East Lothian school term dates & holidays 2026/27

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

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by East Lothian 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 Lothian term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termWednesday, 12 August 2026Friday, 18 December 202687 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 2027Friday, 2 April 202758 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 15 February 2027Monday, 22 February 2027
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 3 April 2027Monday, 19 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termTuesday, 20 April 2027Tuesday, 29 June 202751 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Staff in-service days Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 August 2026; pupils resume Wednesday 12 August 2026.
  • Autumn holiday Friday 11 September and Monday 14 September 2026, schools closed; all return Tuesday 15 September 2026.
  • October: all break Friday 9 October 2026 at the end of the day, holiday week Monday 12 to Friday 16 October, staff in-service day Monday 19 October 2026; pupils resume Tuesday 20 October 2026. The half term shown covers all days pupils are off.
  • February: all break Friday 12 February 2027, holiday week Monday 15 to Friday 19 February, staff in-service day Monday 22 February 2027; pupils resume Tuesday 23 February 2027. The half term shown covers all days pupils are off.
  • Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March 2027 are school holidays; all return Tuesday 30 March 2027 and term ends Friday 2 April 2027.
  • Easter break runs from Monday 5 April 2027, and the council's calendar marks Monday 19 April 2027 as a holiday; staff and pupils resume Tuesday 20 April 2027.
  • May Day holiday Monday 3 May 2027, schools closed.
  • Staff in-service day Monday 24 May 2027 (pupil holiday); pupils resume Tuesday 25 May 2027.
  • Term ends Tuesday 29 June 2027.
  • The council notes that daily opening and closing times vary from school to school; the council's calendar PDF for 2026-27 is at https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/School_session_dates_2026_27.pdf
Source: these dates come from East Lothian 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 Lothian?

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

When do East Lothian schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do East Lothian schools break up for summer?

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

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

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 4 share East Lothian'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 Lothian follow these dates?

No. These are East Lothian 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