Shetland school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from Shetland Islands Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Shetland Islands 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.

Shetland term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termWednesday, 19 August 2026Friday, 18 December 202676 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 12 October 2026Tuesday, 27 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday, 19 December 2026Monday, 4 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termTuesday, 5 January 2027Wednesday, 24 March 202754 school days
February half term holidayFriday, 12 February 2027Tuesday, 16 February 2027
Easter holiday holidayThursday, 25 March 2027Tuesday, 6 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termWednesday, 7 April 2027Friday, 2 July 202763 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Shetland publishes four terms. Autumn term above spans Term 1 (Wednesday 19 August to Friday 9 October 2026) and Term 2 (Wednesday 28 October to Friday 18 December 2026).
  • In-service days (school closed to pupils): Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 August 2026, Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October 2026, and Tuesday 16 February 2027.
  • February break: occasional holidays Friday 12 and Monday 15 February 2027, followed by an in-service day on Tuesday 16 February 2027.
  • Occasional holidays: Wednesday 27 January 2027 and Friday 21 May 2027, plus 1 floating day to be set by schools within their clusters in consultation with Parent Councils.

Shetland term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termWednesday, 18 August 2027Tuesday, 21 December 202778 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 11 October 2027Tuesday, 26 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidayWednesday, 22 December 2027Tuesday, 4 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termWednesday, 5 January 2028Friday, 31 March 202861 school days
February half term holidayFriday, 18 February 2028Monday, 21 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 1 April 2028Monday, 17 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termTuesday, 18 April 2028Friday, 30 June 202854 school days
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • Shetland publishes four terms. Autumn term above spans Term 1 (Wednesday 18 August to Friday 8 October 2027) and Term 2 (Wednesday 27 October to Tuesday 21 December 2027).
  • In-service days: Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 August 2027, Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 October 2027, and Monday 21 February 2028.
  • February break: occasional holiday Friday 18 February 2028, followed by an in-service day on Monday 21 February 2028.
  • Occasional holidays: Wednesday 26 January 2028, Monday 17 April 2028 (the day before Term 4 starts) and Friday 19 May 2028, plus one floating day determined by individual school clusters.
  • 2027-2028 dates are published at https://www.shetland.gov.uk/schools/term-dates/2
Source: these dates come from Shetland Islands 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 Shetland?

October half term in Shetland runs from Monday, 12 October 2026 to Tuesday, 27 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do Shetland schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Shetland schools break up for summer?

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

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

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 1 share Shetland's October half term week in 2026/27, while Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, 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, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, 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 Shetland follow these dates?

No. These are Shetland Islands 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