Highland school term dates 2026/27

Half terms, Christmas, Easter and summer holidays for Highland council schools. Scotland.

2026/27 school holidays in Highland

Holiday	First day off	Last day off	Back to school
October half term	Sat, 10 Oct 2026	Sun, 25 Oct 2026	Mon, 26 Oct 2026
Christmas holidays	Wed, 23 Dec 2026	Tue, 5 Jan 2027	Wed, 6 Jan 2027
Easter holidays	Fri, 26 Mar 2027	Sun, 11 Apr 2027	Mon, 12 Apr 2027
Summer holidays	Fri, 2 Jul 2027	Not yet published	—

Other days off: Sat, 13 Feb 2027 to Tue, 16 Feb 2027.

Council-wide INSET / training days: Mon, 17 Aug 2026, Tue, 18 Aug 2026, Mon, 14 Sept 2026, Wed, 17 Feb 2027, Thu, 6 May 2027. Most INSET days are set by each school.

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

Term starts	Term ends
Mon, 17 Aug 2026	Fri, 9 Oct 2026
Mon, 26 Oct 2026	Tue, 22 Dec 2026
Wed, 6 Jan 2027	Thu, 25 Mar 2027
Mon, 12 Apr 2027	Thu, 1 Jul 2027

Common questions

When is October half term 2026 in Highland?

School is off from Saturday, 10 October 2026 to Sunday, 25 October 2026. Pupils go back on Monday, 26 October 2026.

When do schools in Highland break up for Christmas 2026?

The last day off before Christmas starts is Wednesday, 23 December 2026, and schools return on Wednesday, 6 January 2027.

When do the summer holidays start in Highland in 2027?

The summer holidays start on Friday, 2 July 2027.

Do academies in Highland 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 Highland council: official term dates page. Last checked against the source on Mon, 7 Sept 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report a wrong date.