COUNCILLORS will decide later this month whether Argyll and Bute will observe the bank holiday for Scotland’s men’s national team’s place at the football World Cup.
The Scottish Government announced last week that King Charles III had approved plans for a national holiday on Monday, June 15.
Scotland will play Haiti at 2am UK time on Sunday, June 14, in Boston, in their first fixture at a men’s World Cup finals since 1998.
Subsequent matches against Morocco and Brazil will kick off at 11pm UK time on Friday, June 19 and Wednesday, June 24 respectively.
An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said that a decision on whether to observe the bank holiday will be made on the same day as the authority sets its budget for 2026/27.
They said: “A decision on whether or not to observe the public holiday will be taken at the meeting of full council on February 25.”
The Argyll and Bute licensing board is also due to decide on licensing hours for premises in the area in view of the late kick-off times.
The board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, February 24, and papers for the meeting are expected to be published a week in advance in line with usual procedure.
In the Scottish Government’s announcement of the holiday, first minister John Swinney said: “Scotland will be on the world stage this summer and I want as many people as possible to be able to celebrate that moment.
“Football means a great deal to many people in this country and it has been almost three decades since our men’s national team played at the World Cup finals tournament. The joyous reaction when Steve Clarke and his players secured qualification demonstrated what it meant to end that long absence.
“We want to make the most of Scotland’s participation in this global sporting event by ensuring people have the opportunity to come together and celebrate – no matter the outcome of the match. That is why I proposed making the Monday following our opening game in Boston a national bank holiday.
“I am very grateful to His Majesty King Charles for approving the proposal and I encourage employers around the country to work with staff to put in place suitable arrangements that will allow as many of them as possible to join in the celebrations.”
