The spooky season is approaching and what better way to get ready for Halloween than a family outing pumpkin picking.
Kids will love a day out at a pumpkin patch, choosing their own specimen and planning how to carve it when they get home.
And as well as a chance to bag a prime lantern, a visit to a pumpkin patch is a great opportunity for some striking photographs.
Picking your own pumpkin has become highly popular activity in the run-up to October 31 and many farms in and Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth and Kinross welcome visitors to their patches.
We’ve rounded up a few of the best local spots to pick your own pumpkin
Ethiebeaton Farm, Broughty Ferry
This is only the second year Ethiebeaton Farm has allowed visitors to come and pick their own pumpkins.
For 2023 it has new varieties, colours, shapes and sizes.
No booking is required and entry is free to its patch which is open Friday to Sunday October 13 to 15 and October 20 to 22, and Saturday and Sunday October 28 and 29, from 10am to 4pm.
Active Kids Adventure Park, Stanley
A newcomer to pumpkin picking, Active Kids Adventure Park will open its first pumpkin patch on October 14.
It will be open on the weekends of October 14 and 15, 21 and 22 and 28 and 29.
There will also be Halloween-themed play with cupcake and cookie decorating, face painting and glitter tattoos on the final weekend.
Early booking is advised.
Pathead Equestrian Centre, Kirriemuir
Another new addition is Pathhead Pumpkin Patch.
As well as picking the perfect lantern, there’s spooky family fun to be had including Halloween-themed tractor rides and straw bale climbing.
Free tickets can be booked on Eventbrite for the patch which will be open Fridays to Sundays from October 13 to 29.
South Ardbennie, near Crieff
South Ardbennie Farm pumpkin patch is open Thursdays to Sundays between October 12 and 29.
Details of other entertainment will be published on the farm’s Facebook page.
Tickets should be booked through Eventbrite.
Brechin Castle Centre, Angus
Pumpkin picking and spooky Halloween fun returns to Brechin Castle Country Park for the fourth year running.
As well as the pumpkin patch, the park’s fairy trail will be given a spooky transformation, with children having to navigate a giant spider’s web tunnel, creep past monsters, brave a haunted graveyard and search for hidden snakes.
Tickets can be booked online for the event which runs from September 30 to October 29
Broadslap Fruit Farm, Dunning
Broadslap PumpkinFest 2023 runs from October 7 to 29.
There’s no entry fee to the pumpkin tunnels, just pay for what you pick, but time slots should be booked ahead.
The farm is also running a competition for the best Broadslap pumpkin carving.
Cairnie Fruit Farm, Cupar
Cairnie Fruit Farm describes itself as the original Scottish producer of PYO pumpkins, having started its events 23 years ago.
This year, it has more than 12,000 pumpkins of different shapes, sizes and colours waiting to be picked.
Sessions, daily from October 6 to 31, should be booked online and sell out quickly.
Scottish Deer Centre and Wildlife Park, Cupar
The wildlife park’s Boutique Pumpkin Patch runs from October 7 to 31.
Entry to a carving bunker with twice-daily carving sessions is on a first come first served basis.
No booking is required for the patch and the venue’s pay-as-you-please entry policy continues.
Charleton Fruit Farm, near Montrose
Charleton Fruit Farm is another popular spot for picking pumpkins.
Pumpkins are available here for the whole of October and there’s no need to book in advance.
But if you want to make the most of the picturesque surroundings, it is offering sessions with a professional photographer which must be booked.
There are also other activities during October which should be booked, including den-building and story-telling.
Westerton Farmers, Laurencekirk
Pumpkin picking runs from October 14 to 31 at Westerton Farmers’ Farm to Table.
Places must be booked, which are free midweek but with a fee on weekends and dog friendly Friday on October 20.
On the weekend event days and October 20 there will be other attractions including tractor pod rides, bouncy castles, a bale maze and mountain and stalls.
The Buffalo Farm, Kirkcaldy
Pumpkins, pygmy goats and baby buffalos all at the same time! What’s not to love about The Buffalo Farm’s offering?
Enjoy meeting the goats in the playtime paddock, see some buffalo calves then pick your pumpkin.
Tickets can be booked for various dates from October 11 to 29.
Pumpkin-carving tips
Once you’ve chosen your perfect pumpkin, you’ll want to create the best lantern you can. We have some tips from a pumpkin-carving expert, Pumpkin McFife.
And we’ve got advice on how to use up or dispose of your fruit sustainably once you’ve finished with it.
Eco-friendly ways to use up your Halloween pumpkins or neeps
5 top pumpkin carving tips from Kirkcaldy crafter Pumpkin McFife
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