Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Scotland
- Before planning a trip around a festival, verify the festival dates on the festival's website or with a local tourist information office. For more information about these and other events, see the sites for Visit Scotland and Visit Britain.
- This list includes major festivals in Edinburgh, plus national holidays observed throughout Scotland. Many sights and banks close down on national holidays — keep it in mind when planning your itinerary. Note that this isn't a complete list; holidays can strike without warning.
- See upcoming holidays and festivals in England, Wales, and across Europe
2022
January 1–2: New Year's Day and New Year's Holiday (continued Hogmanay celebrations; closures)
January 25: Burns' Night (poetry readings, haggis…whisky)
April 9–24: Edinburgh Science Festival
April 15–April 17: Easter weekend (Good Friday through Easter Sunday; closures)
April 30: Beltane Fire Festival, Edinburgh (dancing, bonfire)
May 2: Early May Bank Holiday
June 2: Spring Bank Holiday
June 18–19: Scottish Traditional Boat Festival, Portsoy (east of Inverness)
June 23–26: Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh (Scottish-flavored county fair)
July 22–24: Rewind Festival, Perth (themed venues and musical performances)
August 1: Summer Bank Holiday
August 5–27: Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh (massing of military bands)
August 5–29: Edinburgh International Festival (music, dance, shows)
August 5–29: Edinburgh Fringe Festival (offbeat theater and comedy)
August 12–20: Edinburgh International Film Festival
August 13–29: Edinburgh International Book Festival
August 25–27: Cowal Highland Gathering, west of Glasgow in Dunoon
August 27–September 4: Largs Viking Festival (west of Glasgow)
September 3: Braemar Gathering, north of Pitlochry
October 14–22: Royal National Mòd, Perth (Gaelic cultural festival)
Late October (2 weeks): Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Edinburgh
November 5: Bonfire Night (a.k.a. Guy Fawkes Night; fireworks, bonfires, effigy-burning of 1605 traitor Guy Fawkes)
November 11: Remembrance Sunday (two minutes of silence at 11:00 to remember WWI dead, people wear poppies on lapels)
November 30: St. Andrew's Day (national day; ceilidh dancing and other cultural events; bank-holiday closures)
December 31–January 2: Hogmanay (Scottish New Year's, with music, street theater, carnival)