The origins of the Fair Fortnight can be traced back to the 12th century, when the fair was an actual market held in the surrounds of Glasgow Cathedral. There, you could trade horses and cattle to take home, along with goods to keep your family going - less of a holiday and more of necessity, by the sounds of it.
Originally, the holiday was held on the first Monday of August across the country, but was changed in the late 1960s to the last Monday in August for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It remains the first Monday for Scotland.
For instance, in 2025, the summer bank holiday falls on 4 August for Scotland and 25 August for the rest of the UK. Historically, everyone celebrated on the first Monday of August, but a law in 1971 formally moved it to the last Monday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1977: Glasgow's FAIR FORTNIGHT Holiday | Classic BBC Documentary | BBC Archive
Is there a September holiday in Scotland?
An additional public holiday was declared for Monday 19 September, the day of the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Monday 8 May 2023 was an additional public holiday to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Yes, Scotland is set to get an extra national bank holiday on Monday, 15 June 2026, proposed by First Minister John Swinney, to celebrate the men's national football team playing in the World Cup for the first time since 1998, allowing Scots to celebrate their opening game, although this is pending royal assent and may not guarantee time off for all workers, especially NHS staff, as reported by BBC News and GOV.UK.
This was known as going 'doon the watter', meaning 'down the water' in the Glasgow dialect. Today, a public holiday is observed on the third Monday in July, known as Glasgow Fair Monday.
But the Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds revealed that there won't be a bank holiday to celebrate the win. Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Reynolds said: “There should be a day of celebration. That's what the prime minister promised. “That's not a bank holiday, but there is a Downing Street reception today.
The Glasgow Girls, along with their supporters, staged protests, lobbied politicians, and ultimately succeeded in preventing Agnesa's deportation. Their victory sparked a broader movement for immigration reform, leading to changes in the Scottish legal system.
Fairtrade empowers producers across the globe, helping to safeguard the future of our favourite foods, essential products, and the planet. This year, Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 22 September to 5 October under the theme 'Do it Fair'.
The August Bank Holiday in the UK (for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) falls on the last Monday of August as a tradition dating back to the Bank Holidays Act 1871, initially established to give workers a break during summer, but was formally moved from the first Monday to the last in 1971 to better align with company summer shutdowns and the end of school holidays, providing a final long weekend for summer activities. Scotland observes its own August Bank Holiday on the first Monday of the month.
Christmas was banned in Scotland for nearly 400 years primarily due to the Protestant Reformation, where the strict Presbyterian Church (the Kirk) viewed Christmas as an overly indulgent Catholic festival, leading to an official ban in 1640 by the Scottish Parliament, making it a workday for centuries until it became a public holiday in 1958.
But how many holidays you get will depend on where you live in the UK. England and Wales have eight bank holidays a year while Scotland enjoys nine and Northern Ireland has ten. Occasionally there are also one-off bank holidays, such as the one added to celebrate the King's coronation in 2023.
Hogmanay is the Scottish word for the last day of the year or New Year's Eve and is generally regarded as the most important Scottish holiday. Christmas was not celebrated as a festival and virtually banned in Scotland for around 400 years.
