UK Bank Holidays 2027
Christmas Day falls on a Saturday in 2027, which means substitute days and a longer run into the new year. Here is every bank holiday date, by nation, and which of them are worth booking a trip around.
Published 19 August 2026
The four UK nations do not share a bank holiday calendar. England and Wales have eight; Scotland substitutes some and adds others; Northern Ireland has two that nowhere else observes. If you are travelling across a border, or booking a site in one nation while living in another, the dates below are the ones that matter.
England and Wales
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Friday 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| Friday 26 March | Good Friday |
| Monday 29 March | Easter Monday |
| Monday 3 May | Early May bank holiday |
| Monday 31 May | Spring bank holiday |
| Monday 30 August | Summer bank holiday |
| Monday 27 December | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| Tuesday 28 December | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
Scotland
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Friday 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| Monday 4 January | 2 January (substitute day) |
| Friday 26 March | Good Friday |
| Monday 3 May | Early May bank holiday |
| Monday 31 May | Spring bank holiday |
| Monday 2 August | Summer bank holiday |
| Tuesday 30 November | St Andrew’s Day |
| Monday 27 December | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| Tuesday 28 December | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland. The Scottish August holiday falling on 2 August rather than 30 August is the one that most often catches out visitors planning a Highland trip. See campervan sites in Scotland and the North Coast 500, both of which get noticeably busier that weekend.
Northern Ireland
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Friday 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| Wednesday 17 March | St Patrick’s Day |
| Friday 26 March | Good Friday |
| Monday 29 March | Easter Monday |
| Monday 3 May | Early May bank holiday |
| Monday 31 May | Spring bank holiday |
| Monday 12 July | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) |
| Monday 30 August | Summer bank holiday |
| Monday 27 December | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| Tuesday 28 December | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
Which ones to book a trip around
- Easter, 26–29 March: an early Easter in 2027, which usually means cold, quiet sites and low prices. Covered in Easter 2027.
- Early May, 3 May: the best-value long weekend of the year. Long days, everything open, prices not yet at summer levels.
- Spring, 31 May: falls with half term in most of England, so it is the busiest non-summer weekend. Book months ahead.
- Summer, 30 August: the last weekend of the school holidays in England and Wales, and the single most oversubscribed date in UK camping.
- Late December: a five-day run with the substitute days. Winter glamping needs heating and a hot tub to be worth it; see sites with hot tubs.
Where to go on a long weekend
Bank holiday weekends reward going where other people are not. Northern Ireland is the standout on our data: 201 sites, the largest single county bucket we hold, and a fraction of the demand that Cornwall or the Lakes see on the same weekend.
Where to go instead
Northern Ireland: the biggest supply we list and the smallest bank-holiday crowd.
See all 201 sites (195 more not shown here).
Common questions
- When are the UK bank holidays in 2027?
- In England and Wales: 1 January, 26 and 29 March, 3 May, 31 May, 30 August, and 27 and 28 December as Christmas substitute days.
- Why are there substitute bank holidays in December 2027?
- Christmas Day 2027 falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, so the public holidays move to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December.
- When is the August bank holiday 2027 in Scotland?
- Monday 2 August. Scotland takes its summer bank holiday at the start of August, four weeks before England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 30 August.
- Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Scotland?
- No. Good Friday is, but Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland.
Keep reading
- Planning a tripEaster 2027: Dates and Where to GoEaster 2027 falls on 28 March, one of the earliest in years. The dates, what an early Easter means for a UK break, and where to go when it is still cold.
- Planning a tripHalf Term Dates 2027: How They Work and Where to GoHow half term dates are set in 2027, why they vary between councils and nations, the fixed dates you can plan around, and where to go with children.
- From our dataCampsites With a Pub Within Walking DistanceWe measured the distance from every site we list to its nearest pub. These are the campsites and glamping sites with one within a mile, and the counties that do it best.
- Planning a tripThe Best Beaches in KentKent’s best beaches, Botany Bay, Viking Bay, Camber-adjacent Dungeness, Whitstable and the Thanet coast, with what each is good for and where to stay nearby.