Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearDumfries and Galloway school holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28
Dumfries and Galloway's school holidays and term dates for 2026/27 and 2027/28, from Dumfries and Galloway Council. Dumfries and Galloway schools break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December 2026 and go back on Wednesday 6 January. For a parent, the best value is Christmas 2026: book 3 days, get 11 off (Fri 25 Dec 2026 to Mon 4 Jan 2027). October holidays 2026 are Sat 10 Oct to Sun 25 Oct 2026 (two weeks), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 10 Oct to Sun 18 Oct 2026 (one week, 11 of 32 councils).
Dumfries and Galloway school holidays 2026/27
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| October holidaystwo weeks, past | 10 to 25 Octback Mon 26 Oct | 10 days → 16 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks and 2 days | 19 Dec to 5 Janback Wed 6 Jan | 8 days → 18 off |
| Easter holidaystwo weeks and 1 day | 26 Mar to 11 Aprback Mon 12 Apr | 10 days → 17 off |
| May Day1 day | 1 to 3 Mayback Tue 4 May | No leave |
| Summer holidaysseven weeks | 3 Jul to 22 Augback Mon 23 Aug | 34 days → 51 off |
Training (INSET) days set by the council: Tue 5 Jan 2027, Thu 18 Feb 2027, Fri 19 Feb 2027 and Fri 28 May 2027. Pupils are off. Check with your school: schools set their other training days themselves.
Each row is a month, from the 1st on the left. The yellow stickers are the school holidays.
Term dates 2026/27
| Term | First day | Last day |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn term | Thu 20 Aug 2026 | Fri 18 Dec 2026 |
| Spring term | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Thu 25 Mar 2027 |
| Summer term | Mon 12 Apr 2027 | Fri 2 Jul 2027 |
The terms between Christmas, Easter and the summer; Scottish councils often number them 1 to 4. Half terms and the other holidays above fall inside them.
How Dumfries and Galloway compares
- October holidays 2026 are Sat 10 Oct to Sun 25 Oct 2026 (two weeks), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 10 Oct to Sun 18 Oct 2026 (one week, 11 of 32 councils).
- Christmas 2026 is Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Tue 5 Jan 2027 (two weeks and 2 days), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Mon 4 Jan 2027 (two weeks and 1 day, 12 of 32 councils).
- Summer holidays 2027 are Sat 3 Jul to Sun 22 Aug 2027 (seven weeks), a week later and longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 26 Jun to Tue 10 Aug 2027 (six weeks and 2 days, 4 of 32 councils).
Its Easter holidays matches the most common Scottish dates.
Compared with the 32 Scottish councils we have 2026/27 dates for. Every Scottish council side by side.
The best days of leave to book in 2026/27
To be off for every school holiday day in 2026/27 you'd need 65 days of leave, including the council's INSET days. Full-time workers are entitled to at least 28 days a year, and that can include the bank holidays, so most families mix leave with a second parent, family and holiday clubs. These are the holidays where a day of leave goes furthest:
Christmas 2026: book 3 days, get 11 off
Open it in the planner to see it in your year and get the message for your manager.
Easter holidays 2027: book 5 days, get 10 off
Open it in the planner to see it in your year and get the message for your manager.
Summer holidays 2027: book 4 days, get 9 off
Open it in the planner to see it in your year and get the message for your manager.
If your leave year runs January to December, covering the whole Christmas holiday takes 7 days from your 2026 leave and 1 day from 2027's.
About these dates: No February holiday this year, only two training days.
Source: Dumfries and Galloway Council's term dates page, checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
Dumfries and Galloway school holidays 2027/28
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| October holidaystwo weeks | 9 to 24 Octback Mon 25 Oct | 10 days → 16 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks and 1 day | 22 Dec to 5 Janback Thu 6 Jan | 7 days → 15 off |
| February mid-term2 days | 18 to 21 Febback Tue 22 Feb | 2 days → 4 off |
| Easter holidaystwo weeks | 8 to 23 Aprback Mon 24 Apr | 9 days → 16 off |
| May Day1 day | 29 Apr to 1 Mayback Tue 2 May | No leave |
| Summer holidaysfive weeks and 4 days | 1 Jul to 10 Augback Fri 11 Aug | 28 days → 41 off |
Training (INSET) days set by the council: Wed 5 Jan 2028 and Mon 29 May 2028. Pupils are off. Check with your school: schools set their other training days themselves.
