West Lothian school term dates & holidays 2026/27

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

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

West Lothian term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termWednesday, 12 August 2026Friday, 18 December 202687 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 19 October 2026Monday, 26 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday, 19 December 2026Monday, 4 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termTuesday, 5 January 2027Thursday, 25 March 202752 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 8 February 2027Monday, 15 February 2027
Easter holiday holidayFriday, 26 March 2027Sunday, 11 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday, 12 April 2027Friday, 25 June 202755 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Pupils return Wednesday 12 August 2026; staff in-service days Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 August 2026.
  • September long weekend: schools closed Monday 21 September 2026; pupils back Tuesday 22 September.
  • October: pupils off Monday 19 to Monday 26 October (staff in-service Monday 26); pupils back Tuesday 27 October 2026.
  • February: pupils off Monday 8 to Monday 15 February (staff in-service Monday 15); pupils back Tuesday 16 February 2027.
  • May: public holiday Monday 3 May; staff in-service Thursday 6 May 2027.
  • Local holidays vary by school group: 24 May, 7 June and 15 June 2027 depending on area.
  • 2027-28 dates were not yet published by the council when last checked.
Source: these dates come from West 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 West Lothian?

October half term in West Lothian runs from Monday, 19 October 2026 to Monday, 26 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do West Lothian schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do West Lothian schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Friday, 25 June 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

No. None of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, 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, Western Isles) use the same October half term dates as West Lothian in 2026/27. Worth checking if your children attend school in different council areas.

Do all schools in West Lothian follow these dates?

No. These are West 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