Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearNorth Ayrshire school holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28
North Ayrshire's school holidays and term dates for 2026/27 and 2027/28, from North Ayrshire Council. North Ayrshire schools break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December 2026 and go back on Tuesday 5 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). February mid-term 2027 is Sat 13 Feb to Mon 15 Feb 2027 (1 day), shorter than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 13 Feb to Tue 16 Feb 2027 (2 days, 8 of 32 councils).
North Ayrshire school holidays 2026/27
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| October holidaysone week, past | 10 to 18 Octback Mon 19 Oct | 5 days → 9 off |
| November weekend2 days | 20 to 23 Novback Tue 24 Nov INSET day | 2 days → 4 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks and 1 day | 19 Dec to 4 Janback Tue 5 Jan | 7 days → 17 off |
| February mid-term1 day | 13 to 15 Febback Tue 16 Feb INSET day | 1 day → 3 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 holidayssix weeks and 2 days | 1 Jul to 15 Augback Mon 16 Aug | 31 days → 46 off |
Training (INSET) days set by the council: Wed 19 Aug 2026, Mon 21 Sep 2026, Tue 24 Nov 2026, Tue 16 Feb 2027 and Mon 31 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 | Tue 5 Jan 2027 | Thu 25 Mar 2027 |
| Summer term | Mon 12 Apr 2027 | Wed 30 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 North Ayrshire compares
- February mid-term 2027 is Sat 13 Feb to Mon 15 Feb 2027 (1 day), shorter than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 13 Feb to Tue 16 Feb 2027 (2 days, 8 of 32 councils).
- Summer holidays 2027 are Thu 1 Jul to Sun 15 Aug 2027 (six weeks and 2 days), a week later than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 26 Jun to Tue 10 Aug 2027 (six weeks and 2 days, 4 of 32 councils).
Its October holidays, Christmas holidays and Easter holidays match 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 60 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.
About these dates: Mainland and Cumbrae schools. Arran schools have different dates in 2026/27.
Source: North Ayrshire Council's term dates (PDF), checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
North Ayrshire school holidays 2027/28
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| October holidaystwo weeks | 2 to 17 Octback Mon 18 Oct | 10 days → 16 off |
| November weekend2 days | 19 to 22 Novback Tue 23 Nov INSET day | 2 days → 4 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks | 23 Dec to 5 Janback Thu 6 Jan | 6 days → 14 off |
| February mid-term2 days | 18 to 21 Febback Tue 22 Feb | 2 days → 4 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 | No leave |
| May weekend2 days | 27 to 30 Mayback Wed 31 May | 1 day → 4 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: Thu 12 Aug 2027, Fri 13 Aug 2027, Tue 23 Nov 2027 and Thu 17 Feb 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 16 Aug 2027 | Wed 22 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 North Ayrshire compares
- October holidays 2027 are Sat 2 Oct to Sun 17 Oct 2027 (two weeks), a week earlier than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 9 Oct to Sun 24 Oct 2027 (two weeks, 14 of 29 councils).
- Christmas 2027 is Thu 23 Dec 2027 to Wed 5 Jan 2028 (two weeks), a few days later 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).
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 63 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 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 5 days from your 2027 leave and 1 day from 2028's.
About these dates: All schools, Arran included, share these dates from 2027/28. The October holiday is two weeks.
Source: North Ayrshire Council's term dates (PDF), checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
Which schools use these dates
These are North Ayrshire 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 North Ayrshire?
Sat 2 Oct to Sun 17 Oct 2027, weekends included: two weeks off school. The last day of school before it is Friday 1 October and pupils go back on Monday 18 October.
When do North Ayrshire schools break up for Christmas 2026?
The last day of term is Friday 18 December 2026. The holiday runs Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Mon 4 Jan 2027, and schools go back on Tuesday 5 January 2027.
When are the summer holidays 2027 in North Ayrshire?
Thu 1 Jul to Sun 15 Aug 2027: six weeks and 2 days off school. The last day of term is Wednesday 30 June.
When are the summer holidays 2028 in North Ayrshire?
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 North Ayrshire 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 North Ayrshire school holidays?
60 days in 2026/27 and 63 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 42% of 2026/27.
Do all schools in North Ayrshire follow these dates?
These are North Ayrshire 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.