Each row is a month, from the 1st on the left. The yellow stickers are the school holidays.
Term dates 2027/28
| Term | First day | Last day |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn term | Mon 23 Aug 2027 | Tue 21 Dec 2027 |
| Spring term | Thu 6 Jan 2028 | Fri 7 Apr 2028 |
| Summer term | Mon 24 Apr 2028 | Fri 30 Jun 2028 |
The terms between Christmas, Easter and the summer; Scottish councils often number them 1 to 4. Half terms and the other holidays above fall inside them.
How Dumfries and Galloway compares
- Christmas 2027 is Wed 22 Dec 2027 to Wed 5 Jan 2028 (two weeks and 1 day), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Wed 22 Dec 2027 to Tue 4 Jan 2028 (two weeks, 14 of 29 councils).
- February mid-term 2028 is Fri 18 Feb to Mon 21 Feb 2028 (2 days), a week later than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 12 Feb to Tue 15 Feb 2028 (2 days, 8 of 29 councils).
- Easter holidays 2028 are Sat 8 Apr to Sun 23 Apr 2028 (two weeks), a week later than most Scottish councils' dates: Sat 1 Apr to Mon 17 Apr 2028 (two weeks and 1 day, 21 of 29 councils).
Its October holidays and summer holidays match the most common Scottish dates.
Compared with the 29 Scottish councils we have 2027/28 dates for. Every Scottish council side by side.
The best days of leave to book in 2027/28
To be off for every school holiday day in 2027/28 you'd need 56 days of leave. Full-time workers are entitled to at least 28 days a year, and that can include the bank holidays, so most families mix leave with a second parent, family and holiday clubs. These are the holidays where a day of leave goes furthest:
Christmas 2027: book 3 days, get 11 off
Open it in the planner to see it in your year and get the message for your manager.
Easter holidays 2028: book 4 days, get 9 off
Open it in the planner to see it in your year and get the message for your manager.
Summer holidays 2028: book 5 days, get 10 off
Open it in the planner to see it in your year and get the message for your manager.
If your leave year runs January to December, covering the whole Christmas holiday takes 6 days from your 2027 leave and 1 day from 2028's.
Source: Dumfries and Galloway Council's term dates page, checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
Which schools use these dates
These are Dumfries and Galloway Council's dates for its own schools. Independent schools set their own, and some local holidays vary from school to school, so check with your school before you book.
Taking children out of school in term time has its own rules: can I take my child on holiday in term time? Work in a school? Teachers and annual leave.
Questions
When are the October holidays 2027 in Dumfries and Galloway?
Sat 9 Oct to Sun 24 Oct 2027, weekends included: two weeks off school. The last day of school before it is Friday 8 October and pupils go back on Monday 25 October.
When do Dumfries and Galloway schools break up for Christmas 2026?
The last day of term is Friday 18 December 2026. The holiday runs Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Tue 5 Jan 2027, and schools go back on Wednesday 6 January 2027.
When are the summer holidays 2027 in Dumfries and Galloway?
Sat 3 Jul to Sun 22 Aug 2027: seven weeks off school. The last day of term is Friday 2 July.
When are the summer holidays 2028 in Dumfries and Galloway?
Sat 1 Jul to Thu 10 Aug 2028: five weeks and 4 days off school. The last day of term is Friday 30 June.
What's the best time to book annual leave around the Dumfries and Galloway school holidays?
Christmas 2026: book Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec (3 days) and you're off Friday 25 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027, 11 days with the children. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and 2nd January are bank holidays, so they come free.
How much annual leave do I need to cover the Dumfries and Galloway school holidays?
65 days in 2026/27 and 56 days in 2027/28, to be off for every school holiday day and the council's INSET days, Monday to Friday. With 25 days of leave that's about 38% of 2026/27.
Do all schools in Dumfries and Galloway follow these dates?
These are Dumfries and Galloway Council's dates for its own schools. Independent schools set their own, and some local holidays vary from school to school, so check with your school before you book.