Also on Bank Holidays UK: UK Bank Holidays 2028: Every Date for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland · Easter 2027: Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March · St Andrew’s Day 2027: Scotland Bank Holiday Date and Rules
The August bank holiday 2027 is Monday 30 August 2027 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland is different: its Summer bank holiday is four weeks earlier, on Monday 2 August 2027. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is the last bank holiday before Christmas.
August bank holiday 2027 by nation
| Nation | Mon 2 Aug 2027 | Mon 30 Aug 2027 | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | — | ✓ | Last Monday in August |
| Wales | — | ✓ | Last Monday in August |
| Northern Ireland | — | ✓ | Last Monday in August |
| Scotland | ✓ | — | First Monday in August |
The split comes straight from Schedule 1 of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, which lists “the last Monday in August” for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and “the first Monday in August” for Scotland. If you work for a UK-wide employer, check which date your contract follows: some UK-wide employers apply the late-August date in Scotland, and many Scottish employers swap the national date for a local trades holiday or the Glasgow Fair.
Monday 30 August 2027: England, Wales and Northern Ireland
The late-August Monday gives a three-day weekend from Saturday 28 August to Monday 30 August. In most of England and Wales it falls inside the school summer holidays, so it is typically a busy weekend on the roads and at airports. It is also the last bank holiday for a long time: the next one in England and Wales is the Christmas Day substitute on Monday 27 December 2027, 119 days later — the longest gap of the year. More: Summer bank holiday.
Northern Ireland reaches August with an extra summer day already banked: the Battle of the Boyne holiday on Monday 12 July 2027.
Monday 2 August 2027: Scotland
Scotland’s Summer bank holiday opens August with a three-day weekend from Saturday 31 July to Monday 2 August. Scottish school terms usually restart earlier in August than in England and Wales, so check local term dates if you are planning around the school holidays. Scotland’s next bank holiday after that is St Andrew’s Day 2027 on Tuesday 30 November 2027, 120 days later. Full list: Scotland bank holidays 2027.
The summer gap in 2027
| Nation | Previous bank holiday | Summer bank holiday | Days without a bank holiday before | Next bank holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England & Wales | Spring, Mon 31 May | Mon 30 Aug | 91 | Mon 27 Dec (119 days later) |
| Northern Ireland | Boyne, Mon 12 Jul | Mon 30 Aug | 49 | Mon 27 Dec (119 days later) |
| Scotland | Spring, Mon 31 May | Mon 2 Aug | 63 | Tue 30 Nov (120 days later) |
Scotland gets the shorter summer wait but England and Wales get the August break later, closer to the start of the school year. If you manage teams across the border, it is worth putting both Mondays in the shared calendar now.
For employers: two August dates in one workforce
If you have staff on both sides of the border, the August split is the one most likely to catch out a rota or a payroll run. A few practical points for 2027:
- Decide, and put in writing, whether Scottish staff take Monday 2 August, Monday 30 August or a local holiday instead. Whatever the contract says is what counts.
- Part-time staff who do not work Mondays gain nothing from either date directly; if bank holidays are included in their leave, their entitlement is usually pro-rated — see bank holiday entitlement.
- Customer-facing teams should plan for Scottish offices being open on Monday 30 August while English, Welsh and Northern Irish offices are closed, and the reverse four weeks earlier.
Using annual leave around the August bank holiday
| Book these days | Where | Leave used | You get off | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 31 Aug – Fri 3 Sep | E, W, NI | 4 | Sat 28 Aug → Sun 5 Sep | 9 |
| Mon 23 Aug – Fri 3 Sep | E, W, NI | 9 | Sat 21 Aug → Sun 5 Sep | 16 |
| Tue 3 Aug – Fri 6 Aug | Scotland | 4 | Sat 31 Jul → Sun 8 Aug | 9 |
For every long weekend in the year, see the long weekends 2027 planner.
August bank holiday 2025–2028
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | Mon 25 Aug | Mon 31 Aug | Mon 30 Aug | Mon 28 Aug |
| Scotland | Mon 4 Aug | Mon 3 Aug | Mon 2 Aug | Mon 7 Aug |
| Weeks apart | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
The late-August Monday moves between the 25th and the 31st; in 2027 it is the 30th. Scotland’s date moves between the 1st and the 7th — in 2028 it is the 7th, the latest possible. Next year’s list: bank holidays 2028.
What is open on the August bank holiday
Shops trade normally on a bank holiday Monday in England and Wales; supermarkets often shorten hours slightly. Banks close, there are no Royal Mail letter deliveries, and trains run holiday timetables with engineering works on some lines. See shops, supermarkets, trains, Royal Mail, parking and bins.
Earlier in the year: May bank holidays 2027 and Easter 2027. Later: Christmas bank holidays 2027. All dates: UK bank holidays 2027.
Frequently asked questions
When is the August bank holiday 2027?
Monday 30 August 2027 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Monday 2 August 2027 in Scotland.
Why is the Scottish August bank holiday earlier?
The Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 sets the Summer bank holiday as the first Monday in August in Scotland and the last Monday in August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Do I get both August bank holidays in 2027?
No. Each nation has one Summer bank holiday. Which one you get depends on where you work and on your contract; some UK-wide employers apply the late-August date in Scotland too.
Is 30 August 2027 a bank holiday in Scotland?
No. Monday 30 August 2027 is a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland only. Scotland’s Summer bank holiday is 2 August 2027.
When is the next bank holiday after August 2027?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Christmas Day substitute on Monday 27 December 2027, 119 days later. In Scotland, St Andrew’s Day on Tuesday 30 November 2027.
How can I get nine days off over the August bank holiday 2027?
Book Tuesday 31 August to Friday 3 September to be off from Saturday 28 August to Sunday 5 September. In Scotland, book Tuesday 3 August to Friday 6 August.
When is the August bank holiday 2028?
Monday 28 August 2028 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Monday 7 August 2028 in Scotland.
- UK bank holidays — GOV.UK (dataset bank-holidays.json)
- Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, Schedule 1 — legislation.gov.uk
Verified on 27 September 2026. Every bank holiday date on this page is taken from the official GOV.UK bank holidays dataset for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; the weekday for each date, the day counts and the leave calculations were generated by script from those dates rather than typed by hand. Shop, transport and school arrangements change — always confirm with the operator, retailer or council.