Scotland 2027 bank holidays: long weekends and the best days to take leave

Scotland has 9 bank holidays on a weekday in 2027. The best-value long break: take 3 days of leave (Wed 29 Dec to Fri 31 Dec) for 11 days off in a row, Sat 25 Dec to Tue 4 Jan 2028.

Dates checked against the official sources below on 4 October 2026.

Your 2027 plan

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Days of leave you have

Shortest break to plan (days)

Try 9 for week-long breaks.

Longest break (days)

Most leave on one break, for the ideas list

Days you normally work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Also count holidays that apply only in part of or only to some workers (see the holiday list for who gets them)

Use 10 days of leave, get 39 days off

With 10 days of leave, a Monday to Friday week and breaks of 4 to 16 days, across 9 breaks. Days off count the weekends and public holidays inside each break.

Plan for 10 days of leave
Break	Days off	Leave to book	Public holidays in it
Fri 1 Jan to Tue 5 Jan	5	1: Tue 5 Jan	New Year's Day, 2nd January (substitute day)
Fri 26 Mar to Mon 29 Mar	4	1: Mon 29 Mar	Good Friday
Sat 1 May to Tue 4 May	4	1: Tue 4 May	Early May bank holiday
Sat 29 May to Tue 1 Jun	4	1: Tue 1 Jun	Spring bank holiday
Sat 31 Jul to Tue 3 Aug	4	1: Tue 3 Aug	Summer bank holiday
Sat 27 Nov to Tue 30 Nov	4	1: Mon 29 Nov	St Andrew's Day
Sat 18 Dec to Tue 21 Dec	4	2: Mon 20 Dec to Tue 21 Dec	None
Sat 25 Dec to Wed 29 Dec	5	1: Wed 29 Dec	Christmas Day (substitute day), Boxing Day (substitute day)
Fri 31 Dec to Tue 4 Jan 2028	5	1: Fri 31 Dec	New Year's Day (substitute day), 2nd January (substitute day)

Use days of , get days off

, breaks of to days, across breaks. Days off count the weekends and public holidays inside each break. left over: no break within your limits would use them. Tick at least one working day.

Your plan
Break	Days off	to book	Public holidays in it
			(includes a date not yet confirmed)

Planning leave as a team? Jasper's leave tools keep requests, approvals and public holidays together and show who is away on one timeline.

Ways to stretch each public holiday

For each holiday, the cheapest way to make it longer and each point where one more day of leave joins up another weekend.

New Year's Day, 2nd January (substitute day) (Fri 1 Jan to Mon 4 Jan: 4 days off with no leave)
- Take 1 day (Tue 5 Jan) for 5 days off, Fri 1 Jan to Tue 5 Jan.
- Take 4 days (Tue 5 Jan to Fri 8 Jan) for 10 days off, Fri 1 Jan to Sun 10 Jan.
- Take 9 days (Tue 5 Jan to Fri 8 Jan, Mon 11 Jan to Fri 15 Jan) for 17 days off, Fri 1 Jan to Sun 17 Jan.
Good Friday (Fri 26 Mar to Sun 28 Mar: 3 days off with no leave)
- Take 1 day (Thu 25 Mar) for 4 days off, Thu 25 Mar to Sun 28 Mar.
- Take 4 days (Mon 22 Mar to Thu 25 Mar) for 9 days off, Sat 20 Mar to Sun 28 Mar.
- Take 9 days (Mon 15 Mar to Fri 19 Mar, Mon 22 Mar to Thu 25 Mar) for 16 days off, Sat 13 Mar to Sun 28 Mar.
Early May bank holiday (Sat 1 May to Mon 3 May: 3 days off with no leave)
- Take 1 day (Fri 30 Apr) for 4 days off, Fri 30 Apr to Mon 3 May.
- Take 4 days (Tue 4 May to Fri 7 May) for 9 days off, Sat 1 May to Sun 9 May.
- Take 9 days (Mon 26 Apr to Fri 30 Apr, Tue 4 May to Fri 7 May) for 16 days off, Sat 24 Apr to Sun 9 May.
Spring bank holiday (Sat 29 May to Mon 31 May: 3 days off with no leave)
- Take 1 day (Fri 28 May) for 4 days off, Fri 28 May to Mon 31 May.
- Take 4 days (Tue 1 Jun to Fri 4 Jun) for 9 days off, Sat 29 May to Sun 6 Jun.
- Take 9 days (Mon 24 May to Fri 28 May, Tue 1 Jun to Fri 4 Jun) for 16 days off, Sat 22 May to Sun 6 Jun.
Summer bank holiday (Sat 31 Jul to Mon 2 Aug: 3 days off with no leave)
- Take 1 day (Fri 30 Jul) for 4 days off, Fri 30 Jul to Mon 2 Aug.
- Take 4 days (Tue 3 Aug to Fri 6 Aug) for 9 days off, Sat 31 Jul to Sun 8 Aug.
- Take 9 days (Mon 26 Jul to Fri 30 Jul, Tue 3 Aug to Fri 6 Aug) for 16 days off, Sat 24 Jul to Sun 8 Aug.
St Andrew's Day (Tue 30 Nov: 1 day off with no leave)
- Take 1 day (Mon 29 Nov) for 4 days off, Sat 27 Nov to Tue 30 Nov.
- Take 4 days (Mon 29 Nov, Wed 1 Dec to Fri 3 Dec) for 9 days off, Sat 27 Nov to Sun 5 Dec.
- Take 9 days (Mon 22 Nov to Fri 26 Nov, Mon 29 Nov, Wed 1 Dec to Fri 3 Dec) for 16 days off, Sat 20 Nov to Sun 5 Dec.
Christmas Day (substitute day), Boxing Day (substitute day) (Sat 25 Dec to Tue 28 Dec: 4 days off with no leave)
- Take 1 day (Fri 24 Dec) for 5 days off, Fri 24 Dec to Tue 28 Dec.
- Take 3 days (Wed 29 Dec to Fri 31 Dec) for 11 days off, Sat 25 Dec to Tue 4 Jan 2028.
- Take 8 days (Mon 20 Dec to Fri 24 Dec, Wed 29 Dec to Fri 31 Dec) for 18 days off, Sat 18 Dec to Tue 4 Jan 2028.

