Dumfries and Galloway school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from Dumfries and Galloway Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Dumfries and Galloway 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.

Dumfries and Galloway term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termThursday, 20 August 2026Friday, 18 December 202677 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 12 October 2026Friday, 23 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday, 19 December 2026Tuesday, 5 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termWednesday, 6 January 2027Thursday, 25 March 202755 school days
February half term holidayThursday, 18 February 2027Friday, 19 February 2027
Easter holiday holidayFriday, 26 March 2027Sunday, 11 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday, 12 April 2027Friday, 2 July 202760 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • The council publishes the year as terms 1 to 4. Terms 1 and 2 (Thursday 20 August to Friday 9 October and Monday 26 October to Friday 18 December 2026) are combined here as the Autumn term, with the autumn holiday of Monday 12 October to Friday 23 October 2026 as its half term.
  • Staff training day Wednesday 19 August 2026; term 1 first day for pupils Thursday 20 August 2026.
  • Christmas holiday Monday 21 December 2026 to Tuesday 5 January 2027; Tuesday 5 January 2027 is a staff training day and pupils return Wednesday 6 January 2027.
  • Schools closed for staff training Thursday 18 and Friday 19 February 2027; this is the February break, shown as the spring half term.
  • Spring holiday Friday 26 March 2027 to Friday 9 April 2027.
  • May Day holiday Monday 3 May 2027.
  • Schools closed for staff training Friday 28 May 2027.
  • Summer holiday Monday 5 July 2027 to Friday 20 August 2027.

Dumfries and Galloway term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termMonday, 23 August 2027Tuesday, 21 December 202777 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 11 October 2027Friday, 22 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidayWednesday, 22 December 2027Wednesday, 5 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termThursday, 6 January 2028Friday, 7 April 202865 school days
February half term holidayFriday, 18 February 2028Monday, 21 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 8 April 2028Sunday, 23 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termMonday, 24 April 2028Friday, 30 June 202850 school days
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • Source for this year: https://www.dumfriesandgalloway.gov.uk/schools-learning/schools/school-term-holiday-dates/2027-2028-school-year
  • The council publishes the year as terms 1 to 4. Terms 1 and 2 (Monday 23 August to Friday 8 October and Monday 25 October to Tuesday 21 December 2027) are combined here as the Autumn term, with the autumn holiday of Monday 11 October to Friday 22 October 2027 as its half term.
  • Staff training days Thursday 19 and Friday 20 August 2027; term 1 first day for pupils Monday 23 August 2027.
  • Christmas holiday Wednesday 22 December 2027 to Wednesday 5 January 2028; Wednesday 5 January 2028 is a staff training day and pupils return Thursday 6 January 2028.
  • Mid-term holiday Friday 18 February and Monday 21 February 2028; the council also lists Friday 18 February 2028 as a staff training day.
  • Spring holiday Monday 10 April to Friday 21 April 2028.
  • May Day holiday Monday 1 May 2028.
  • Schools closed for staff training Monday 29 May 2028.
  • Summer holiday Monday 3 July 2028 to Thursday 17 August 2028.
Source: these dates come from Dumfries and Galloway 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 Dumfries and Galloway?

October half term in Dumfries and Galloway runs from Monday, 12 October 2026 to Friday, 23 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do Dumfries and Galloway schools break up for Christmas?

The autumn term in Dumfries and Galloway ends on Friday, 18 December 2026, so that is the last day of school before the Christmas holiday.

When do Dumfries and Galloway schools break up for summer?

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

Is Dumfries and Galloway's October half term the same as neighbouring councils?

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 10 share Dumfries and Galloway's October half term week in 2026/27, while Angus, Argyll and Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian, Western Isles differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Dumfries and Galloway follow these dates?

No. These are Dumfries and Galloway 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.

Nearby councils