The Wellgate Centre
Plan your bank holidays
Want to make the most of your bank holidays? Here are some dates to help you plan ahead.
May Day Bank Holiday Monday 5th May 2008
Spring Bank Holiday Monday 26th May 2008
Summer Bank Holiday Monday 4th August 2008
It is important to draw a distinction between bank holidays, and public or local holidays in Scotland. As the dates for bank holidays are set out in statute or are the subject of proclamation, it follows that they are the same across the whole of Scotland. On the other hand public or local holidays in Scotland are determined by local authorities, based on local tradition (not statutory authority) and after consultation with local business interests.
There is no legal or statutory definition of public holiday in the United Kingdom and it is questionable whether public holidays exist in Scotland. The term is often confused with bank holidays. In England and Wales a bank holiday tends automatically to be a public holiday, in that the majority of people have the day off and the day is generally observed as a holiday. In Scotland this is not always the case.