South Ayrshire school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

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

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by South Ayrshire 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.

South Ayrshire term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termThursday, 20 August 2026Tuesday, 22 December 202683 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 12 October 2026Monday, 19 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidayWednesday, 23 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 2027Wednesday, 30 June 202758 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • In-service days: Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 August 2026, Monday 19 October 2026, Tuesday 16 February 2027 and Thursday 6 May 2027. Pupils return Friday 7 May 2027 after the May in-service day.
  • September weekend: schools closed Friday 18 September to Monday 21 September 2026.
  • October break: schools closed Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026, with an in-service day on Monday 19 October; pupils return Tuesday 20 October 2026.
  • Christmas: schools closed Wednesday 23 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027; pupils return Tuesday 5 January 2027. The autumn term end of Tuesday 22 December 2026 is the last school day before that closure.
  • February break: schools closed Friday 12 to Monday 15 February 2027, with an in-service day on Tuesday 16 February; pupils return Wednesday 17 February 2027.
  • Spring: schools closed Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027; pupils return Monday 12 April 2027. The spring term end of Thursday 25 March 2027 is the last school day before that closure.
  • May: schools closed Monday 3 May 2027, and Friday 28 to Monday 31 May 2027.
  • Wednesday 30 June 2027 is the last day of term for pupils and staff.
  • These term dates apply to South Ayrshire Council controlled schools.

South Ayrshire term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termMonday, 16 August 2027Wednesday, 22 December 202783 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 11 October 2027Friday, 22 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidayThursday, 23 December 2027Wednesday, 5 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termThursday, 6 January 2028Friday, 31 March 202859 school days
February half term holidayThursday, 17 February 2028Monday, 21 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 days: Thursday 12 and Friday 13 August 2027, Friday 19 November 2027 (pupils return Monday 22 November), Thursday 17 February 2028 and Tuesday 30 May 2028 (pupils return Wednesday 31 May).
  • September weekend: schools closed Friday 17 September to Monday 20 September 2027. The council notes the September weekend is provisional subject to confirmation of the date of the Ayr Gold Cup.
  • October break: schools closed Monday 11 to Friday 22 October 2027, a two week break.
  • Christmas: schools closed Thursday 23 December 2027 to Wednesday 5 January 2028; pupils return Thursday 6 January 2028. The autumn term end of Wednesday 22 December 2027 is the last school day before that closure.
  • February break: in-service day Thursday 17 February 2028, schools closed Friday 18 to Monday 21 February; pupils return Tuesday 22 February 2028.
  • Spring: schools closed Monday 3 April to Monday 17 April 2028; pupils return Tuesday 18 April 2028. The spring term end of Friday 31 March 2028 is the last school day before that closure.
  • May: schools closed Monday 1 May 2028 (pupils return Tuesday 2 May) and Monday 29 May 2028.
  • Friday 30 June 2028 is the last day of term for pupils and staff.
  • These term dates apply to South Ayrshire Council controlled schools.
Source: these dates come from South 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 South Ayrshire?

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

When do South Ayrshire schools break up for Christmas?

The autumn term in South Ayrshire ends on Tuesday, 22 December 2026, so that is the last day of school before the Christmas holiday.

When do South Ayrshire schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Wednesday, 30 June 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 4 share South 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 South Ayrshire follow these dates?

No. These are South 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