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 full-time 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.
Vacations
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 voted '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 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 continued as we welcomed Europe's football elite for a series of games as part of the UEFA European Championships.
In 2023, Glasgow and Scotland hosted the first ever UCI Cycling World Championships, and Glasgow will host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
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, and don’t forget the Edinburgh Festivals, the world’s biggest arts festival.
Find out more about what to do in your free time (visitscotland.com)
Find out about what's going on in Scotland (TheList.co.uk)
Sport in Scotland
If sport is more your style, then you'll be pleased to hear that whether you like watching or taking part, Scotland has something for everyone. We benefit from an infrastructure that covers everything from grassroots beginner levels right through to the professional level in a huge number of different sports.
As well as this, we also regularly host major international sporting tournaments such as Rugby's Six Nations tournament, the golfing Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and the Mountain Biking World Championship.
To get a taste of Scottish culture, come along to one of the many Highland Games events (visitscotland.com) held around the country and there are a whole host of other sporting events which take place all over Scotland throughout the year, you can find out more about events in Scotland (visitscotland.com).
If you're looking for something a little less structured, we've got you covered too. Explore our stunning countryside and hike up some of our 282 Munros mountains which are over 3000ft (914m) including Ben Nevis - the UK's highest peak.
Or, if you're more comfortable at sea level, why not try out some of our amazing surfing locations, try your hand at some scuba diving (it's cold, but worth it) or jump on a bike and test out some of our spellbinding cycle routes. With so many things to do, there should be something for everyone.
Find out about getting involved in sport in Scotland (sportscotland.org.uk)
Find out more information about sport in Scotland.
Learn about the power of football in Scotland.
Things to do in Scotland
From information on attractions and scenic hotspots to events, festivals and food & drink, our ‘Things to Do’ section proves that when it comes to enjoying your free time in Scotland, you’re really only limited by your imagination.
Find out more about things to do in Scotland.
Scottish culture
With an impressive quality of life on offer in Scotland, you’re probably going to need to pick up a few new hobbies. For example, did you know that Edinburgh is a UNESCO World City of Literature and Glasgow is a UNESCO World City of Music. Not only that, we also host the world's largest cultural festival - The Edinburgh Festival Fringe - every August.
Find out more about events and festivals in Scotland.
Public Transport in Scotland
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.
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 and 5G connectivity to the latest full fibre broadband and development of green data centres, 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.
The Scottish Government is committed to Scotland’s digital future, and committed to ensuring that every community can play an active part in the digital economy. In addition to the continued roll-out of its own £600m+ Reaching 100% (R100) programme, it’s also designing interventions that will suit Scotland and continue to extend the reach of future-proofed broadband through the UK Government’s Project Gigabit.
R100 – which is expected to benefit around 113,000 homes and businesses – is already making progress. By October 2024, over 68,000 premises had been connected to faster broadband.
High-quality mobile connectivity is equally as important with a range of programmes contributing to this goal. The Scottish Government’s £28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) programme programme has brought 4G coverage for the first time to 55 long-standing mobile “notspots” in rural and island areas of Scotland. The Scotland 5G Centre is a national centre, also funded by the Scottish Government, with the aim of bringing together academia, industry and government to accelerate the enterprise usage of 5G in public and private network environments.
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.
A Gigabit city is a town or city with a full fibre network that’s capable of surpassing the needs of the entire region. That includes residents, businesses, mobile connectivity and the public sector!
Find out more about Digital Connectivity
Safety & Inclusivity
Ensuring that you feel safe, welcome and part of our family is incredibly important to us, which is why we are incredibly proud of our world-renowned reputation for providing a warm and open welcome to everyone. Afterall, we strongly believe that diversity and inclusivity are fundamental to what makes Scotland great.
So, whether it’s our dedicated police force working in communities to keep people safe, or our world-leading stances on everything from LGBTQI+ rights to humanitarian crises, we’re constantly striving to create a society free from crime, prejudice and inequality.
Find out more about safety and inclusivity in Scotland.
Obtaining legal advice
When moving to a new country, dealing with things like legal issues can sometimes be difficult and confusing - but help is available to you should you need it. There are many ways to obtain legal advice including contacting a solicitor or using a local advice centre, but you should note that some offices may charge you for this service.
Find out more about obtaining legal advice (citizensadvice.org.uk)
Real life Stories
Don’t want to take our word for it? No problem! If you’d like to hear from real people who have already made the move to Scotland, check out our Real Life Stories section. Here people from all around the world share their experiences of how and why they moved to Scotland.