Pumpkin Picking at Briarlands Farm

The patch here is under cover, set up inside one of the farm's old strawberry tunnels. In a Scottish October that is not a small thing: picking carries on whatever the sky is doing, and nobody is hurrying small children through a wet field. It runs from 10 to 31 October.

Entry to the patch is £2 per person, adults included, and pumpkins are then priced individually by size. Cash and card are both taken. Inside the tunnel there is a carving area for anyone who would rather not deal with the mess at home, and photo spots are set up among the pumpkins.

The farm park itself is a separate, optional ticket, so you can come only for the pumpkins if that is all you want. Booking the farm park online at the same time, for the same day, takes 25% off the usual entry price, which is worth knowing before you arrive at the gate.

Walk-ins are welcome but can be turned away when it is busy, so booking is the safer route on a weekend. Dogs are not permitted at Briarlands, with the exception of guide dogs. If the pumpkin survives the month, the farm holds a Pumpkin Smash on 1 November, opening at 11am, with no ticket needed and donations taken for charity.