School Holidays 2026/27

Scottish School Holidays — By Council

Every Scottish council sets its own term dates and in-service days. Type your council name into the filter, or pick it from the regional list below for the full 2026/27 calendar. New to how this works? Read why the dates differ by council.

Compare two councils Scotland vs England dates

When do Scottish schools go back in 2026?

For the 2026/27 school year, Scottish schools return between 12 August 2026 and 20 August 2026, depending on the council. Term dates are set locally rather than nationally, so the figures below are the range across all 32 councils — check your own council for the exact calendar.

One date worth pencilling in for next summer: results day is Tuesday 10 August 2027, during the summer break — when National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher grades for the 2027 diet are released.

Working through the break? Summer holiday childcare in Scotland covers holiday clubs, costs and what funded support applies outside term time — with more in the early years & childcare hub.

August return: 12 August 2026 – 20 August 2026
October week begins: 5 October – 19 October 2026 — every council
Summer holiday starts: 25 June – 3 July 2027
All 32 councils: each set their own dates — why they differ

October week 2026

October school holidays 2026: every council's dates

29 of the 32 councils start the October break on 12 October 2026; the earliest begins 5 October and the latest 19 October. The start date barely moves — the length does: 16 councils take one week, 16 take two. Where a council pins an in-service day to the Monday after the break, pupils are back on the Tuesday, and the table says so.

29 of 32 rows are read off the council's own published calendar. East Renfrewshire, Fife, Glasgow City show the typical regional pattern because the council's site does not serve its term-dates page to automated checks — confirm with the council before booking.

Council	October break	Length	Pupils back	Source
West Scotland
Argyll and Bute	Mon 5 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
East Ayrshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Tue 20 Octin-service Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
East Dunbartonshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
East Renfrewshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Mon 19 Oct	Typical pattern
Glasgow	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Mon 19 Oct	Typical pattern
Inverclyde	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Tue 20 Octin-service Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
North Ayrshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
North Lanarkshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
Renfrewshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Tue 20 Octin-service Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
South Ayrshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Tue 20 Octin-service Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
South Lanarkshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
West Dunbartonshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
East Scotland
Angus	Mon 5 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
Edinburgh	Mon 12 Oct – Mon 19 Oct	Two weeks	Tue 20 Oct	Council-published
Dundee	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
East Lothian	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Tue 20 Octin-service Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
Fife	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Mon 19 Oct	Typical pattern
Midlothian	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Tue 20 Octin-service Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
Central Scotland
Clackmannanshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
Falkirk	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
Perth and Kinross	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
Stirling	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
West Lothian	Mon 19 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	One week	Tue 27 Octin-service Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
North Scotland
Aberdeen	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
Aberdeenshire	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
Highland	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
Moray	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
South Scotland
Dumfries and Galloway	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
Scottish Borders	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	One week	Tue 20 Octin-service Mon 19 Oct	Council-published
Scottish Islands
Western Isles	Mon 12 Oct – Tue 20 Oct	Two weeks	Thu 22 Octin-service Wed 21 Oct	Council-published
Orkney Islands	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Wed 28 Octin-service Mon 26 Oct	Council-published
Shetland Islands	Mon 12 Oct – Fri 23 Oct	Two weeks	Wed 28 Octin-service Mon 26 Oct	Council-published

Why the length differs from council to council — and why it was ever called the tattie holidays — is in the guide. Filling the week? Our sister site TripSCOT covers Scotland in October and family days out, with train fares and honest costs.

Most-searched councils

Showing all 32 councils

North Scotland

Aberdeen school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 17 August

Aberdeenshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 19 August

Highland school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 19 August

Moray school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 19 August

East Scotland

Angus school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 18 August

Edinburgh school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 12 August

Dundee school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 18 August

East Lothian school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 12 August

Fife school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 17 August

Midlothian school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 13 August

West Scotland

Argyll and Bute school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 17 August

East Ayrshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 19 August

East Dunbartonshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 17 August

East Renfrewshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 17 August

Glasgow school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 12 August

Inverclyde school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 18 August

North Ayrshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 20 August

North Lanarkshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 12 August

Renfrewshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 18 August

South Ayrshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 20 August

South Lanarkshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 13 August

West Dunbartonshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 17 August

Central Scotland

Clackmannanshire school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 12 August

Falkirk school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 12 August

Perth and Kinross school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 18 August

Stirling school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 12 August

West Lothian school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 12 August

Scottish Islands

Western Isles school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 13 August

Orkney Islands school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 18 August

Shetland Islands school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 19 August

South Scotland

Dumfries and Galloway school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 20 August

Scottish Borders school holidays 2026/27

Term starts 19 August

Got the dates — now what? Our sister site TripSCOT covers family days out, free museums and cheap train trips across Scotland.

Family days out →Free museums →

Scottish school holidays 2026/27: common questions

When do Scottish schools go back in August 2026?

Most Scottish councils start the 2026/27 school year between 12 August 2026 and 20 August 2026. The exact date is set locally: councils including City of Edinburgh and Clackmannanshire return earliest (12 August), while councils including Dumfries and Galloway and North Ayrshire are among the last back (20 August). Use the filter on this page for your council's confirmed date.

Do all 32 Scottish councils have the same term dates?

No. Every Scottish council sets its own term dates and in-service days, so the October week, February mid-term and even the August return date vary from one council to the next. Always check your own council rather than a neighbouring one.

When is the October week in Scotland in 2026?

29 of the 32 Scottish councils start the October break on 12 October 2026; across all councils it begins between 5 October and 19 October 2026. 16 councils take a single week off and 16 take two — the length varies far more than the start date. Several councils add an in-service day straight after the break, so the pupil return date is not always the following Monday. The October-week table on this page lists every council's dates, and marks the 3 that show a typical pattern rather than council-published dates.

When does the summer holiday start for the 2026/27 school year?

The 2026/27 school year ends with summer holidays starting between 25 June 2027 and 3 July 2027, depending on the council. Scottish summer breaks run for roughly six to seven weeks — earlier and shorter than in most of England — with term resuming in mid-August.

Where can I find my council's confirmed 2026/27 term dates?

Type your council name into the filter on this page, or pick it from the list, to see the full 2026/27 calendar — term start and end, October week, February mid-term, Easter, summer and in-service days. Each council page also links to the council's official term-dates source.