While the rest of the UK enjoys a bank holiday today, Scotland is the only country that doesn't get a day off.
The public holiday on August 30 means England, Wales and Northern Ireland have a three-day weekend, with banks, shops and business shut.
Scotland sadly doesn't get a day off today – because our long weekend came earlier in the month.
Bank holidays across the UK differ across the four nations as the different bodies in each authority are responsible for choosing their own dates off.
Scotland's summer bank holiday fell on Monday 2 August, and always comes on the first Monday of the month.
All four nations used to mark the same date, following the implementation of the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 introduced by the Liberal Politician Sir John Lubbock.
The change of date in England, Wales and Northern Ireland means their holidays now fall at the end of the summer holidays, while in Scotland schools return much earlier in August.
When is the next Bank Holiday?
The next bank holiday will be during Christmas - this is because both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on a Saturday this year.
As a result, December 27 and 28 are known as substitute days, making them both a bank holiday.
Similar happens around New Year with January 3 and 4 being substitute days.
With the higher tally of bank holidays, Scotland enjoys a four-day weekend across New Year with January 3 and 4 as days off.
How to get 11 days off using three days of annual leave
Strategically booking just three days of annual leave around Christmas will mean 11 days away from work.
Book off December 29, 30 and 31, resulting in Christmas Day until January 4 as days off.
Full list of 2022 Scotland's bank holidays
- 1 January (Friday) – New Year’s Day
- 4 January (Monday) – 2nd January (substitute day)
- 2 April (Friday) – Good Friday
- 3 May (Monday) – Early May bank holiday
- 31 May (Monday) – Spring bank holiday
- 2 August (Monday) – Summer bank holiday
- 30 November (Tuesday) – St Andrew’s Day
- 27 December (Monday) – Christmas Day (substitute day)
- 28 December (Tuesday) – Boxing Day (substitute day)
