South Ayrshire school holidays 2026/27
Read from South 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 51 schools in South 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 South Ayrshire differs
- The October half term in South Ayrshire starts 14 days earlier and runs 1 day longer than in most of England.
- The Christmas holiday in South Ayrshire starts 4 days later and runs 3 days shorter than in most of England.
- The February half term in South Ayrshire starts 1 day earlier and runs 4 days shorter than in most of England.
- The May half term in South Ayrshire starts 1 day earlier and runs 5 days shorter than in most of England.
- The Summer holiday in South Ayrshire starts 21 days earlier and runs 5 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 | Wed 23 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Wed 23 Dec – Mon 4 Jan | 4d later, 3d shorter |
| 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 |
| May half term | Fri 28 May | Mon 31 May | Fri 28 May – Mon 31 May | 1d earlier, 5d shorter |
| Summer holidays | Thu 1 Jul | Sun 15 Aug | Thu 1 Jul – Sun 15 Aug | 21d earlier, 5d longer |
“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 South Ayrshire mostly fly from Glasgow Prestwick, Prestwick, South Ayrshire (7 miles), Glasgow (33 miles), Edinburgh, Ingliston, Edinburgh (62 miles) and Belfast (81 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 South Ayrshire
51 schools use these dates unless they set their own, including Alloway Primary School in Ayr, Barrhill Primary School in Barhill, Coylton Primary School in Coylton. Type any of them into the finder for its own calendar.