Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearEdinburgh school holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28
Edinburgh's school holidays and term dates for 2026/27 and 2027/28, from The City of Edinburgh Council. Edinburgh 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 Mon 19 Oct 2026 (one week and 1 day), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 10 Oct to Sun 18 Oct 2026 (one week, 11 of 32 councils).
Edinburgh school holidays 2026/27
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| September weekend1 day, past | 12 to 14 Sepback Tue 15 Sep | 1 day → 3 off |
| October holidaysone week and 1 day, past | 10 to 19 Octback Tue 20 Oct | 6 days → 10 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks and 2 days | 19 Dec to 5 Janback Wed 6 Jan | 8 days → 18 off |
| February mid-termone week | 13 to 21 Febback Mon 22 Feb | 5 days → 9 off |
| Easter weekend2 days | 26 to 29 Marback Tue 30 Mar | 1 day → 4 off |
| Easter holidaystwo weeks and 1 day | 3 to 19 Aprback Tue 20 Apr | 11 days → 17 off |
| May Day1 day | 1 to 3 Mayback Tue 4 May INSET day | No leave |
| Victoria Day1 day | 22 to 24 Mayback Tue 25 May | 1 day → 3 off |
| Summer holidaysseven weeks | 30 Jun to 17 Augback Wed 18 Aug | 34 days → 49 off |
Training (INSET) days set by the council: Mon 19 Oct 2026, Tue 5 Jan 2027 and Tue 4 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 | Wed 12 Aug 2026 | Fri 18 Dec 2026 |
| Spring term | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Fri 2 Apr 2027 |
| Summer term | Tue 20 Apr 2027 | Tue 29 Jun 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 Edinburgh compares
- October holidays 2026 are Sat 10 Oct to Mon 19 Oct 2026 (one week and 1 day), 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).
- February mid-term 2027 is Sat 13 Feb to Sun 21 Feb 2027 (one week), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 13 Feb to Tue 16 Feb 2027 (2 days, 8 of 32 councils).
- Easter holidays 2027 are Sat 3 Apr to Mon 19 Apr 2027 (two weeks and 1 day), a week later than the most common Scottish dates: Fri 26 Mar to Sun 11 Apr 2027 (two weeks and 1 day, 13 of 32 councils).
- Summer holidays 2027 are Wed 30 Jun to Tue 17 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).
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 68 days of leave, including the council's INSET day. 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.
February mid-term 2027: book 5 days, get 9 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: Five in-service days; the two at the start of term are only in the council's printable list.
Source: The City of Edinburgh Council's term dates page, checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
Edinburgh school holidays 2027/28
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| September weekend1 day | 18 to 20 Sepback Tue 21 Sep | 1 day → 3 off |
| October holidaysone week and 1 day | 16 to 25 Octback Tue 26 Oct | 6 days → 10 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks and 2 days | 21 Dec to 5 Janback Thu 6 Jan | 8 days → 16 off |
| February mid-termone week | 12 to 20 Febback Mon 21 Feb | 5 days → 9 off |
| Easter holidaystwo weeks and 1 day | 1 to 17 Aprback Tue 18 Apr | 10 days → 17 off |
| May Day1 day | 29 Apr to 1 Mayback Tue 2 May INSET day | No leave |
| Victoria Day1 day | 20 to 22 Mayback Tue 23 May | 1 day → 3 off |
| 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: Mon 25 Oct 2027, Wed 5 Jan 2028 and Tue 2 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 | Wed 18 Aug 2027 | Mon 20 Dec 2027 |
| Spring term | Thu 6 Jan 2028 | Fri 31 Mar 2028 |
| Summer term | Tue 18 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 Edinburgh compares
- October holidays 2027 are Sat 16 Oct to Mon 25 Oct 2027 (one week and 1 day), a week later and shorter than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 9 Oct to Sun 24 Oct 2027 (two weeks, 14 of 29 councils).
- Christmas 2027 is Tue 21 Dec 2027 to Wed 5 Jan 2028 (two weeks and 2 days), 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 Sat 12 Feb to Sun 20 Feb 2028 (one week), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 12 Feb to Tue 15 Feb 2028 (2 days, 8 of 29 councils).
Its Easter 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 60 days of leave, including the council's INSET day. 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 7 days from your 2027 leave and 1 day from 2028's.
About these dates: Five in-service days; the two at the start of term are only in the council's printable list.
Source: The City of Edinburgh Council's term dates page, checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
Which schools use these dates
These are The City of Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh?
Sat 16 Oct to Mon 25 Oct 2027, weekends included: one week and 1 day off school. The last day of school before it is Friday 15 October and pupils go back on Tuesday 26 October.
When do Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh?
Wed 30 Jun to Tue 17 Aug 2027: seven weeks off school. The last day of term is Tuesday 29 June.
When are the summer holidays 2028 in Edinburgh?
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 Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh school holidays?
68 days in 2026/27 and 60 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 37% of 2026/27.
Do all schools in Edinburgh follow these dates?
These are The City of Edinburgh 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.