City of Edinburgh school term dates 2026/27

Half terms, Christmas, Easter and summer holidays for City of Edinburgh council schools. Scotland.

2026/27 school holidays in City of Edinburgh

Holiday	First day off	Last day off	Back to school
October half term	Fri, 9 Oct 2026	Sun, 18 Oct 2026	Mon, 19 Oct 2026
Christmas holidays	Sat, 19 Dec 2026	Tue, 5 Jan 2027	Wed, 6 Jan 2027
February half term	Fri, 12 Feb 2027	Sun, 21 Feb 2027	Mon, 22 Feb 2027
Easter holidays	Sat, 3 Apr 2027	Mon, 19 Apr 2027	Tue, 20 Apr 2027
Summer holidays	Wed, 30 Jun 2027	Not yet published	—

Council-wide INSET / training days: Mon, 10 Aug 2026, Tue, 11 Aug 2026, Mon, 19 Oct 2026, Tue, 5 Jan 2027, Tue, 4 May 2027. Most INSET days are set by each school.

2026/27 term periods (first and last day in school)

Term starts	Term ends
Wed, 12 Aug 2026	Fri, 18 Dec 2026
Wed, 6 Jan 2027	Fri, 2 Apr 2027
Tue, 20 Apr 2027	Tue, 29 Jun 2027

Common questions

When is October half term 2026 in City of Edinburgh?

School is off from Friday, 9 October 2026 to Sunday, 18 October 2026. Pupils go back on Monday, 19 October 2026.

When do schools in City of Edinburgh break up for Christmas 2026?

The last day off before Christmas starts is Saturday, 19 December 2026, and schools return on Wednesday, 6 January 2027.

When do the summer holidays start in City of Edinburgh in 2027?

The summer holidays start on Wednesday, 30 June 2027.

Do academies in City of Edinburgh follow these dates?

Not always. These are the council's dates for community and voluntary-controlled schools. Academies, free schools, foundation and voluntary-aided schools set their own dates, often within a day or two of these. Check your school's website before booking.

Where these dates come from

Published by City of Edinburgh council: official term dates page. Last checked against the source on Mon, 7 Sept 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report a wrong date.