By Molly Bishop

The Old Irish folktale of Jack of the Lantern tells the story of a man who tricked the Devil, when he died, he was banished from both heaven and hell and still rooms the earth with burning coal to light his way. Scottish and Irish Children would carve faces into turnips to scare him off on Halloween night. When the tradition travelled its way to America, they discovered that pumpkins were a good alternative and so the pumpkin carving traditions began.

Pumpkin carving, since most of us can remember, has been a staple tradition for this time of year. It has become an even more popular trend in the UK to visit pumpkin patches, which gives individuals that extra autumnal feel over just buying one from a supermarket.

Pumpkin farming is a huge business in the UK and America, it is estimated that British adults will spend £28.95 million on pumpkins for Halloween this year, which would be 15% more than last year. Also, the average price of pumpkins has gone up by 22p. So, with such high profits, it’s clear to see why so many farmers make the big bucks in October, but how hard are they to harvest in Scotland and why is it so popular to visit these pumpkin patches?

Pumpkins need to be harvested in very specific conditions to be the right colour and size for Halloween time, most farmers will begin preparing in the summer. If it gets too hot, pumpkins may begin to show in August, meaning they will be too early for the season. If they are too cold, they might show up green in October instead of the desired bright orange.

Pumpkins also need plenty of water and with Scotland’s unpredictable weather conditions it’s easy to understand how growing them all so they are ready to be sold at just the right time, can also be a big financial burden for farmers.

However, along with growing and selling, the pumpkin farmers also may make extra cash off pumpkin patches. Pumpkin patches are where people pay to go and pick out their pumpkins from where they have been harvested, often farms.

Many people chose to do this with their children as a fun family day out, however, they are also considered a trend on social media. Many influencers and celebrities will visit these patches as their bright autumnal colours often make for a very aesthetically pleasing picture for social media.

While this was once a very American trend, like most things it has become worldwide and the popularity of these patches in the UK can be connected to social media. Rebecca and Duncan McEwan who own Arnprior Farm in Stirlingshire said in an interview with the BBC back in 2019 that they believed being “Instagramable” is a key reason for the popularity of pumpkin picking,” and whilst the description of Instagramable might have died out, the idea behind it is certainly not going anywhere.

Nowadays with the main social media platform being TikTok, the pumpkin patch trend is still just as popular. TikTok videos featuring the hashtag ‘pumpkin patch’ had a combination of 394.7 million views, showing the massive scale of this type of online content.

So, whether you are wanting aesthetic pictures or a day out with the family, here are the best pumpkin patches near Stirling to visit:

Arnprior Farm in Stirling

This is Scotland’s first original pumpkin patch. They have over 15,000 pumpkins to choose from. Along with their large variety of pumpkins, they also have various autumnal activities and food vans to enjoy.

Blair Drummond Safari Park

Scotland’s Safari Park also hosts a pumpkin patch every year and a ticket to the park will allow access to pick your own, as well as to enjoy all the other events the park has to offer.

Craigie’s Farm

If you are willing to travel a little bit further down the road, Craigie farm is the perfect place for an autumnal day out. It runs a pick-your-own-fruit experience throughout most of the year which of course includes its very popular pumpkin patch.