Argyll and Bute school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from Argyll and Bute Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Argyll and Bute Council for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 academic years: term start and finish dates, half terms, and the Christmas, Easter and summer breaks. We take the dates straight from the council's own published calendar (linked below), convert them into one consistent format, and recheck them each academic year. School-day counts exclude weekends and half term but not inset days, which individual schools choose themselves.

Argyll and Bute term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termMonday, 17 August 2026Tuesday, 22 December 202682 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 5 October 2026Friday, 16 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidayWednesday, 23 December 2026Monday, 4 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termTuesday, 5 January 2027Friday, 2 April 202758 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 8 February 2027Monday, 15 February 2027
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 3 April 2027Sunday, 18 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday, 19 April 2027Friday, 2 July 202755 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • The council publishes school close and open dates rather than named terms. Term boundaries here follow those dates: pupils return Monday 17 August 2026, schools close Tuesday 22 December 2026, pupils return Tuesday 5 January 2027, schools close Friday 2 April 2027, pupils return Monday 19 April 2027, and schools close Friday 2 July 2027.
  • Teachers' in-service days Thursday 13 and Friday 14 August 2026; pupils return Monday 17 August 2026.
  • October break: school closes Friday 2 October 2026 and pupils return Monday 19 October 2026.
  • November: school closes Friday 20 November 2026, teachers' in-service day Monday 23 November 2026, pupils return Tuesday 24 November 2026.
  • February break: school closes Friday 5 February 2027, teachers' in-service day Monday 15 February 2027, pupils return Tuesday 16 February 2027.
  • Easter: school closes Thursday 25 March 2027 and pupils return Tuesday 30 March 2027 (schools closed Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March 2027).
  • Spring holiday: school closes Friday 2 April 2027 and pupils return Monday 19 April 2027.
  • May: school closes Thursday 27 May 2027, teachers' in-service day Friday 28 May 2027, pupils return Tuesday 1 June 2027.

Argyll and Bute term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termMonday, 16 August 2027Wednesday, 22 December 202783 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 11 October 2027Friday, 22 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidayThursday, 23 December 2027Tuesday, 4 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termWednesday, 5 January 2028Friday, 31 March 202857 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 7 February 2028Monday, 14 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 1 April 2028Monday, 17 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termTuesday, 18 April 2028Thursday, 29 June 202853 school days
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • Source for this year: https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/education-and-learning/schools/school-holidays-2027-2028
  • The council publishes school close and open dates rather than named terms. Term boundaries here follow those dates: pupils return Monday 16 August 2027, schools close Wednesday 22 December 2027, pupils return Wednesday 5 January 2028, schools close Friday 31 March 2028, pupils return Tuesday 18 April 2028, and the summer term ends Thursday 29 June 2028.
  • Teachers' in-service days Thursday 12 and Friday 13 August 2027; pupils return Monday 16 August 2027.
  • October break: school closes Friday 8 October 2027 and pupils return Monday 25 October 2027, a two week break.
  • November: school closes Friday 19 November 2027, teachers' in-service day Monday 22 November 2027, pupils return Tuesday 23 November 2027.
  • February break: school closes Friday 4 February 2028, teachers' in-service day Monday 14 February 2028, pupils return Tuesday 15 February 2028.
  • Easter break: school closes Friday 31 March 2028 and pupils return Tuesday 18 April 2028; Good Friday 14 April and Easter Monday 17 April 2028 fall within the break.
  • May: school closes Thursday 25 May 2028, teachers' in-service day Friday 26 May 2028, pupils return Tuesday 30 May 2028.
Source: these dates come from Argyll and Bute Council's official term dates page, last checked by us on 12 September 2026. If the council amends its calendar mid-year, its page is the authority; tell us and we'll correct ours. Read how we compile term dates.

Common questions

When is October half term in Argyll and Bute?

October half term in Argyll and Bute runs from Monday, 5 October 2026 to Friday, 16 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do Argyll and Bute schools break up for Christmas?

The autumn term in Argyll and Bute ends on Tuesday, 22 December 2026, so that is the last day of school before the Christmas holiday.

When do Argyll and Bute schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Friday, 2 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

Is Argyll and Bute's October half term the same as neighbouring councils?

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 1 share Argyll and Bute's October half term week in 2026/27, while Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian, Western Isles differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Argyll and Bute follow these dates?

No. These are Argyll and Bute Council's published dates for community and voluntary-controlled schools. Academies, free schools, foundation schools and private schools set their own calendars, and every school adds its own inset days. Check with your school before booking anything you can't refund.

Tempted by term-time prices? Taking children out of school during term can mean a penalty notice, and the rules differ across the UK. How school fines work, nation by nation.

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