Shetland Islands school term dates 2026/27

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

2026/27 school holidays in Shetland Islands

Holiday	First day off	Last day off	Back to school
October half term	Sat, 10 Oct 2026	Tue, 27 Oct 2026	Wed, 28 Oct 2026
Christmas holidays	Sat, 19 Dec 2026	Mon, 4 Jan 2027	Tue, 5 Jan 2027
Easter holidays	Thu, 25 Mar 2027	Tue, 6 Apr 2027	Wed, 7 Apr 2027
Summer holidays	Sat, 3 Jul 2027	Not yet published	—

Council-wide INSET / training days: Mon, 17 Aug 2026, Tue, 18 Aug 2026, Mon, 26 Oct 2026, Tue, 27 Oct 2026, Tue, 16 Feb 2027. Most INSET days are set by each school.

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

Term starts	Term ends
Wed, 19 Aug 2026	Fri, 9 Oct 2026
Wed, 28 Oct 2026	Fri, 18 Dec 2026
Tue, 5 Jan 2027	Wed, 24 Mar 2027
Wed, 7 Apr 2027	Fri, 2 Jul 2027

Common questions

When is October half term 2026 in Shetland Islands?

School is off from Saturday, 10 October 2026 to Tuesday, 27 October 2026. Pupils go back on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.

When do schools in Shetland Islands break up for Christmas 2026?

The last day off before Christmas starts is Saturday, 19 December 2026, and schools return on Tuesday, 5 January 2027.

When do the summer holidays start in Shetland Islands in 2027?

The summer holidays start on Saturday, 3 July 2027.

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