Bank Holidays remind us of the simple pleasures
Bank Holidays – we love them. They are the perfect excuse for a weekend away, or even better, a week off work that doesn’t wipe out your annual leave before the summer holidays even start. Bank holidays are the stuff of front page news – if the weather is good both tabloids and broadsheets will jockey for the very best ‘fun in the sun’ cover shot – and that photo will invariably be taken right here in the UK. And why is that? Well, perhaps the best thing about Bank Holidays is that they make us appreciate the good bits of our own country. Bank Holidays remind us that we needn’t go far, or spend a fortune, to have a great time. And with Bank Holidays at its beginning and end, May is perhaps the best month to enjoy a short break in Scotland.
Riverside, Stirling, an ideal spot for a May Bank Holiday picnic
The history of the Bank Holiday: The first official Bank holidays were established by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871, in which England, Wales and Ireland were granted four days, while Scotland was granted five (north of the border we need a day to recover after Hogmanay!) In 1971, responding to the pleas of diary and calendar makers UK-wide, the ‘random’ nature of Bank Holidays was removed, the dates fixed, and another few days added, to the extent that we can now diarise around eight paid ‘magic Mondays’ off per year. And it’s not over yet – there is widespread feeling that the UK should be granted more Bank Holidays to take us up to a number comparable to that of our European counterparts. Best contenders for future national Bank Holidays are 23 April (St George’s Day and the birth date of William Shakespeare), 1 March (St David’s Day, patron saint of Wales), 17 March (St Patrick’s Day, patron saint of Ireland and currently only recognised as a holiday in Northern Ireland), and 30 November (St Andrew’s Day – currently only recognised in Scotland).
May is the perfect month for birdwatching in Scotland
Making the most of May Bank Holidays in Scotland: Whether you live in Scotland or not, there couldn’t be a better time to explore it than in May. If you are from the UK, you will have two Bank Holidays to choose from to create a starting point for a break away. Further, May school holiday dates in Scotland, England and Wales all differ slightly, with the happy result that accommodation prices are affordable and late vacancies easier to find. Added to that, you will find that Scotland’s weather is often at its best in May, with mild temperatures, lengthening days, and the first flush of early summer visible in the landscape.
May events in Stirling: If Stirling is your destination for this most beautiful and relaxed of months, then you will be spoiled for a choice of events too:
- Families will enjoy the Scribblers Picnic on Sunday 11 May at: http://scribblerspicnic.co.uk/
- The Stirling Smith is celebrating the national Festival of Museums on 17 May: http://www.smithartgalleryandmuseum.co.uk/
- There are still tickets left for the Festival dinner of the sell-out Spirit of Stirling Whisky Festival: http://www.spiritofstirlingwhiskyfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
- Birdwatchers can gather for the dawn chorus with Forth Valley RSPB: http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/forthvalley/events/
- Join in the fun at the Doune and Dunblane fling: http://www.dunblanefling.com/
- Learn about the road to Bannockburn in the historic surroundings of Stirling Castle: http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/home/newsevents/events/
- For these and many more Stirling events in May, see: http://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/loch-lomond-trossachs-forth-valley/see-do/
Photo credit: Image of Riverside, Stirling, Author: Richard Webb [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons