Work week

Your work week will depend on the type of job that you do and whether it involves specific shift patterns or special working hours. In general, the average work week in Scotland is between 37 and 40 hours per week, with time allotted for lunch breaks.

We understand that every family is different, and will have different needs. As a result, many employers in Scotland allow for flexible working patterns. However, this is completely at the discretion of each employer and should be discussed with them.

Vacation time

All work and no play makes….well, you know the rest! In Scotland, all your hard work is rewarded with a generous amount of paid holiday time, because we know you deserve it. The holidays, known as ‘annual leave’ are calculated based on the number of days you work.

If you work full-time (five days a week) you’re normally entitled to at least 28 days of annual leave every year. It’s also worth pointing out that many companies do offer more than this at their own discretion.

If you work part-time, don’t worry, you still get holidays too! You can calculate the number of days you’re entitled to by multiplying the number of days you work each week by 5.6. So, if you work three days a week, you’re entitled to 16.8 days.

National holidays

Most workplaces in Scotland close for public and bank holidays. While employers don’t have to pay you for these holidays, most do as an added bonus.

There are currently nine public and bank holidays in Scotland each year. While most are in line with the rest of the UK, we do have one or two special ones all to ourselves:

  • New Year's Day (January)
  • 2nd January (recover from New Year's celebrations!)
  • Good Friday (April)
  • Early May Bank Holiday (May)
  • Spring Bank Holiday (May/June)
  • Summer Bank Holiday (August)
  • St Andrew's Day (November)
  • Christmas Day (December)
  • Boxing Day (December)

Down time & leisure

Whatever your working pattern is in Scotland, you'll still be entitled to plenty of leisure time - luckily, Scotland has a whole host of amazing things to keep those evenings and weekends fully occupied. During the summer months, Scotland also benefits from an average of 17 hours of daylight, meaning that even after a long day at work, there is still plenty of time to take a short trip to the beach or countryside and squeeze in a beautiful early evening stroll.

No matter what you like to do with your free time, there are a massive amount of options open to you in Scotland. From immersing yourself in the stunning sights that saw us become 'The Most Beautiful Country in the World', to soaking up the very best in sport, live music, performance and culture. 

Over the years, Scotland has played host to a number of major international events in recent years and has developed a reputation for providing world-class hospitality. As well as hosting what quickly became known as "the best ever" Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, we've recently hosted major sporting events such as football’s Champions League Final, rugby’s World Cup and European Cup, golf’s British Open and athletics' European Championships. In 2021, this trend continues as we welcome Europe's football elite for a series of games as part of the UEFA European Championships. .

On top of this, Scotland regularly plays host to some of the biggest bands in the world and is a common stop on most major world tours.

Find out more about what to do in your free time at VisitScotland.com

Find out about what's going on in Scotland at TheList.co.uk

Public Transport

Scotland has a very well-developed public transport system that covers the length and breadth of the country. We also have an excellent rail network that serves cross-country links throughout Scotland as well as regular connections to the rest of the UK. To top it off we even have a fleet of ferries and boats that can get you to even the most remote of Scottish islands! With such a great collection of transport needs, there really is no excuse not to get out there and explore.

Many of our buses and trains are also equipped with free Wi-Fi, making your journey more enjoyable. So whether you need to catch up on emails, plan the next stage of your journey or just update your social media, you can do so while travelling in comfort.

Find out more about getting around Scotland

Digital Connectivity

All of Scotland’s major cities and towns are currently covered by high-speed internet connections. From 4G connectivity to the latest fibre optic broadband technology, Scotland is well and truly at the forefront of the digital world. Getting online has never been more essential to people than it is today and the digital world has become an integral part of all our lives. However, we’re not stopping there; technology is always advancing, internet speeds are getting faster and we’re making sure we continue to keep up with the pace.

Because of this, the Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland a world-class digital nation by the year 2020. This means ensuring more and more of the country benefits from great internet speeds. Our goal is to make sure that whether you’re rambling a remote munro or sipping a latte in a bustling city centre, you have instant access.

As part of our commitment, we aim to deliver high-speed fibre optic broadband to 95% of the country by 2018. This means that we are undertaking the highest value telecommunications infrastructure investment in all of Europe. This undoubtedly highlights Scotland’s dedication to giving everyone high quality internet services, no matter where they are.

The project presents a number of unique communications challenges, especially due to the rugged terrain and dispersed population in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. This means that, in addition to our existing fibre network, a massive 1200km of new fibre infrastructure, including 400km of subsea cabling, will be installed across Scotland!

We also know how important Wi-Fi is to our visitors and residents, and we take these needs very seriously. That is why Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh, is the UK’s largest Gigabit City. Edinburgh’s ultra-fast fibre optic infrastructure criss-crosses the whole city and, for visitors and residents alike, this has meant the introduction of free public Wi-Fi across the city centre in more than 70 public buildings.

Find out more about Gigabit Cities