked by days off per day of leave; Saturday and Sunday count as free.
School holidays: officially published dates only, checked every month. Trip ideas: the month's climate and flights from the region's main airport.
