When is the World Cup bank holiday?
Scotland secured its place in the 2026 World Cup following a remarkable 4-2 victory over Denmark at Hampden in November.
Shortly after, First Minister John Swinney proposed that 15 June be designated as a national bank holiday to celebrate this achievement.
The King later formally confirmed this date.
The holiday falls after Scotland's opening World Cup group match against Haiti, scheduled for 02:00 BST on Sunday 14 June in Boston, Massachusetts.
Scotland's other group games will be against Morocco, also in Boston, and Brazil in Miami, Florida.
Who is getting the bank holiday?
Approximately 551,500 public sector workers in Scotland were eligible to be offered the holiday.
Many of these employees work for local councils, each of which had the discretion to adopt the additional day off.
There is no legal requirement for private sector businesses, including banks, to close on bank holidays, leaving the decision to individual firms and organisations outside the public sector.
To date, only six of Scotland's 32 councils have confirmed they will observe the public holiday: Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, and South Lanarkshire.
West Lothian Council was expected to decide on the matter later on Tuesday.
All health boards across Scotland have approved 15 June as a day off.
This means that 237,200 public sector workers are entitled to the holiday, including 74,000 council employees and 163,200 NHS staff.
Additionally, about 16,650 Scottish government employees will observe the holiday.
However, staff at the Scottish Parliament will not automatically receive the day off; instead, Holyrood managers have been encouraged to "look favourably" on leave requests, and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) may grant additional leave to their staff.
Will schools close for the bank holiday?
Most schools are expected to remain open, as the majority of local authorities have declined the proposal for the extra day off.
It remains unclear whether the bank holiday will apply to school children and teachers in all council areas that have adopted the holiday.
South Lanarkshire Council, Aberdeen City Council, and Renfrewshire Council have confirmed their schools will be closed.
North Ayrshire Council planned to make a final decision on Tuesday afternoon.
Dundee City Council and Glasgow City Council had not yet responded to inquiries from BBC Scotland News regarding school closures.
Separately, local licensing boards have been deliberating whether pubs showing Scotland's matches can remain open into the early hours.
Some authorities have agreed on general rules permitting extended opening hours, while others, such as Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in the Western Isles, will assess applications individually.
Aberdeen City Council was the first to decide on the bank holiday, agreeing on 23 February to observe it.
"Our decision takes into consideration the 02:00 kick off and that many thousands of people in Aberdeen will want to watch the game," said staff governance committee convener Neil Copland.
"Our decision takes into consideration the 02:00 kick off and that many thousands of people in Aberdeen will want to watch the game."
Copland added that making an early decision allowed employees to prepare for celebrations while ensuring that "critical services" would continue.
Vice-convener Gill Al-Samarai stated, "We have had ad hoc public holidays in recent years for events such as the Coronation of King Charles and the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee and funeral. As always, on such occasions, normal public holiday service delivery levels will be applied in all essential service areas."
Are thousands of others missing out?
Local authorities that have declined the holiday emphasize that their decisions are based on responsibility rather than reluctance to celebrate.
Many cite the additional costs involved at a time when they are implementing unpopular service cuts.
Highland councillors estimated that observing the holiday could cost their local authority approximately £150,000.
They voted against the proposal, citing potential impacts on essential services such as bin collections and schools.
City of Edinburgh Council also rejected the one-day holiday, citing concerns over an estimated cost of £350,000.
In a cross-party vote, 35 councillors opposed the proposal, while 26 supported it.
A report to Inverclyde Council indicated financial implications of around £72,000, with an additional £9,000 for free school meal holiday payments for eligible carers.
The report also noted that productivity losses, while not a direct cost, would amount to £610,000.
The Federation of Small Businesses Scotland commented that employers would strive to be flexible with time off.
Director Colin Borland said, "But, realistically, if you have customers to look after and orders to fulfil, you can't simply shut down and give everyone the day off. It will be a particularly busy time for lots of small businesses and self-employed people – so it will probably be all hands on deck for many bars, shops, restaurants, taxi firms and more."
