Pumpkin Picking at Pathhead Farm

Ponies and horses come with the pumpkins here. The patch is part of Pathhead Farm, an equestrian centre and cafe on the Forfar Road just outside Kirriemuir, so there is livestock to look at in between choosing what to carry home, and the whole thing feels like a farm visit rather than a field hired out for October.

The season opens on Friday 16 October and finishes on Halloween itself, but the patch opens on selected days rather than every day in between. Two of those days are designated Quiet Days, which the farm says are ideal for visitors with sensory issues, and they are worth a look if a busy Saturday would be too much for your family.

This is a working farm, and the farm's own advice is to dress for the weather because it can get muddy. Wellies are the sensible choice for children who will be crossing the ground more than once. Dogs are welcome on leads, though there are designated areas where they cannot go.

The cafe is a real part of the visit rather than an afterthought, serving homemade soups, warm seasonal meals, spooky sweet treats and hot chocolate, all of which counts for a lot when you have been standing in an Angus field in late October. Tickets are sold through the events section of the farm's own website, so booking is done directly rather than through a third party.