The best places to pick pumpkins in Scotland this Halloween

Arnprior was the first Scottish farm to open a pick your own pumpkin patch in 2015.

Since then, the family-run farm has been inundated with welly-adorned pickers ready to choose their own Halloween treat.

Open for the pumpkin harvest from October, visitors can also enjoy other activities such as a kale maze, quad pods, face painting and chainsaw carving (sounds spooky!)

There are also food, drink and craft stalls and the patch is dog-friendly, making this an ideal day out for all the family.

The farm launched glamping pods, which are individually decorated and kitted out with a cooking appliances, plug sockets and offer access to the private pool and hot tubs.

Tickets for pumpkin picking are on sale now, priced at £10 per car.

2023 dates: 9-29 October over three sessions - 9.00am-5.30pm with a date night on Saturday 28 October, 7pm -10 pm.

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This fruit farm is also known for its mega maze, making it an ideal spot to take the kids to this October.

The maze is an artistically designed labyrinth of pathways and blind alleys extend over six acres and will keep the kids entertained for ages.

There's also a Halloween torchlight maze, every year from October 31 to 2 November.

After the berry season (of which the farm offer strawberries, raspberries, red and blackcurrants, gooseberries, tayberries, cherries and brambles), visitors can get kitted out to pick their own pumpkins.

If you fancy more than one pumpkin and are struggling with the load, there's a handy wheelbarrow available to help with your harvest.

The pumpkin patch opens in October and visits must be booked in advance - either a morning (10am to 12.30pm) or an afternoon slot (1pm to 3.30pm) and there's a £1.50 entry fee.

Sign up at their website to find out more details of this year's pumpkin picking.

Craigie's is another farm that specialises in all kinds of pick your own fruit and veg.

It is also one of the closest farm shops to Edinburgh making it a great escape from the city.

Selling everything from fruit and veg, milk and dairy products to award winning sausages, Scottish cheeses, local gins and beers, the farm shop is well worth a visit any time of the year.

After picking your own pumpkin, which are available throughout October, why not enjoy lunch or a sweet treat from the on-site cafe while the kids run wild in the play area?

Entry vouchers can be bought online now, ahead of a visit and exchanged for a  basket and a map. Staff will then guide visitors to the best field.

Vouchers are £3-4 per adult and £1.50-2 per child, which is redeemable against fruit picked.

2023 dates: One hour sessions are available from Saturday 7 – Sunday 29 October including some evening sessions from Wednesday 25 – Friday 27 October.

South Ardbennie Farm opened their pumpkin patch for the first time in 2019, with around 1500 pumpkins to pick from.

Visitors can look forward to pumpkins, pizzas, marshmallow toasting, space hoppers and more.

Tickets for this years pumpkin picking are available now, priced at £10 per car with a £5 fee redeemable against purchases on the day.

Find out more by following them on social media.

Established in 2018, Kildff's pumpkin patch is another relatively new kid to the block and offers families the opportunity to pick their own pumpkins as well as learn more about rural life.

In 2019 the dedicated culinary pumpkin patch was a huge hit, with nine different varieties successfully grown.

As well as carving varieties, the team also have cooking pumpkins available and strive to help reduce waste.

The team at Kilduff will also be growing dahlias alongside their pumpkins again this year. Dahlias have become an incredibly popular and fashionable cut flower in the UK in recent years, and that certainly proved to be the case during the farm’s annual pumpkin festival last year.

Visitors to the Patch will once again be able to take home a bunch of Scottish grown flowers along with their prized pumpkins.

Welcoming visitors from across the country, families will enjoy a whole host of fun and games on The Patch, as well as seasonal food from local food producers, music, autumnal photo opportunities, gorgeous flowers, and the opportunity to buy produce from Kilduff’s very own kitchen larder.

There will also dedicated ASN sessions for families with additional support needs and special under-fives sessions for those with younger children who want to enjoy the patch during quieter times.

2023 dates: The patch is open from 13 October to the 29 October from 9am until 4pm, with tickets priced at £7. More information and booking info is here.

This family run farm, located on the outskirts of North Berwick, is the newest addition to Scotland's pumpkin picking experiences.

Not only do they have a pick your own pumpkin patch but there's also a pumpkin trail, which promises a lakeside adventure with lots of spooky characters to look out for along the way.

