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.Traditionally it was a turnip, but these days pumpkins have become a Halloween staple in most houses and it has become a family day out to go and pick your own pumpkins.
Here are some of the best places to do so in Scotland.
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 recently 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 £6.50 per car, with time slots still available for school holidays and Halloween weekend.
• WATCH: Forget carving pumpkins, hilarious video shows how Scots celebrate Halloween
Picture: Cairnie Fruit Farm Facebook
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.
Sign up at their website to find out more details of this year's pumpkin picking.
Scran season 2: Down at the pumpkin patch
Picture: Craig's
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, 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.
Picture: South Ardbennie Farm
South Ardbennie Farm opened their pumpkin patch for the first time in 2019, with around 1500 pumpkins to pick from.
Dates and tickets for this years pumpkin picking will be realised in early September, 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.
Picture: Balgone Estate
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.
Prices are £6 per car and the patch is open from 18-31 October from 9am until 4pm.
More information and booking info is here.
It’s all treats and no tricks at Blair Drummond Safari Park this autumn as the award-winning family destination is gearing up for the new season with pumpkins, firepits, hay-bale spiders, and the safari animals roaming the park’s expansive plains.
From 8 – 31 October, visitors can 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.
After visiting the animals, take a trip to the dinosaur forest before taking in the autumn attractions.
Blair Drummond Safari Park has introduced a new food offering including a wood fired pizza oven, tacos, freshly made doughnuts, and a seasonal hot chocolate shack.
Tickets are priced at: Adult £16.50, Child (3-15yrs) £13.50, Senior (60 yrs) £13.50 and pumpkins are £3 each.
Blair Drummond Safari Park is open from 9:30am – 5:30pm
Entry numbers are strictly limited so book on the Blair Drummond Safari Park website.
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 10 to Sunday 18 October and then again on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October and Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. The first storytelling session begins at 11am each day and will run every 30 minutes until 4pm.
Tickets - which are priced at £8.50 which includes a hot drink or £10.95 which includes a pumpkin - must be booked online before arrival to adhere to the current guidelines on social distancing.
Picture: Udny Pumpkins
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.
Picture: Pick a Pumpkin Facebook
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.
Dates for pumpkin picking are Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 October from 9am-5pm. Bookings are being taken now and are being spaced every five minutes throughout the day.
It’s free to book, and to do so and find out more message the team on their Facebook page.
The Farm Stall Kintyre, Bellochantuy near Campbeltown
Picture: The Farm Stall Facebook
This family-run farm has had a popular weekend of pumpkin picking, so more of the same could be expected this year.
Narrowboat Farm in Linlithgow didn't have a pick your own event in 2020 due to restrictions but look out for updates from them for this year.
