Highland school holidays 2026/27
Read from Highland 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 194 schools in Highland, though academies and independent schools can set their own; the finder on the home page shows what we hold for a particular school.
How Highland differs
- The October half term in Highland starts 14 days earlier and runs 7 days longer than in most of England.
- The Christmas holiday in Highland starts 4 days later and runs 2 days shorter than in most of England.
- The February half term in Highland runs 4 days shorter than in most of England.
- The Summer holiday in Highland starts 20 days earlier and runs 4 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 | Sun 25 Oct | Sat 10 Oct – Sun 25 Oct | 14d earlier, 7d longer |
| Christmas holidays | Wed 23 Dec | Tue 5 Jan | Wed 23 Dec – Tue 5 Jan | 4d later, 2d shorter |
| February half term | Sat 13 Feb | Wed 17 Feb | Sat 13 Feb – Wed 17 Feb | 4d shorter |
| Easter holidays | Fri 26 Mar | Sun 11 Apr | Fri 26 Mar – Sun 11 Apr | Same |
| Summer holidays | Fri 2 Jul | Sun 15 Aug | Fri 2 Jul – Sun 15 Aug | 20d earlier, 4d longer |
Highland 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 Highland mostly fly from Aberdeen (92 miles) and Glasgow (117 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 Highland
194 schools use these dates unless they set their own, including Abernethy Primary School, Kilchoan Primary School in Acharacle, Ardnamurchan High School in Acharcle. Type any of them into the finder for its own calendar.