On the trail kids can stop at the witches hut, the Crooked Cauldron, which is a pit stop for toasting marshmallows.

They also have a maize maze available as well as food and drink stalls.

The patch is open from 14-29 October from 9am until 4pm, and tickets are £7 per car.

More information and booking info is here.

This family-friendly park is hosting its annual pumpkin festival in October, which includes a free pumpkin for kids.

Visitors can pick, design and carve pumpkins at the park during the festival. There will also be a fancy dress competition and a themed hunt as well as plenty of decorations.

Dates for pumpkin picking run from 14-31 October and, although this is a free event, tickets will need to be registered via Eventbrite.

Valley View are holding their popular Pumpkin Picking event again this year, as well as a date night for adults.

Visitors can choose their pumpkins from the outdoor and indoor areas. There’s also Halloween scenes and decorations along the way, meaning there’s lots of photo opportunities.

The team also have carving stations available. For the date night, visitors can enjoy pumpkin picking under the stars with a glass of fizz. There will be some spooky scenes and surprises along the way.

Various hour sessions are available from Saturday 7 – Sunday 29 October. There’s also an option to visit at night for the pumpkins under the stars sessions, which take place Wednesday 25 – Friday 27 October.

Tickets range from £2.50 to £10 for the date night. Find out more via their website.

This farm, close to Glasgow airport offers strawberry picking in the summer, and pumpkin picking in the autumn.

Like the strawberry picking, visitors will need to phone to book the pumpkin picking.

Pumpkin picking this year runs from 14 October until 31 October, with five time slots - 9am,10.30am, 12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm.

Prices are £2 per car and £5 for minibuses and can be paid at the farm, along with the pumpkins.

The team wrote on Facebook: "In what has been a difficult year for the farm, combating strange weather, hopefully after last years mud bath, we get some sunshine instead.

It’s all treats and no tricks at Blair Drummond Safari Park this autumn as the award-winning family destination is gearing up for their Hallowild season with pumpkins, firepits, hay-bale spiders, and the safari animals roaming the park’s plains.

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From 21 – 31 October, visitors can head to the picket fence-enclosed pumpkin patch to choose a pumpkin before toasting some giant marshmallows on the firepits.

There's also a chance to marvel at the antics of the cheeky meerkats, look up to the towering giraffes and say hello to the lions.

There's also a trick or treat trail.

Find out more and book here.

The M&D's Pumpkin Festival is back, with all activities held outdoors in the grounds of the theme park.

Visitors can look forward to storytelling from Folksy Theatre, bash a pumpkin game, a pumpkin treasure trail, the Pumpkin Express and the pumpkin patch - where you can pick your own pumpkins.

All activities will take place from Saturday 7 October - Sunday 29 October.

Tickets - which are priced at £8.50 which includes a hot drink or £10.50 which includes a pumpkin - must be booked online.

Udny Pumpkins, the north-east of Scotland’s original pumpkin patch, will host thousands of visitors next month from Aberdeen, Inverurie, Ellon, Peterhead and further afield.

As well as choosing pumpkins for Halloween, visitors to the farm can climb on hay bales, pet friendly sheep and meet baby chicks, hens and turkeys.

Udny Pumpkins, near Udny Green in Aberdeenshire, was established five years ago after mother-of-two Mrs Fyall realised there was not a pumpkin patch in the area for children to pick their Halloween pumpkin.

A relatively new addition to the pumpkin picking scene in Scotland is from this patch in Neilston, close to Barrhead.

As well as picking your own pumpkin for Halloween, visitors can look forward to a play area, an assault course, face painting, glitter tattoos and rock painting. There will also be hot drinks available.

The dates for the 2023 pumpkin picking are Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 October and Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October.

It’s free to book, you just pay for what you pick on the day.

This family-run farm has released the dates for pumpkin picking for 2023.

These are Saturday 14 October to Saturday 21 October, from 10am-4pm.

On a post on their Facebook, the team wrote: "Please check The Farm Stall page nearer the time for any updates - If the weather’s looking like a big coat day we might change/add the Sunday if its looking better.

"It’s difficult to predict just now if we’ll lose any pumpkins to the wet weather. If they all hold firm we may add extra days. So far they all look great! 🧡

"We’ll have some exciting extras this year so keep following for all things pumpkin picking! Note - it will be cash only."