School term dates in Scotland 2026/27
How the Scottish school year differs from England's: an August start, a late-June finish, an October week, and dates set by each of the 32 councils. Where to find yours, and the national exam dates.
By The AskBobbie team · 29 September 20261 min read
Scotland's school year runs earlier than England's at both ends, is set by each of the 32 councils, and has an October week rather than a half term. If your child is in Scotland and your family calendar app assumes England, this is the year.
The shape of 2026/27
- Return: pupils back between roughly Wednesday 12 and Tuesday 18 August 2026, after one or two in-service days.
- October week: one week, mid October, dates varying by council (some take the week of 12 October, others 19 October).
- Christmas: schools close around Wednesday 23 December 2026 and return around Wednesday 6 January 2027.
- February: a mid-term break of two to five days in the second or third week of February, varying by council.
- Easter: about two weeks around Easter, which is early in 2027 (28 March); most councils break from around 26 March to 12 April.
- May: the first Monday (3 May 2027) is a holiday in most areas; some add an in-service day beside it.
- Summer: schools close in the last week of June 2027.
Five in-service days are set by each council, often beside the breaks.
Finding your exact dates
Your council's website, under "School term dates" or "School holidays". mygov.scot links to every council's page. Then your school's own website for any in-service days set locally.
National dates
The SQA exam diet for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher runs from late April to early June 2027; the timetable is published in the autumn on sqa.org.uk. Results day is in early August. Primary 1 registration takes place in January or February at your council for the following August.
Getting the year in
Put every date in the calendar once, including the in-service days, which are the ones that catch people out because they differ from the neighbouring council's. If you forward the school's newsletter to Bobbie, the dates come out on their own.
Sources: mygov.scot school holidays; SQA. Dates are set by each council and vary; always confirm with yours.
Questions people ask
- When does the Scottish school year start?
- Mid August: most councils return pupils between Wednesday 12 and Tuesday 18 August 2026, after one or two in-service days. It ends in the last week of June 2027.
- Why does Scotland break up so early in summer?
- Because it goes back so early. The Scottish year keeps roughly the same number of days as England's, shifted three weeks earlier at both ends.
- When are the SQA exams in 2027?
- National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams run from late April to early June 2027; the SQA publishes the exact timetable in the autumn. Results come in early August.