Public holidays
Future public holiday dates in 2026 and 2027 (so far) for NHS Highland staff.
Opening times for your local GP practice and pharmacy may be different to normal on these days.
On this page
Important: Public holiday - Monday 20th July
Monday 20th July 2026 is a public holiday for GP practices in the Argyll and Bute area only. Opening times for your local GP practice may be different to normal.
Important: Public holiday - Monday 3rd August
Monday 3rd August 2026 is a public holiday for the Highland area only. Opening times for your local GP practice and local 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 your GP or community 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 shown are all that have been confirmed so far.
- 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.
NHS Highland public holidays in 2026 and 2027
Monday 20th July 2026
July holiday: only Argyll and Bute GP practicesMonday 3rd August 2026
Summer Bank Holiday: only Highland areaMonday 28th September 2026
Autumn Bank Holiday: only Argyll and Bute areaFriday 16th October 2026
Autumn Bank Holiday: only Highland areaFriday 25th December 2026
Christmas DayMonday 28th December 2026
Public HolidayFriday 1st January 2027
New Year's DayMonday 4th January 2027
Public Holiday
More 2027 dates are to be confirmed.
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