Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearScottish Borders school holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28
Scottish Borders's school holidays and term dates for 2026/27 and 2027/28, from Scottish Borders Council. Scottish Borders schools break up for Christmas on Tuesday 22 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). Christmas 2026 is Wed 23 Dec 2026 to Tue 5 Jan 2027 (two weeks), a week later than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Mon 4 Jan 2027 (two weeks and 1 day, 12 of 32 councils).
Scottish Borders school holidays 2026/27
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| October holidaysone week, past | 10 to 18 Octback Mon 19 Oct INSET day | 5 days → 9 off |
| St Andrew's Day and casual holiday2 days | 28 Nov to 1 Decback Wed 2 Dec | 1 day → 4 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks | 23 Dec to 5 Janback Wed 6 Jan | 6 days → 14 off |
| February mid-termone week | 6 to 14 Febback Mon 15 Feb INSET day | 5 days → 9 off |
| Good Friday1 day | 26 to 28 Marback Mon 29 Mar | No leave |
| Easter holidaystwo weeks | 3 to 18 Aprback Mon 19 Apr | 10 days → 16 off |
| May Day1 day | 1 to 3 Mayback Tue 4 May INSET day | No leave |
| Summer holidayssix weeks and 3 days | 2 Jul to 17 Augback Wed 18 Aug | 32 days → 47 off |
Training (INSET) days set by the council: Mon 17 Aug 2026, Tue 18 Aug 2026, Mon 19 Oct 2026, Mon 15 Feb 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 19 Aug 2026 | Tue 22 Dec 2026 |
| Spring term | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Fri 2 Apr 2027 |
| Summer term | Mon 19 Apr 2027 | Thu 1 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 Scottish Borders compares
- Christmas 2026 is Wed 23 Dec 2026 to Tue 5 Jan 2027 (two weeks), a week later 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 6 Feb to Sun 14 Feb 2027 (one week), a week earlier and 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 Sun 18 Apr 2027 (two weeks), 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 Fri 2 Jul to Tue 17 Aug 2027 (six weeks and 3 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 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 64 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.
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 5 days from your 2026 leave and 1 day from 2027's.
About these dates: Each cluster sets one casual holiday: Tuesday 1 December 2026 for Cheviot, Earlston, Eyemouth, Galashiels and Peebles; Monday 24 May 2027 for Berwickshire; Common Riding Friday for Hawick and Selkirk.
Source: Scottish Borders Council's term dates page, checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
Scottish Borders school holidays 2027/28
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| October holidaysone week | 9 to 17 Octback Mon 18 Oct INSET day | 5 days → 9 off |
| St Andrew's Day1 day | 27 to 29 Novback Wed 1 Dec | 1 day → 3 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks and 1 day | 22 Dec to 5 Janback Thu 6 Jan | 7 days → 15 off |
| February mid-termone week | 12 to 20 Febback Mon 21 Feb INSET day | 5 days → 9 off |
| Easter holidaystwo weeks | 1 to 16 Aprback Mon 17 Apr | 9 days → 16 off |
| May Day1 day | 29 Apr to 1 Mayback Tue 2 May INSET day | No leave |
| Summer holidayssix weeks | 30 Jun to 10 Augback Fri 11 Aug | 29 days → 42 off |
Training (INSET) days set by the council: Mon 16 Aug 2027, Tue 17 Aug 2027, Mon 18 Oct 2027, Mon 21 Feb 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 | Tue 21 Dec 2027 |
| Spring term | Thu 6 Jan 2028 | Fri 31 Mar 2028 |
| Summer term | Mon 17 Apr 2028 | Thu 29 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 Scottish Borders compares
- October holidays 2027 are Sat 9 Oct to Sun 17 Oct 2027 (one week), shorter than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 9 Oct to Sun 24 Oct 2027 (two weeks, 14 of 29 councils).
- 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 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).
- Easter holidays 2028 are Sat 1 Apr to Sun 16 Apr 2028 (two weeks), shorter than most Scottish councils' dates: Sat 1 Apr to Mon 17 Apr 2028 (two weeks and 1 day, 21 of 29 councils).
- Summer holidays 2028 are Fri 30 Jun to Thu 10 Aug 2028 (six weeks), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 1 Jul to Thu 10 Aug 2028 (five weeks and 4 days, 10 of 29 councils).
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 61 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 6 days from your 2027 leave and 1 day from 2028's.
About these dates: Plus one casual holiday per cluster, not yet confirmed.
Source: Scottish Borders Council's term dates page, checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
Which schools use these dates
These are Scottish Borders 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 Scottish Borders?
Sat 9 Oct to Sun 17 Oct 2027, weekends included: one week off school. The last day of school before it is Friday 8 October and pupils go back on Monday 18 October (an INSET day, so check with your school).
When do Scottish Borders schools break up for Christmas 2026?
The last day of term is Tuesday 22 December 2026. The holiday runs Wed 23 Dec 2026 to Tue 5 Jan 2027, and schools go back on Wednesday 6 January 2027.
When are the summer holidays 2027 in Scottish Borders?
Fri 2 Jul to Tue 17 Aug 2027: six weeks and 3 days off school. The last day of term is Thursday 1 July.
When are the summer holidays 2028 in Scottish Borders?
Fri 30 Jun to Thu 10 Aug 2028: six weeks off school. The last day of term is Thursday 29 June.
What's the best time to book annual leave around the Scottish Borders 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 Scottish Borders school holidays?
64 days in 2026/27 and 61 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 39% of 2026/27.
Do all schools in Scottish Borders follow these dates?
These are Scottish Borders 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.