Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)
The Nicolson Institute
A non-denominational secondary school in Lewis, run by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles). Below: what the school is, the term dates it runs to, and the council rules that decide how you get a place.
The school
- Council
- Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)
- Area
- Lewis
- Postcode
- HS1 2PZ
- Type
- Non-denominational
- Gaelic
- Runs a Gaelic-medium stream
- Seed code
- 6233139
Open to all pupils regardless of faith. Most Scottish secondaries are non-denominational and admission is decided by catchment, not by religion.
The Nicolson Institute’s own websiteTerm dates at The Nicolson Institute
The Nicolson Institute runs to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)’s school calendar — every school in the council shares it, so the dates below are this school’s dates. The 2026/27 dates are the council's own published calendar.
Term starts
13 August 2026
October break
12 October 2026 – 20 October 2026
Christmas holidays
23 December 2026 – 4 January 2027
Spring break
26 March 2027 – 9 April 2027
Getting a place, and what it costs
Is this your catchment school?
Catchment is decided by your home address, not by preference. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)’s own school-finder is the authoritative answer.
Check your catchmentIf it is not
You make a placing request. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)’s deadline is 15 March.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles) placing requestsSchool clothing grant
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles) pays £150 a year for a secondary pupil (£120 at primary) to eligible families.
How the grant worksOther secondaries in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)
School details from the Scottish Government — School contact details (31 January 2026 list), the 31 January 2026 edition, read 2026-09-14. Schools are identified by seed code, so a renamed school keeps its record.
This page carries no attainment figures, inspection grades or roll. The list behind it records what a school is, not how it performs, and we do not publish a number we cannot source. Education Scotland publishes inspection reports and the school’s own website is the place for its roll and curriculum.