East Ayrshire school holidays 2026/27
Read from East Ayrshire council's own term-dates page, last on 3 October 2026. The source is here, so you can check every date below against it. They cover the 54 schools in East Ayrshire, though academies and independent schools can set their own; the finder on the home page shows what we hold for a particular school.
How East Ayrshire differs
- The October half term in East Ayrshire starts 14 days earlier and runs 1 day longer than in most of England.
- The Christmas holiday in East Ayrshire runs 1 day longer than in most of England.
- The February half term in East Ayrshire starts 1 day earlier and runs 4 days shorter than in most of England.
- The Summer holiday in East Ayrshire starts 22 days earlier and runs 8 days longer than in most of England.
That matters for flights: a break that starts a day earlier or runs a week longer puts different days on the table, and the day you leave is often worth hundreds.
The dates
| Holiday | First day off | Last day off | Can fly | Versus most of England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October half term | Sat 10 Oct | Mon 19 Oct | Sat 10 Oct – Mon 19 Oct | 14d earlier, 1d longer |
| Christmas holidays | Sat 19 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Sat 19 Dec – Mon 4 Jan | 1d longer |
| February half term | Fri 12 Feb | Tue 16 Feb | Fri 12 Feb – Tue 16 Feb | 1d earlier, 4d shorter |
| Easter holidays | Fri 26 Mar | Sun 11 Apr | Fri 26 Mar – Sun 11 Apr | Same |
| Summer holidays | Wed 30 Jun | Tue 17 Aug | Wed 30 Jun – Tue 17 Aug | 22d earlier, 8d longer |
East Ayrshire publishes 5 of the six breaks on its page; the rest of the year follows the national pattern until the council publishes it.
“Can fly” adds the weekend either side where nobody is in school. The weekday and the Sunday are usually the cheapest days of the break to leave on.
Flights for these dates
Families in East Ayrshire mostly fly from Glasgow Prestwick, Prestwick, South Ayrshire (7 miles), Glasgow (23 miles) and Edinburgh, Ingliston, Edinburgh (50 miles). We price the same trip across every day of each break above, from each of them, to hundreds of places families actually book, and email you when a fare is worth a look.
Find your school and see the prices
Schools in East Ayrshire
54 schools use these dates unless they set their own, including Auchinleck Primary School in Auchinleck, Catrine Primary School in Catrine, Crosshouse Communication Unit in Crosshouse. Type any of them into the finder for its own calendar.