Edinburgh school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from The City of Edinburgh Council's published calendar · last checked 7 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by The City of Edinburgh Council for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 academic years: 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.

Edinburgh term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termWednesday, 12 August 2026Friday, 18 December 202687 school days
October half term holidayFriday, 9 October 2026Friday, 16 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday, 19 December 2026Tuesday, 5 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termWednesday, 6 January 2027Friday, 2 April 202757 school days
February half term holidayFriday, 12 February 2027Friday, 19 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:
  • In-service day: Monday 10 August 2026 (staff resume)
  • In-service day: Tuesday 11 August 2026 (staff only)
  • Autumn Holiday: schools closed Monday 14 September 2026, all resume Tuesday 15 September 2026
  • October mid-term: all break Friday 9 October 2026; staff resume Monday 19 October 2026 (in-service day); pupils resume Tuesday 20 October 2026
  • In-service day: Tuesday 5 January 2027 (staff resume); pupils resume Wednesday 6 January 2027
  • February mid-term: all break Friday 12 February 2027, all resume Monday 22 February 2027
  • Good Friday: schools closed Friday 26 March 2027; Easter Monday: schools closed Monday 29 March 2027; all resume Tuesday 30 March 2027
  • Spring holiday between terms: term ends Friday 2 April 2027; Edinburgh Spring Holiday Monday 19 April 2027 (schools closed); all resume Tuesday 20 April 2027
  • May Holiday: Monday 3 May 2027; in-service day (staff only) Tuesday 4 May 2027; pupils resume Wednesday 5 May 2027
  • Victoria Day: schools closed Monday 24 May 2027, all resume Tuesday 25 May 2027
  • Council states five in-service days for all schools; pupil attendance 190 days, staff 195 days

Edinburgh term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termWednesday, 18 August 2027Monday, 20 December 202783 school days
October half term holidayFriday, 15 October 2027Friday, 22 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidayTuesday, 21 December 2027Wednesday, 5 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termThursday, 6 January 2028Friday, 31 March 202856 school days
February half term holidayFriday, 11 February 2028Friday, 18 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 1 April 2028Monday, 17 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termTuesday, 18 April 2028Friday, 30 June 202854 school days
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • In-service day: Monday 16 August 2027 (staff resume)
  • In-service day: Tuesday 17 August 2027 (staff only)
  • Autumn Holiday: schools closed Monday 20 September 2027, all resume Tuesday 21 September 2027
  • October mid-term: all break Friday 15 October 2027; staff resume Monday 25 October 2027 (in-service day); pupils resume Tuesday 26 October 2027
  • In-service day: Wednesday 5 January 2028 (staff resume); pupils resume Thursday 6 January 2028
  • February mid-term: all break Friday 11 February 2028, all resume Monday 21 February 2028
  • Easter break follows term end on Friday 31 March 2028 and incorporates Good Friday 14 April 2028 and Easter Monday 17 April 2028; all resume Tuesday 18 April 2028
  • May Holiday: Monday 1 May 2028; in-service day (staff only) Tuesday 2 May 2028; pupils resume Wednesday 3 May 2028
  • Victoria Day: schools closed Monday 22 May 2028, all resume Tuesday 23 May 2028
  • Council states five in-service days for all schools; pupil attendance 190 days, staff 195 days
  • 2027/28 source: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/40106/school-term-dates-27-28
Source: these dates come from The City of Edinburgh Council's official term dates page, last checked by us on 7 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 Edinburgh?

October half term in Edinburgh runs from Friday, 9 October 2026 to Friday, 16 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do Edinburgh schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Edinburgh schools break up for summer?

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

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

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 2 share Edinburgh's October half term week in 2026/27, while Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Ayrshire, 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 Edinburgh follow these dates?

No. These are The City of Edinburgh 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.

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Nearby councils