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This page is South Ayrshire — the council covering Ayr, Prestwick, Troon and Girvan.

Academic year 2026/27

South Ayrshire School Holidays

The full 2026/27 school calendar for South Ayrshire schools. The new term starts 20 August 2026 and the year ends 30 June 2027. The summer holiday runs from 1 July 2027 to 15 August 2027 — 46 days. South Ayrshire has 5 in-service days when schools are closed to pupils for staff training.

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South Ayrshire school holidays 2026/27 — at a glance

October break
12 Oct – 16 Oct
Christmas
23 Dec – 4 Jan
February break
12 Feb – 15 Feb
Easter
26 Mar – 9 Apr
Summer
1 Jul – 15 Aug

Keep the South Ayrshire dates in your phone

Subscribe once and every South Ayrshire holiday and in-service day sits in your own calendar — 2026/27 and 2027/28, from the council’s published calendars — and it updates by itself if the council 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.

South Ayrshire term dates 2026/27: how the school year runs

South Ayrshire 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 20 August 2026 — the back-to-school date after the summer break — and the school year ends on 30 June 2027, with 8 school holidays and 5 in-service days in between.

The September weekend — the traditional autumn long weekend South Ayrshire schools take — falls on 18 September 2026 to 21 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 12 February 2027 to 15 February 2027.

Next door, the October week falls on East Ayrshire 12 Oct – 16 Oct, North Ayrshire 12 Oct – 16 Oct and Dumfries and Galloway 12 Oct – 23 Oct. Every council's October week is in one table.

Schools break up for Christmas on 23 December 2026 and the Christmas holiday runs to 4 January 2027. The Easter holiday runs from 26 March 2027 to 9 April 2027.

The summer holidays begin on 1 July 2027 — 46 days off before the new school year. Pupils go back for 2027/28 on 16 August 2027 — confirmed by South Ayrshire.

When do schools go back in South Ayrshire?

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
20 August 2026
After the September Weekend
22 September 2026
After the October Holiday
20 October 2026
After the Christmas Holiday
5 January 2027
After the February Holiday
17 February 2027
After the Easter Holiday
12 April 2027
After May Day
4 May 2027
After the May In-Service Day
7 May 2027
After the May Weekend
1 June 2027

Academic year at a glance

Term time
Holiday
In-service day

Term dates summary

Autumn term

20 Aug – 9 Oct

35 school days

Winter term

20 Oct – 22 Dec

46 school days

Spring term

5 Jan – 25 Mar

55 school days

Summer term

12 Apr – 30 Jun

54 school days

PeriodStartsEndsDaysTypevs England
August In-Service Days18 August 202619 August 20262In-service—
September Weekend18 September 202621 September 20264Holiday—
October Holiday12 October 202616 October 20265HolidayAligns with English half-term
October In-Service Day19 October 202619 October 20261In-service—
Christmas Holiday23 December 20264 January 202713HolidaySimilar dates to England
February Holiday12 February 202715 February 20274HolidayEngland takes a longer half-term week
February In-Service Day16 February 202716 February 20271In-service—
Easter Holiday26 March 20279 April 202715HolidayRoughly aligns with English Easter
May Day3 May 20273 May 20271HolidaySame across UK
May In-Service Day6 May 20276 May 20271In-service—
May Weekend28 May 202731 May 20274HolidaySame across UK
Summer Holiday1 July 202715 August 202746HolidayStarts 3–4 weeks earlier than England

Money & school admin for South Ayrshire parents

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

School clothing grant

£120–£150 per child

South Ayrshire 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: South Ayrshire school holidays 2027/28

Confirmed. These 2027/28 dates are taken from South Ayrshire’s own published calendar. Where the council has not yet published the following August’s return date, the end of the summer holiday is estimated from the usual pattern.

Term starts 16 August 2027 and ends 30 June 2028.

PeriodStartsEndsType
August In-Service Days12 August 202713 August 2027In-service
September Weekend (provisional)17 September 202720 September 2027Holiday
October Holiday11 October 202722 October 2027Holiday
November In-Service Day19 November 202719 November 2027In-service
Christmas Holiday23 December 20275 January 2028Holiday
February In-Service Day17 February 202817 February 2028In-service
February Holiday18 February 202821 February 2028Holiday
Spring Holiday3 April 202817 April 2028Holiday
May Day1 May 20281 May 2028Holiday
May Holiday29 May 202829 May 2028Holiday
May In-Service Day30 May 202830 May 2028In-service
Summer Holiday1 July 202813 August 2028Holiday

Clothing grant

£120 – £150

Primary: £120 · Secondary: £150

Apply at South Ayrshire

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 South Ayrshire

Planning the South Ayrshire 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.

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Frequently asked questions

When do schools go back in South Ayrshire for 2026/27?

Schools in South Ayrshire return for the 2026/27 academic year on 20 August 2026. This is the official term-start date used by council-managed primary and secondary schools across South Ayrshire.

When is the September weekend in South Ayrshire 2026?

The September weekend in South Ayrshire runs from 18 September 2026 to 21 September 2026 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 22 September 2026.

When is the October break in South Ayrshire 2026/27?

The October break in South Ayrshire — 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 South Ayrshire?

South Ayrshire schools close for the Christmas holiday from 23 December 2026, and pupils go back to school on 5 January 2027.

When is the Easter holiday in South Ayrshire 2026/27?

The Easter holiday in South Ayrshire runs from 26 March 2027 to 9 April 2027 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 12 April 2027.

When does the summer holiday start in South Ayrshire?

South Ayrshire schools break up for the summer on 1 July 2027. The holiday runs to 15 August 2027, and pupils go back for 2027/28 on 16 August 2027, as confirmed by South Ayrshire.

How many in-service days does South Ayrshire have in 2026/27?

South Ayrshire 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

South Ayrshire 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

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2026/27 dates are South Ayrshire's own published calendar. 2027/28 dates are also the council's published calendar.

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