Scottish Borders school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from Scottish Borders Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Scottish Borders 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.

Scottish Borders term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termWednesday, 19 August 2026Tuesday, 22 December 202684 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 12 October 2026Monday, 19 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidayWednesday, 23 December 2026Tuesday, 5 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termWednesday, 6 January 2027Friday, 2 April 202757 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 2027Thursday, 1 July 202754 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Staff resume Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 August 2026 as in-service days; pupils begin Wednesday 19 August 2026.
  • October holiday: Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026. Staff return Monday 19 October (in-service day) and pupils resume Tuesday 20 October 2026.
  • St Andrew's Day holiday: schools closed Monday 30 November 2026.
  • Christmas holiday: Wednesday 23 December 2026 to Tuesday 5 January 2027, with all resuming Wednesday 6 January 2027.
  • February mid-term: last day Friday 5 February 2027, holiday Monday 8 to Friday 12 February, staff in-service Monday 15 February, pupils resume Tuesday 16 February 2027.
  • Good Friday: schools closed Friday 26 March 2027.
  • Easter holiday: Monday 5 April to Friday 16 April 2027, with all resuming Monday 19 April 2027.
  • May Day holiday Monday 3 May 2027, in-service day Tuesday 4 May, pupils resume Wednesday 5 May 2027.
  • Each cluster allocates one casual holiday for pupils and staff, often aligned to the local festival. Berwickshire's is Monday 24 May 2027.

Scottish Borders term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termWednesday, 18 August 2027Tuesday, 21 December 202784 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 11 October 2027Monday, 18 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidayWednesday, 22 December 2027Wednesday, 5 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termThursday, 6 January 2028Friday, 31 March 202856 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 14 February 2028Monday, 21 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 1 April 2028Sunday, 16 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termMonday, 17 April 2028Thursday, 29 June 202854 school days
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • Staff resume Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 August 2027 as in-service days; pupils resume Wednesday 18 August 2027.
  • October holiday: Monday 11 to Friday 15 October 2027. Staff resume Monday 18 October (in-service day) and pupils resume Tuesday 19 October 2027.
  • Christmas holiday: Wednesday 22 December 2027 to Wednesday 5 January 2028, with all resuming Thursday 6 January 2028.
  • February mid-term: last day Friday 11 February 2028, holiday Monday 14 to Friday 18 February, staff in-service Monday 21 February, pupils resume Tuesday 22 February 2028.
  • Easter holiday: Monday 3 to Friday 14 April 2028, with all resuming Monday 17 April 2028.
  • May Day holiday: Monday 1 May 2028.
  • Individual cluster casual holidays to be confirmed later.
  • 2027-28 dates are published at https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/schools-learning/term-holiday-closure-dates/3
Source: these dates come from Scottish Borders 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 Scottish Borders?

October half term in Scottish Borders runs from Monday, 12 October 2026 to Monday, 19 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do Scottish Borders schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Scottish Borders schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Thursday, 1 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

Is Scottish Borders's October half term the same as neighbouring councils?

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 4 share Scottish Borders's October half term week in 2026/27, while Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland, 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 Scottish Borders follow these dates?

No. These are Scottish Borders 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