Shetland Islands school holidays 2026/27
Read from Shetland Islands 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 27 schools in Shetland Islands, though academies and independent schools can set their own; the finder on the home page shows what we hold for a particular school.
How Shetland Islands differs
- The October half term in Shetland Islands starts 14 days earlier and runs 9 days longer than in most of England.
- The Christmas holiday in Shetland Islands runs 1 day longer than in most of England.
- The February half term in Shetland Islands starts 1 day earlier and runs 4 days shorter than in most of England.
- The Easter holiday in Shetland Islands starts 1 day earlier and runs 4 days shorter than in most of England.
- The Summer holiday in Shetland Islands starts 19 days earlier and runs 3 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 | Tue 27 Oct | Sat 10 Oct – Tue 27 Oct | 14d earlier, 9d 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 | Thu 25 Mar | Tue 6 Apr | Thu 25 Mar – Tue 6 Apr | 1d earlier, 4d shorter |
| Summer holidays | Sat 3 Jul | Sun 15 Aug | Sat 3 Jul – Sun 15 Aug | 19d earlier, 3d longer |
Shetland Islands 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 Shetland Islands mostly fly from Aberdeen (215 miles) and Edinburgh, Ingliston, Edinburgh (309 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 Shetland Islands
27 schools use these dates unless they set their own, including Aith Junior High School in Shetland. Type any of them into the finder for its own calendar.