Western Isles school term dates & holidays 2026/27

Compiled from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar 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.

Western Isles term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termThursday, 13 August 2026Tuesday, 22 December 202685 school days
October half term holidayFriday, 9 October 2026Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidayWednesday, 23 December 2026Monday, 4 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termTuesday, 5 January 2027Thursday, 25 March 202754 school days
February half term holidayFriday, 12 February 2027Wednesday, 17 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:
  • The Comhairle publishes four terms. Autumn term above spans Term 1 (pupils Thursday 13 August to Thursday 8 October 2026) and Term 2 (pupils Thursday 22 October to Tuesday 22 December 2026).
  • Schools open for teachers Monday 10 August 2026, with in-service days Monday 10 to Wednesday 12 August 2026; pupils start Thursday 13 August 2026.
  • October break: occasional holiday Friday 9 October 2026, schools reopen for teachers Wednesday 21 October (in-service day) and for pupils Thursday 22 October 2026. The National Mod runs 9 to 17 October 2026.
  • Mid-term holidays, all schools: Friday 27 and Monday 30 November 2026.
  • February mid-term: holidays Friday 12, Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 February 2027, followed by an in-service day on Wednesday 17 February 2027.
  • Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March 2027 fall in the holiday after the spring term closes on Thursday 25 March 2027.
  • Summer term mid-term holidays, all schools: Friday 30 April 2027 and a second day printed as Monday, 4 May 2027. Note: 4 May 2027 is a Tuesday; May Day is Monday 3 May 2027. The council PDF's date and weekday do not match and the intended day is unclear.
  • Proposed start dates for 2027-28: teachers Monday 16 August 2027, pupils Thursday 19 August 2027.
Source: these dates come from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar'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 Western Isles?

October half term in Western Isles runs from Friday, 9 October 2026 to Wednesday, 21 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do Western Isles schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Western Isles schools break up for summer?

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

Is Western Isles'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, West Lothian) use the same October half term dates as Western Isles in 2026/27. Worth checking if your children attend school in different council areas.

Do all schools in Western Isles follow these dates?

No. These are Comhairle nan Eilean Siar'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