Public holidays
On this page
Public holiday dates 2025-26 and 2026-27 for NHS Highland.
Opening times for your local GP practice and pharmacy may be different to normal on these days.
Important: Christmas and New Year 2025-26 public holidays
Festive season public holidays for the NHS Highland area are:
- Thursday 25th December 2025
- Friday 26th December
- Thursday 1st January 2026
- Friday 2nd January
Opening times for your local GP practice and pharmacy may be different to normal.
Important: Be prepared for a public holiday
There are things you can do to prepare, when some NHS services are closed or have different opening hours on public holidays.
- check opening times before visiting a GP or pharmacy, if you don't have an appointment
- pick up your prescriptions in advance
- keep basic over-the-counter remedies at home to help with common seasonal illnesses and injuries:
- bites, stings, sunburn and hay fever
- cold and flu
- for health advice, try the symptom checkers on NHS inform or the free NHS 24 app
- speak to your local pharmacy for expert help
- know who to turn to for more serious conditions
About these dates
- Dates apply to all NHS Highland GPs and health staff in both the Highland area and the Argyll and Bute area, unless shown otherwise.
- GP practice holidays are taken by GPs only, not practice staff.
- Helensburgh GP practices in the Argyll and Bute area take NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde holidays, which may be different.
2025-26 NHS Highland public holiday dates
Remaining:
- Thursday 25th December 2025
Christmas Day - Friday 26th December 2025
Boxing Day - Thursday 1st January 2026
New Year's Day - Friday 2nd January 2026
Public Holiday
2026-27 NHS Highland public holiday dates
- Friday 3rd April 2026
Good Friday - Monday 6th April 2026
Easter Monday: only Argyll and Bute area and Highland GP practices - Monday 4th May 2026
Early May Bank Holiday - Monday 25th May 2026
May holiday: only Argyll and Bute GP practices - Friday 3rd July 2026
July holiday: only Highland GP practices - Monday 20th July 2026
July holiday: only Argyll and Bute GP practices - Monday 3rd August 2026
Summer Bank Holiday: only Highland area - Monday 28th September 2026
Autumn Bank Holiday: only Argyll and Bute area - Friday 16th October 2026
Autumn Bank Holiday: only Highland area - Friday 25th December 2026
Christmas Day - Monday 28th December 2026
Public Holiday - Friday 1st January 2027
New Year's Day - Monday 4th January 2027
Public Holiday
About NHS Highland
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Our population and people
Statistics on the population we serve, and our workforce.
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Highland Health and Social Care Partnership
Highland Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) follows a lead agency model.
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Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership
Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) includes social care services and all health services, incl...
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NHS Highland Board
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Service redesign
Service change and hospital upgrades in the Highland area.