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This page is East Lothian — the council covering Musselburgh, Haddington, North Berwick and Dunbar.

Academic year 2026/27

East Lothian School Holidays

The full 2026/27 school calendar for East Lothian schools. The new term starts 12 August 2026 and the year ends 29 June 2027. The summer holiday runs from 30 June 2027 to 17 August 2027 — 49 days. East Lothian has 5 in-service days when schools are closed to pupils for staff training.

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East Lothian school holidays 2026/27 — at a glance

October break
12 Oct – 16 Oct
Christmas
21 Dec – 4 Jan
February break
15 Feb – 19 Feb
Easter
5 Apr – 19 Apr
Summer
30 Jun – 17 Aug

Keep the East Lothian dates in your phone

Subscribe once and every East Lothian holiday and in-service day sits in your own calendar for 2026/27 — and it updates by itself when the council publishes 2027/28, and if it changes a date. No council offers this feed; the dates are the same ones on this page.

Add to Google CalendarSubscribe in Apple Calendar or Outlookor download the .ics file

On an iPhone the Apple button opens Calendar and asks you to confirm the subscription; on a desktop it may ask which calendar app to use. Google Calendar adds the feed under “Other calendars” and re-reads it within a day or so.

East Lothian term dates 2026/27: how the school year runs

East Lothian Council sets the school term dates and holiday dates for every council-run primary and secondary school in the area. For 2026/27, term starts on 12 August 2026 — the back-to-school date after the summer break — and the school year ends on 29 June 2027, with 8 school holidays and 5 in-service days in between.

The September weekend — the traditional autumn long weekend East Lothian schools take — falls on 11 September 2026 to 14 September 2026. Not every council takes one — every council's September weekend is on one page. The October week — the autumn mid-term break — runs from 12 October 2026 to 16 October 2026. The February mid-term break falls on 15 February 2027 to 19 February 2027.

Next door, the October week falls on City of Edinburgh 12 Oct – 19 Oct, Midlothian 12 Oct – 16 Oct and Scottish Borders 12 Oct – 16 Oct. Every council's October week is in one table.

Schools break up for Christmas on 21 December 2026 and the Christmas holiday runs to 4 January 2027. The Easter holiday runs from 5 April 2027 to 19 April 2027.

The summer holidays begin on 30 June 2027 — 49 days off before the new school year. Pupils are expected back for 2027/28 on 18 August 2027 — East Lothian’s draft date, not yet approved.

When do schools go back in East Lothian?

Pupil return dates after each 2026/27 break and in-service day, with weekends already accounted for — the day your child is actually back in class.

After the August In-Service Days
12 August 2026
After the September Weekend
15 September 2026
After the October Holiday
20 October 2026
After the Christmas Holiday
5 January 2027
After the February Holiday
23 February 2027
After the Good Friday Weekend
30 March 2027
After the Easter Holiday
20 April 2027
After May Day
4 May 2027
After the May In-Service Day
25 May 2027

Academic year at a glance

Term time
Holiday
In-service day

Term dates summary

Autumn term

12 Aug – 9 Oct

41 school days

Winter term

20 Oct – 18 Dec

44 school days

Spring term

5 Jan – 2 Apr

56 school days

Summer term

20 Apr – 29 Jun

49 school days

PeriodStartsEndsDaysTypevs England
August In-Service Days10 August 202611 August 20262In-service—
September Weekend11 September 202614 September 20264Holiday—
October Holiday12 October 202616 October 20265HolidayAligns with English half-term
October In-Service Day19 October 202619 October 20261In-service—
Christmas Holiday21 December 20264 January 202715HolidaySimilar dates to England
February Holiday15 February 202719 February 20275HolidayEngland takes a longer half-term week
February In-Service Day22 February 202722 February 20271In-service—
Good Friday Weekend26 March 202729 March 20274Holiday—
Easter Holiday5 April 202719 April 202715HolidayRoughly aligns with English Easter
May Day3 May 20273 May 20271HolidaySame across UK
May In-Service Day24 May 202724 May 20271In-service—
Summer Holiday30 June 202717 August 202749HolidayStarts 3–4 weeks earlier than England

Money & school admin for East Lothian parents

While you have the calendar open, three things worth sorting for the year ahead.

