East Ayrshire school term dates & holidays 2026/27

Compiled from East Ayrshire Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by East Ayrshire Council for the 2026/27 academic year: term start and finish dates, half terms, and the Christmas, Easter and summer breaks. We take the dates straight from the council's own published calendar (linked below), convert them into one consistent format, and recheck them each academic year. School-day counts exclude weekends and half term but not inset days, which individual schools choose themselves.

East Ayrshire term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termWednesday, 19 August 2026Friday, 18 December 202682 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 12 October 2026Monday, 19 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday, 19 December 2026Monday, 4 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termTuesday, 5 January 2027Thursday, 25 March 202755 school days
February half term holidayFriday, 12 February 2027Tuesday, 16 February 2027
Easter holiday holidayFriday, 26 March 2027Sunday, 11 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday, 12 April 2027Tuesday, 29 June 202757 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Derived from the council's holiday list: the PDF gives holidays and return dates only. Autumn term runs from pupils' return on Wednesday 19 August 2026 to the last school day before the Christmas holiday that begins Monday 21 December 2026. Spring term ends the day before the Easter holidays begin on Friday 26 March 2027. Summer term ends the day before the summer holidays begin on Wednesday 30 June 2027.
  • In-service days Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 August 2026; pupils return Wednesday 19 August 2026.
  • Local holidays Friday 18 September to Monday 21 September 2026 (Ayr Gold Cup weekend); pupils return Tuesday 22 September 2026.
  • October holidays Monday 12 October to Friday 16 October 2026, then in-service day Monday 19 October 2026; pupils return Tuesday 20 October 2026.
  • Christmas and New Year holiday Monday 21 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027; pupils return Tuesday 5 January 2027.
  • February: local holidays Friday 12 February to Monday 15 February 2027, then in-service day Tuesday 16 February 2027; pupils return Wednesday 17 February 2027.
  • Easter holidays Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027 (Good Friday 26 March 2027); pupils return Monday 12 April 2027.
  • Local holiday Monday 3 May 2027 (May Day); pupils return Tuesday 4 May 2027.
  • In-service day Monday 24 May 2027; pupils return Tuesday 25 May 2027.
  • Summer holidays Wednesday 30 June to Friday 13 August 2027. The PDF also lists in-service days Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 August 2027 with pupils returning Wednesday 18 August 2027 for the next session.
  • The council states all dates in the holiday list are inclusive.
Source: these dates come from East Ayrshire Council's official term dates page, last checked by us on 12 September 2026. If the council amends its calendar mid-year, its page is the authority; tell us and we'll correct ours. Read how we compile term dates.

Common questions

When is October half term in East Ayrshire?

October half term in East Ayrshire runs from Monday, 12 October 2026 to Monday, 19 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do East Ayrshire schools break up for Christmas?

The autumn term in East Ayrshire ends on Friday, 18 December 2026, so that is the last day of school before the Christmas holiday.

When do East Ayrshire schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Tuesday, 29 June 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

Is East Ayrshire's October half term the same as neighbouring councils?

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 4 share East Ayrshire's October half term week in 2026/27, while Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian, Western Isles differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in East Ayrshire follow these dates?

No. These are East Ayrshire Council's published dates for community and voluntary-controlled schools. Academies, free schools, foundation schools and private schools set their own calendars, and every school adds its own inset days. Check with your school before booking anything you can't refund.

Tempted by term-time prices? Taking children out of school during term can mean a penalty notice, and the rules differ across the UK. How school fines work, nation by nation.

Nearby councils