Bank holidays in Scotland

Bank holidays in Scotland are determined under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 and the St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007.

Schedule 1 to the 1971 Act provides that the following are to be bank holidays in Scotland:—

• New Year's Day, if it be not a Sunday or, if it be a Sunday, 3 January
• 2 January, if it be not a Sunday or, if it be a Sunday, 3 January
• Good Friday
• The first Monday in May
• The first Monday in August
• Christmas Day, if it be not a Sunday or, if it be a Sunday, 26 December

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

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.

Sources

• Scottish Government article on St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007
• Scottish Government article on bank holidays
• Official text of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 as amended and in force today within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database