School clothing grant

£130–£160 per child

East Lothian pays a school clothing grant — check if you qualify and how to claim it.

Clothing grant guide
Catchment checker

Which school is yours?

Enter your postcode to find your catchment school and confirm your council.

Open the checker
Scottish Child Payment

£28.20/week per child

A weekly payment for every child under 16 in families on qualifying benefits.

Check eligibility

Looking ahead: East Lothian school holidays 2027/28

Term is expected to start 18 August 2027 and end 30 June 2028.

PeriodStartsEndsType
August In-Service Days16 August 202717 August 2027In-service
September Weekend17 September 202720 September 2027Holiday
October Holiday18 October 202722 October 2027Holiday
October In-Service Day25 October 202725 October 2027In-service
Christmas Holiday22 December 20274 January 2028Holiday
February Holiday14 February 202818 February 2028Holiday
February In-Service Day21 February 202821 February 2028In-service
Easter Holiday3 April 202818 April 2028Holiday
May Day1 May 20281 May 2028Holiday
May In-Service Day22 May 202822 May 2028In-service
Summer Holiday3 July 202815 August 2028Holiday

Clothing grant

£130 – £160

Primary: £130 · Secondary: £160

Apply at East Lothian

Council links

Nearby councils

Need childcare during the holidays? Holiday clubs, childminders, costs — and what the 1,140 funded hours cover outside term time.
See options Nurseries in East Lothian

Planning the East Lothian holidays

You have the dates. Here is the rest of the decision.

Days outOur sister site TripSCOT covers family days out and free museums across Scotland — with train fares and honest costs.
Family days out Free museums
Somewhere to walkOutdoorSCOT’s family walks — easy waterfall trails, forest circuits and very small hills children will actually finish.
Family-friendly walks
Cover for the working weeksHoliday clubs, what funded hours do and don’t cover in the holidays, and what it costs.
Funded hours in the holidays Holiday childcare

Getting away in the school holidays?

Search dates and destinations for a break around the school holidays.

Some links here are affiliate links: if you buy or sign up through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. How we fund EduSCOT.

Frequently asked questions

When do schools go back in East Lothian for 2026/27?

Schools in East Lothian return for the 2026/27 academic year on 12 August 2026. This is the official term-start date used by council-managed primary and secondary schools across East Lothian.

When is the September weekend in East Lothian 2026?

The September weekend in East Lothian runs from 11 September 2026 to 14 September 2026 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 15 September 2026.

When is the October break in East Lothian 2026/27?

The October break in East Lothian — the October week — runs from 12 October 2026 to 16 October 2026 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 20 October 2026.

When are the Christmas school holidays in East Lothian?

East Lothian schools close for the Christmas holiday from 21 December 2026, and pupils go back to school on 5 January 2027.

When is the Easter holiday in East Lothian 2026/27?

The Easter holiday in East Lothian runs from 5 April 2027 to 19 April 2027 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 20 April 2027.

When does the summer holiday start in East Lothian?

East Lothian schools break up for the summer on 30 June 2027. The holiday runs to 17 August 2027, and pupils are expected back for 2027/28 on 18 August 2027 — East Lothian's draft date, not yet approved.

How many in-service days does East Lothian have in 2026/27?

East Lothian has 5 published in-service days in the 2026/27 academic year. On an in-service day schools are closed to pupils but staff are in for training and planning.

Related guides

East Lothian schools & grantsSeptember weekend dates by councilBack to school checklistSchool clothing grantsFree school mealsP7 to S1 transitionSummer holiday childcareFunded childcare (1,140 hours)Early years & childcare hub

Waiting on this council

Get East Lothian's 2027/28 dates when they land

East Lothian hasn't published its 2027/28 calendar yet, so the dates above are the typical pattern rather than confirmed. We re-check the councils that haven't published every month — join and we'll email you when this one does.

2026/27 dates are East Lothian's own published calendar. 2027/28 dates are East Lothian's own consultation draft, not yet approved.

Always confirm with East Lothian before booking holidays, flights or childcare. See our editorial policy for how we source this data.