Pumpkin Picking at Bowhill House

Bowhill is the Scottish Borders home of the Buccleuch family, and its grounds turn over to a Halloween trail and a pumpkin patch across three separate stretches of October. Every child ticket includes one pumpkin to take home and carve, so the patch is part of the price rather than something extra at the gate.

Ticketing here is built around the child rather than the adult. Two accompanying adults go free with each child booking, which changes the sums for anyone bringing a grandparent or a second parent along. A child ticket also covers entry to the grounds, the playground and the soft play, plus self-led Halloween crafts, games and a film screening.

Day sessions run through the middle of the day and are the main event. On 30 and 31 October only there are also evening Trick or Treat sessions, with a combined ticket for families who want to do both on the same date.

Annual pass holders pay a reduced price on every ticket type, and all tickets are booked online in advance. The event runs on selected dates rather than right through the month, so it is worth checking which days are open before you build a weekend around it.