Long weekends in 2027 with no leave

For a Monday to Friday week, counting bank holidays that apply to everyone in Scotland.

Fri 1 Jan to Mon 4 Jan: 4 days (New Year's Day, 2nd January (substitute day))
Fri 26 Mar to Sun 28 Mar: 3 days (Good Friday)
Sat 1 May to Mon 3 May: 3 days (Early May bank holiday)
Sat 29 May to Mon 31 May: 3 days (Spring bank holiday)
Sat 31 Jul to Mon 2 Aug: 3 days (Summer bank holiday)
Sat 25 Dec to Tue 28 Dec: 4 days (Christmas Day (substitute day), Boxing Day (substitute day))

Prefer longer breaks?

With 10 days of leave and breaks of at least 9 days, you can have 24 days off using 10 days of leave:

Fri 1 Jan to Sun 10 Jan: 10 days off for 4 days of leave (Tue 5 Jan to Fri 8 Jan)
Wed 22 Dec to Tue 4 Jan 2028: 14 days off for 6 days of leave (Wed 22 Dec to Fri 24 Dec, Wed 29 Dec to Fri 31 Dec)

2027 bank holidays in Scotland

Every 2027 bank holidays in Scotland, with its source
Date	Holiday	Notes	Source
Fri 1 Jan	New Year's Day		Source for New Year's Day
Mon 4 Jan	2nd January (substitute day)	The usual date falls on a weekend, so this weekday is the bank holiday.	Source for 2nd January (substitute day)
Fri 26 Mar	Good Friday		Source for Good Friday
Mon 3 May	Early May bank holiday		Source for Early May bank holiday
Mon 31 May	Spring bank holiday		Source for Spring bank holiday
Mon 2 Aug	Summer bank holiday		Source for Summer bank holiday
Tue 30 Nov	St Andrew's Day		Source for St Andrew's Day
Mon 27 Dec	Christmas Day (substitute day)	The usual date falls on a weekend, so this weekday is the bank holiday.	Source for Christmas Day (substitute day)
Tue 28 Dec	Boxing Day (substitute day)	The usual date falls on a weekend, so this weekday is the bank holiday.	Source for Boxing Day (substitute day)
Mon 3 Jan 2028	New Year's Day (substitute day)	The usual date falls on a weekend, so this weekday is the bank holiday.	Source for New Year's Day (substitute day)
Tue 4 Jan 2028	2nd January (substitute day)	The usual date falls on a weekend, so this weekday is the bank holiday.	Source for 2nd January (substitute day)

How we worked this out

Every weekend day and every full-day bank holiday that applies to everyone in Scotland counts as a day off. A break is a run of days off where the working days inside are covered by leave. For each holiday we list the cheapest way to make it longer, and each point where one more day of leave joins up another weekend. The plan picks separate breaks that give the most days off for your days of leave. More on the method and FAQs.

Sources

Last checked 4 October 2026.

https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays.json

Changes: 4 October 2026: first published.