Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearShetland school holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28
Shetland's school holidays and term dates for 2026/27 and 2027/28, from Shetland Islands Council. Shetland 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). October holidays 2026 are Sat 10 Oct to Tue 27 Oct 2026 (two weeks and 2 days), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 10 Oct to Sun 18 Oct 2026 (one week, 11 of 32 councils).
Shetland school holidays 2026/27
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| October holidaystwo weeks and 2 days | 10 to 27 Octback Wed 28 Oct | 12 days → 18 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks and 1 day | 19 Dec to 4 Janback Tue 5 Jan | 7 days → 17 off |
| Occasional day1 day | 27 Janback Thu 28 Jan | 1 day → 1 off |
| February mid-term2 days | 12 to 15 Febback Tue 16 Feb INSET day | 2 days → 4 off |
| Easter holidaysone week and 4 days | 25 Mar to 6 Aprback Wed 7 Apr | 8 days → 13 off |
| Occasional day1 day | 21 to 23 Mayback Mon 24 May | 1 day → 3 off |
| Summer holidayssix weeks and 2 days | 3 Jul to 17 Augback Wed 18 Aug | 31 days → 46 off |
Training (INSET) days set by the council: Mon 17 Aug 2026, Tue 18 Aug 2026, Mon 26 Oct 2026, Tue 27 Oct 2026 and Tue 16 Feb 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 | Fri 18 Dec 2026 |
| Spring term | Tue 5 Jan 2027 | Wed 24 Mar 2027 |
| Summer term | Wed 7 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 Shetland compares
- October holidays 2026 are Sat 10 Oct to Tue 27 Oct 2026 (two weeks and 2 days), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 10 Oct to Sun 18 Oct 2026 (one week, 11 of 32 councils).
- February mid-term 2027 is Fri 12 Feb to Mon 15 Feb 2027 (2 days), a few days earlier than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 13 Feb to Tue 16 Feb 2027 (2 days, 8 of 32 councils).
- Easter holidays 2027 are Thu 25 Mar to Tue 6 Apr 2027 (one week and 4 days), shorter 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 Sat 3 Jul to Tue 17 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 Christmas 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.
About these dates: Plus one floating day set by each school cluster.
Source: Shetland Islands Council's term dates page, checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
Shetland school holidays 2027/28
| Holiday | Off, weekends included | Leave to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| October holidaystwo weeks and 2 days | 9 to 26 Octback Wed 27 Oct | 12 days → 18 off |
| Christmas holidaystwo weeks | 22 Dec to 4 Janback Wed 5 Jan | 6 days → 14 off |
| Occasional day1 day | 26 Janback Thu 27 Jan | 1 day → 1 off |
| February mid-term1 day | 18 to 20 Febback Mon 21 Feb INSET day | 1 day → 3 off |
| Easter holidaystwo weeks and 1 day | 1 to 17 Aprback Tue 18 Apr | 10 days → 17 off |
| Occasional day1 day | 19 to 21 Mayback Mon 22 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 16 Aug 2027, Tue 17 Aug 2027, Mon 25 Oct 2027, Tue 26 Oct 2027 and Mon 21 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 | Wed 18 Aug 2027 | Tue 21 Dec 2027 |
| Spring term | Wed 5 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 Shetland compares
- October holidays 2027 are Sat 9 Oct to Tue 26 Oct 2027 (two weeks and 2 days), longer than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 9 Oct to Sun 24 Oct 2027 (two weeks, 14 of 29 councils).
- February mid-term 2028 is Fri 18 Feb to Sun 20 Feb 2028 (1 day), a week later than the most common Scottish dates: Sat 12 Feb to Tue 15 Feb 2028 (2 days, 8 of 29 councils).
Its Christmas holidays, 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 62 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.
About these dates: Plus one floating day set by each school cluster.
Source: Shetland Islands Council's term dates page, checked on 26 October 2026. Bank holidays from gov.uk.
Which schools use these dates
These are Shetland Islands 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 2026 in Shetland?
Sat 10 Oct to Tue 27 Oct 2026, weekends included: two weeks and 2 days off school. The last day of school before it is Friday 9 October and pupils go back on Wednesday 28 October.
When are the October holidays 2027 in Shetland?
Sat 9 Oct to Tue 26 Oct 2027, weekends included: two weeks and 2 days off school. The last day of school before it is Friday 8 October and pupils go back on Wednesday 27 October.
When do Shetland 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 Shetland?
Sat 3 Jul to Tue 17 Aug 2027: six weeks and 2 days off school. The last day of term is Friday 2 July.
When are the summer holidays 2028 in Shetland?
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 Shetland 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 Shetland school holidays?
65 days in 2026/27 and 62 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 Shetland follow these dates?
These are Shetland Islands 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.