Days made up of lazy lie-ins, country walks and hearty lunches; there’s something special about recharging on a bank holiday. It’s a real break from the stresses of daily life and why wouldn’t you want to make that last as long as you can?
Below, we’ve detailed every bank holiday for 2024 so you can plan ahead, but we’ve also gone one step further and written out how you can maximise your annual leave to take advantage of every bank holiday.
Take a look at the 2024/25 bank holiday dates for England, Wales and Scotland in our guide and plan the best way to make the most of your annual leave. Or, if you’ve already begun booking off your holiday days, browse our wonderful cottages for some inspiration!
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How many bank holidays are there in 2024?
In England and Wales, there are eight bank holidays for you to take advantage of throughout 2024.
In fact, there are eight bank holidays every year, unless there’s an exception such as during 2023 when we had the coronation of King Charles and were awarded an extra day.
In Scotland, there are traditionally nine bank holidays every year.
The extra bank holiday was added to allow everyone to properly celebrate Hogmanay – a fantastic event in the Scottish calendar, with celebrations that can last until the 2 January! Check out our guide to the best places to celebrate Hogmanay.
When is the next bank holiday?
Here is the full list of bank holidays 2024/2025 in England and Wales for your diary:
Bank holidays 2024 – England and Wales
- New Year’s Day – 1 January (Monday)
- Good Friday – 29 March (Friday)
- Easter Monday – 1 April (Monday)
- Early May bank holiday – 6 May (Monday)
- Spring bank holiday – 27 May (Monday)
- Summer bank holiday – 26 August (Monday)
- Christmas Day – 25 December (Wednesday)
- Boxing Day – 26 December (Thursday)
When is the next bank holiday in Scotland?
Here is the full list of bank holidays 2024/2025 in Scotland:
Bank holidays 2024 – Scotland
- New Year’s Day – 1 January (Monday)
- Day after New Year’s – 2 January (Tuesday)
- Good Friday – 29 March (Friday)
- Early May bank holiday – 6 May (Monday)
- Spring bank holiday – 27 May (Monday)
- Summer bank holiday – 5 August (Monday)
- St Andrew’s Day (substitute day) – 2 December (Monday)
- Christmas Day – 25 December (Wednesday)
- Boxing Day – 26 December (Thursday)
How to get the most holidays in 2024 - England and Wales
With the bank holidays spread out throughout the year, it’s always great to get savvy with your bookings to really maximise your allotted annual leave.
Here’s how you can make the most of holiday days.
- For New Year's Day, simply book off Tuesday 2 to Friday 5 January to enjoy a full week’s break.
Take advantage of the Easter bank holidays, combining Good Friday and Easter Monday by booking off these dates:
- Good Friday 29 March – book Monday 25 to Thursday 28 March
- Easter Monday 1 April – book Tuesday 2 to Friday 5 April
Altogether, you can enjoy a full two-week holiday while only using eight days of your annual leave.
All three bank holidays in May and August are on a Monday, so you can maximise your bank holidays by booking holiday leave from Tuesday to Friday. These are the exact dates to book off:
- Early May bank holiday 6 May – book Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 May
- Spring bank holiday 27 May – book Tuesday 28 to Friday 31 May
- Summer bank holiday 26 August – book Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 August
Finally, we have Christmas! Maximise your Christmas bank holidays in 2024 by only booking three holiday days to gain a full week off to celebrate and spend time with family and friends.
- With Christmas Day and Boxing Day taking place on a Wednesday and Thursday in 2024, you just have to book off Monday 23, Tuesday 24 and Friday 27 December to maximise your annual leave.
England and Wales bank holiday inspiration
If you're living in England or Wales and searching for a place to stay that's close to home, we have a fantastic range of holiday lets throughout both countries where you're sure to find the perfect place to stay during your next bank holiday break.
With fantastic destinations such as the Lake District, Northumberland and Cornwall to discover, get inspired by looking through our collection of holiday lets in England.
England cottages
From the remote and wild slopes of Snowdonia to the idyllic, sweeping landscapes of the Brecon Beacons, we have a host of enchanting holiday cottages in Wales for you to browse.
Wales cottages
How to get the most holidays in 2024 - Scotland
If you're planning your breaks around Scotland's bank holidays, maximise your annual leave by booking off the dates below.
In Scotland, as both 1 and 2 January are bank holidays, you only need to use three annual leave days for a full week-long holiday.
- Book off Wednesday 3 to Friday 5 January to maximise your New Year/Hogmanay bank holidays.
If you want to take some time off over Easter, book off the Monday to Thursday in the lead-up to the Good Friday bank holiday.
- Book your annual leave on Monday 25 – Thursday 28 March
Like in England and Wales, all three May and August bank holidays are on a Monday so for savvy booking, simply use your holiday leave from Tuesday to Friday. Here are the exact dates to book:
- Early May bank holiday 6 May – book Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 May
- Spring bank holiday 27 May – book Thursday 28 to Friday 31 May
- Summer bank holiday 5 August – book Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 August
And at last, you have to make the most of the wonderful festive season! You only need to book off three days to maximise your annual leave and gain a full week's break at Christmas time.
- Christmas bank holidays are the same across the whole of the UK. So, just like England and Wales, you only need to book off Monday 23, Tuesday 24 and Friday 27 December in Scotland to enjoy a week-long holiday.
Bank holiday cottage breaks across Scotland
If you're trying to decide on the best way to spend your bank holiday in Scotland, we've got a fabulous range of retreats to inspire a weekend break or a full, week-long adventure.
From middle-of-nowhere Highland retreats to elegant Edinburgh properties, you're sure to find a fantastic place to stay in our collection of holiday lets in Scotland.
Scotland cottages
Looking ahead to 2025
Below, we’ve included all the bank holidays for 2025 so you can really plan ahead. Begin thinking about how you are going to maximise your annual leave in 2025 to ensure you can spend time with loved ones, enjoy much-needed breaks, and make the most of your time off.
Bank holidays 2025 – England and Wales
- New Year’s Day – 1 January (Wednesday)
- Good Friday – 18 April (Friday)
- Easter Monday – 21 April (Monday)
- Early May bank holiday – 5 May (Monday)
- Spring bank holiday – 26 May (Monday)
- Summer bank holiday – 25 August (Monday)
- Christmas Day – 25 December (Thursday)
- Boxing Day – 26 December (Friday)
Bank holidays 2025 – Scotland
- New Year’s Day – 1 January (Wednesday)
- Day after New Year’s – 2 January (Thursday)
- Good Friday – 18 April (Friday)
- Early May bank holiday – 5 May (Monday)
- Spring bank holiday – 26 May (Monday)
- Summer bank holiday – 4 August (Monday)
- St Andrew’s Day (substitute day) – 1 December (Monday)
- Christmas Day – 25 December (Thursday)
- Boxing Day – 26 December (Friday)
Plan your bank holiday break
Once you’ve decided how you’re maximising your annual leave, why not begin planning where you’re going to spend your time off?
Explore our vast collection of holiday cottages all over the UK and discover a beautiful retreat in the enchanting Scottish Highlands, down on the golden sands of Cornwall or in the pretty Lake District. Where will you go on your next bank holiday?
UK cottages