England and Wales have eight bank holidays in 2027, Scotland has nine and Northern Ireland has ten. Christmas 2027 falls on a weekend, so the Christmas bank holidays are Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December in every nation. In 2026, England and Wales have eight and Scotland and Northern Ireland ten each. As of 1 November 2026, the bank holidays left in 2026 are Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and a Boxing Day substitute day (Monday 28 December) everywhere, plus St Andrew’s Day (Monday 30 November) in Scotland. Every date below comes from GOV.UK’s official list of bank holidays.
How many bank holidays are there in 2026 and 2027?
| Nation | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 8 | 8 |
| Scotland | 10 | 9 |
| Northern Ireland | 10 | 10 |
England and Wales share one list. Scotland adds 2 January and St Andrew’s Day, has no Easter Monday, and holds its summer bank holiday on the first Monday in August rather than the last Monday of the month; its 2026 total also includes a one-off World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June. Northern Ireland adds St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day).
UK bank holidays 2027
| Date | Bank holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 January 2027 | New Year’s Day | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 4 January 2027 | 2nd January (substitute day) | – | Yes | – |
| Wed 17 March 2027 | St Patrick’s Day | – | – | Yes |
| Fri 26 March 2027 | Good Friday | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 29 March 2027 | Easter Monday | Yes | – | Yes |
| Mon 3 May 2027 | Early May bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 31 May 2027 | Spring bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 12 July 2027 | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) | – | – | Yes |
| Mon 2 August 2027 | Summer bank holiday | – | Yes | – |
| Mon 30 August 2027 | Summer bank holiday | Yes | – | Yes |
| Tue 30 November 2027 | St Andrew’s Day | – | Yes | – |
| Mon 27 December 2027 | Christmas Day (substitute day) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tue 28 December 2027 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
When a bank holiday falls at a weekend, a substitute day is given on a weekday, usually the Monday after. That happens three times in 2027: Scotland’s 2 January holiday, a Saturday, moves to Monday 4 January, and Christmas Day and Boxing Day, a Saturday and a Sunday, move to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. New Year’s Day 2028 is a Saturday too, so the first bank holiday of 2028 is Monday 3 January, with Tuesday 4 January as well in Scotland.
Bank holidays 2026, including Northern Ireland and Scotland
| Date | Bank holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 January 2026 | New Year’s Day | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fri 2 January 2026 | 2nd January | – | Yes | – |
| Tue 17 March 2026 | St Patrick’s Day | – | – | Yes |
| Fri 3 April 2026 | Good Friday | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 6 April 2026 | Easter Monday | Yes | – | Yes |
| Mon 4 May 2026 | Early May bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 25 May 2026 | Spring bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 15 June 2026 | World Cup bank holiday | – | Yes | – |
| Mon 13 July 2026 | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day) | – | – | Yes |
| Mon 3 August 2026 | Summer bank holiday | – | Yes | – |
| Mon 31 August 2026 | Summer bank holiday | Yes | – | Yes |
| Mon 30 November 2026 | St Andrew’s Day | – | Yes | – |
| Fri 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
In Northern Ireland, 12 July 2026 fell on a Sunday, so the Battle of the Boyne bank holiday moved to Monday 13 July. Boxing Day 2026 is a Saturday, so every nation takes Monday 28 December instead.
These break lengths assume a Monday-to-Friday working week with the relevant bank holidays off. Time off depends on each guest’s employment arrangements; GOV.UK explains bank holiday leave. Check shifts and approved leave before choosing a house.
The long weekends to plan a group trip around in 2027
- New Year: Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January. In Scotland the 2 January substitute day makes it four days, to Monday 4 January.
- Easter: Friday 26 to Monday 29 March. Four days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; three in Scotland, where Easter Monday is not a bank holiday. Take the four working days after Easter Monday as leave and you have ten days off, from Good Friday to Sunday 4 April. See when is Easter 2027 for the school holidays around it.
- Early May: Saturday 1 to Monday 3 May, in every nation, and in term time for schools.
- Spring bank holiday: Saturday 29 to Monday 31 May. In all eight English councils we checked, May half term starts on the bank holiday Monday and runs to Friday 4 June, so the whole week is busy with families.
- Northern Ireland: Saturday 10 to Monday 12 July, for the Battle of the Boyne.
- Scotland: Saturday 31 July to Monday 2 August, the Scottish summer bank holiday.
- August bank holiday: Saturday 28 to Monday 30 August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the last long weekend of the school summer holidays in England.
- St Andrew’s Day: Tuesday 30 November in Scotland. Take Monday 29 November off for a four-day weekend.
- Christmas: Saturday 25 to Tuesday 28 December. Book Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December as leave and you are off from Christmas Day to Monday 3 January 2028: ten days for three days’ leave (eleven in Scotland). Our Twixmas guide covers booking a house for the days between Christmas and New Year, and Christmas group houses and New Year houses list what is available.
Choosing between the 2027 bank holiday weekends
We’d choose the date before the destination. Easter is in March in 2027, the two May holidays offer different school-calendar combinations, and the Christmas holidays fall on substitute weekdays. A bank holiday is not automatically a Monday or a day off for every guest.
- March or May? For 26 to 29 March, check indoor dining and sitting space before prioritising a garden. The Easter 2027 guide covers the clock change that weekend. For 1 to 3 May, compare the actual school calendars; for 29 to 31 May, check whether the following half-term week suits all the children.
- Two different August holidays. Scotland’s is 2 August; England, Wales and Northern Ireland use 30 August. Write the full arrival and departure dates in the group message so nobody assumes their local Monday applies to everyone.
- Christmas changeovers. A house advertised for Christmas may have a fixed arrival day or separate New Year booking. Ask which nights the quote covers, especially if you want to stay beyond 28 December. The Twixmas guide covers the gap between the celebrations.
- Compare like-for-like stays. Request quotes for the same nights and confirmed guest count, including any minimum stay, cleaning charge and refundable deposit. Use our booking checklist before committing money.
Browse weekend break houses or houses by group size, then check the owner’s availability for your chosen 2027 dates. If the weekend does not fit, compare a midweek stay or short-notice enquiry; neither promises a discount. Our bank holiday planning guide covers the booking process.
Where these dates come from
All bank holiday dates were checked against GOV.UK on 1 November 2026. Bank holidays can change, and one-off holidays are sometimes added, as Scotland’s World Cup bank holiday was in 2026, so check GOV.UK before you commit to anything that depends on a single date.
