This page is West Lothian — the council covering Livingston, Bathgate and Linlithgow.

Looking for East Lothian school holidays 2026/27 (Musselburgh, Haddington, North Berwick and Dunbar)?
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Academic year 2026/27

West Lothian School Holidays

The full 2026/27 school calendar for West Lothian schools. The new term starts 12 August 2026 and the year ends 25 June 2027. The summer holiday runs from 26 June 2027 to 10 August 2027 — 46 days. West Lothian has 3 in-service days when schools are closed to pupils for staff training.

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West Lothian school holidays 2026/27 — at a glance

October break: 19 Oct – 23 Oct
Christmas: 21 Dec – 4 Jan
February break: 8 Feb – 12 Feb
Easter: 26 Mar – 9 Apr
Summer: 26 Jun – 10 Aug

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

West 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 25 June 2027, with 8 school holidays and 3 in-service days in between.

The September weekend — the traditional autumn long weekend West Lothian schools take — falls on 21 September 2026 to 21 September 2026. The October week — the autumn mid-term break — runs from 19 October 2026 to 23 October 2026. The February mid-term break falls on 8 February 2027 to 12 February 2027.

Schools break up for Christmas on 21 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 26 June 2027 — 46 days off before the new school year. Pupils go back for 2027/28 on 18 August 2027 — confirmed by West Lothian.

When do schools go back in West Lothian?

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

After the September Holiday: 22 September 2026
After the October Holiday: 27 October 2026
After the Christmas Holiday: 5 January 2027
After the February Holiday: 16 February 2027
After the Easter Holiday: 12 April 2027
After the May Day: 4 May 2027
After the Local Holiday (most schools): 25 May 2027

Academic year at a glance

Term time

Holiday

In-service day

Term dates summary

Autumn term

12 Aug – 18 Oct

47 school days

Winter term

24 Oct – 20 Dec

39 school days

Spring term

5 Jan – 25 Mar

52 school days

Summer term

10 Apr – 25 Jun

52 school days

Period	Starts	Ends	Days	Type	vs England
September Holiday	21 September 2026	21 September 2026	1	Holiday	—
October Holiday	19 October 2026	23 October 2026	5	Holiday	Aligns with English half-term
October In-Service Day	26 October 2026	26 October 2026	1	In-service	—
Christmas Holiday	21 December 2026	4 January 2027	15	Holiday	Similar dates to England
February Holiday	8 February 2027	12 February 2027	5	Holiday	England takes a longer half-term week
February In-Service Day	15 February 2027	15 February 2027	1	In-service	—
Easter Holiday	26 March 2027	9 April 2027	15	Holiday	Roughly aligns with English Easter
May Day	3 May 2027	3 May 2027	1	Holiday	Same across UK
May In-Service Day	6 May 2027	6 May 2027	1	In-service	—
Local Holiday (most schools)	24 May 2027	24 May 2027	1	Holiday	—
Summer Holiday	26 June 2027	10 August 2027	46	Holiday	Starts 3–4 weeks earlier than England

Money & school admin for West Lothian parents

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

School clothing grant

£150–£180 per child

West 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: West Lothian school holidays 2027/28

Confirmed. These 2027/28 dates are taken from West Lothian’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 18 August 2027 and ends 30 June 2028.

Period	Starts	Ends	Type
August In-Service Days	16 August 2027	17 August 2027	In-service
September Holiday	16 September 2027	20 September 2027	Holiday
October Holiday	15 October 2027	25 October 2027	Holiday
Christmas Holiday	22 December 2027	4 January 2028	Holiday
February Holiday	11 February 2028	21 February 2028	Holiday
Easter Holiday	3 April 2028	17 April 2028	Holiday
May Holiday	28 April 2028	2 May 2028	Holiday
May Local Holiday (most schools)	22 May 2028	22 May 2028	Holiday
Summer Holiday	3 July 2028	15 August 2028	Holiday

Clothing grant

£150 – £180

Primary: £150 · Secondary: £180

Apply at West 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 West Lothian

Filling the holiday weeks? Our sister site TripSCOT covers family days out and free museums across Scotland — with train fares and honest costs.

Family days out Free museums

Frequently asked questions

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

Schools in West 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 West Lothian.

When is the September weekend in West Lothian 2026?

The September weekend in West Lothian runs from 21 September 2026 to 21 September 2026 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 22 September 2026.

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

The October break in West Lothian — the October week — runs from 19 October 2026 to 23 October 2026 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 27 October 2026.

When are the Christmas school holidays in West Lothian?

West 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 West Lothian 2026/27?

The Easter holiday in West Lothian 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 West Lothian?

West Lothian schools break up for the summer on 26 June 2027. The holiday runs to 10 August 2027, and pupils go back for 2027/28 on 18 August 2027, as confirmed by West Lothian.

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

West Lothian has 3 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.

Places to stay in West Lothian

Book a break around the school holidays.

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The School Bell

Weekly Scottish-education updates

Deadlines, benefit rate changes and the stuff you actually need to know — no spam.

Dates last checked April 2026.

Dates follow the typical West Lothian regional pattern. Always confirm with West Lothian before booking holidays, flights or childcare. See our editorial policy for how we source this data.