Bank holidays in Scotland 2026 and 2027

Bank holidays and local holidays are different

Bank holidays are set in law for the whole of Scotland. Local public holidays are set by each council, and they vary from town to town. Employers do not have to give paid leave on either, according to GOV.UK.

Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland. Even so, many councils close schools that day, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.

September weekend and Glasgow Fair

The September weekend is a local holiday, mainly in and around Glasgow. In 2026 Glasgow schools close on Friday 25 and Monday 28 September.

Six councils close schools on Friday 24 and Monday 27 September 2027. They are Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire. West Dunbartonshire closes on Monday 27 September only. Inverclyde had not published its 2027/28 dates on 1 October 2026.

Glasgow City Council sets the Glasgow Fair holiday as the Saturday before the third Monday in July. In 2027 that is Saturday 17 July, during the school summer holidays.

Edinburgh has its own local days. Schools there close for Victoria Day on Monday 24 May 2027 and the autumn holiday on Monday 20 September 2027.

Do schools close on bank holidays

Not always. Schools follow the council calendar, not the bank holiday list.

• Most councils close on the early May bank holiday, Monday 3 May 2027.
• On Monday 31 May 2027, Glasgow and Dundee schools close, but Edinburgh schools are open.
• The summer bank holiday on 2 August 2027 falls in the school summer break.

St Andrew's Day

St Andrew's Day has been a Scottish bank holiday since the St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007. It falls on 30 November, or the next Monday if 30 November is a weekend.

Most schools stay open. On Monday 30 November 2026, schools are closed to pupils in four council areas.

• Renfrewshire and Scottish Borders: closed for the St Andrew's Day holiday.
• The Western Isles: closed as part of a long weekend, Friday 27 and Monday 30 November.
• Falkirk: closed for a staff development day.

Angus closes its schools for a St Andrew's Day holiday on Friday 4 December instead. Some Scottish Borders clusters also close on Tuesday 1 December.

Quick answers

Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Scotland?

No. Good Friday is a Scottish bank holiday but Easter Monday is not. Many councils still close schools on Easter Monday as a local holiday.

When is the September weekend in 2027?

In Glasgow and five nearby councils, schools close on Friday 24 and Monday 27 September 2027. Other areas have different autumn holidays, so check your council.

When is Glasgow Fair 2027?

Glasgow City Council sets the Glasgow Fair holiday as the Saturday before the third Monday in July. In 2027 that is Saturday 17 July.

Do I get St Andrew's Day off work?

Only if your employer gives it. St Andrew's Day is a bank holiday. But GOV.UK says bank holidays do not have to be given as paid leave.