UK bank holidays by region for 2027

England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland do not share exactly the same bank holiday calendar. This guide puts the 2027 differences in one place so you can check deadlines, leave plans, and payroll timing more quickly.

Plan around these dates Count business days

Holiday dates are based on the GOV.UK bank holiday calendar and last checked on 16 April 2026.

England and Wales

8 bank holidays

1 January
26 March
29 March
3 May
31 May
30 August
27 December
28 December

Scotland

9 bank holidays

1 January
4 January
26 March
3 May
31 May
2 August
30 November
27 December
28 December

Northern Ireland

10 bank holidays

1 January
17 March
26 March
29 March
3 May
31 May
12 July
30 August
27 December
28 December

What changes the most between the regions

Scotland does not observe Easter Monday, but it does get a 2 January substitute day, an earlier summer bank holiday, and St Andrew's Day.
Northern Ireland gets St Patrick's Day and the July Battle of the Boyne holiday on top of the standard shared dates.
England and Wales keep the more familiar Easter Monday and late-August bank holiday pattern.
Substitute days matter around New Year and Christmas in 2027, so end-of-year deadlines should be checked carefully.

When this matters in practice

These differences matter any time you are counting working days, checking invoice due dates, planning a long weekend, or explaining leave rules to a distributed UK team. A deadline that looks normal in England and Wales may fall inside a public holiday in Northern Ireland or Scotland.

For leave planning, the region-specific holidays can also change which short leave runs are worth taking. In 2027, Scotland's New Year substitute day creates a strong early-January break, Northern Ireland gets an extra March opportunity because of St Patrick's Day, and Easter lands earlier than in 2026.

Questions people ask

Why does Scotland have a different New Year pattern in 2027?

The 2 January holiday falls on a weekend in 2027, so Scotland observes a substitute day on Monday 4 January. That creates a different early-year working pattern from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Do substitute days always match across the UK?

Not always. Substitute-day handling depends on the specific holiday and region, so it is safer to check the official list when a date falls near a weekend.

Which tool should I use after checking the date list?

Use the annual leave planner if you want a break idea, or the business day calculator if you need to count working days between two dates for a schedule or deadline.