Autumn is here, just ripe for embracing the days outdoors enjoying mother nature at her best. Where better to feel that brush of fresh air upon your face than being down on a farm close to nature?
A day out or stay on a farm is great fun for all the family. Pull on your wellies and blow away the cobwebs! As autumn unfolds, enjoy fallen leaves, crisp walks, Halloween and pumpkin patches.
Pick Your Perfect Pumpkin Place
You’ll find many farm shops where you can pick your own potatoes or “tatties” to take home for cooking or dig “neeps” for making a traditional Halloween turnip lantern. With farms across Scotland welcoming you to their pumpkin patch we’ve picked a few here for starters. Now all you need to decide is your choice of pumpkin shape, size and yes even colour!
- Make your best face! Pumpkin that is! Hone your skill of pumpkin carving at Jacksons At Jedburgh. They also run meet and greet farm tours throughout the year, special October holiday and Christmas events, as well as family sessions. It’s a great chance to see what happens first-hand on a farm. Meet farm animals up close and hear how they are cared for.
- We hope the Loch Ness Monster isn’t partial to pumpkins! If you are in the Inverness area head to Loch Ness Pumpkins for a fun day out.
- Check out Kilduff Farm’s tasty pumpkin recipes to make use of the whole pumpkin- scrumptious!
- Just off the A90 to Aberdeen you’ll find Westerton Farmers’ Farm to Table Farm Shop and their pumpkin patch. You may find you don’t just go home with a pumpkin!
- You’ll need to be quick to book a spot in the popular pumpkin patch at Arnprior Farm near Stirling but they also have turnips and potatoes to dig for too.
- Take your pick of the crop at Cairnie Fruit Farm. Is it to be a traditional orange pumpkin, white or even blue?
- Not only can you pick your pumpkin at Clackmae Farm near Earlston in the Scottish Borders but you can also have a family photo shoot as you pick your pumpkin.
- Join Byres Farm, near Nairn at their Autumn Family Festival in October. They also hold farm fun and crafts for kids in their traditional farm buildings. There’s also fun for the grown-ups too if you fancy a tractor driving experience or a malt barley whisky tour to see how they grow their grain.
Warm Farm Welcomes Await – Just Pick A Farm!
- If autumn and winter is all about your garden prep, then why not pick up some sustainable growing tips at Guardswell Farm, near Dundee? With events throughout the year such as “Garden without digging” you’ll be sure to learn some secrets.
- At Newton Farm Holidays you can either stay on this working farm or take a day trip for an on-farm experience to meet all the animals. See how many of their breeds and names you can remember.
- Farms across the breadth of Scotland are more than pleased to share their stories and experiences of life on the land. Why not try something different with Farm Buggy Tours and go high into the hills in the Highlands to see Highland cows and traditional Blackface sheep in their natural habitat.
- Or perhaps take 600 hens for a walk during a farm tour at Old Leckie Farm, near Stirling!
- Snap that perfect insta-pic in the south of Scotland with Kitchen Coos and Ewes. You can take a farm walking or trailer tour, finished off with a tasty afternoon cream tea. You might just be lucky enough to see one of the sheep dogs at work, which makes the art of sheep handling look easy and the bond between dog and handler such a special relationship.
- You can pick up great farm to fork experiences at Wilson’s Farm and Kitchen in the Scottish Borders. Dine in style in quirky recycled grain stores with their own private fire pit which have been turned into wee bothies with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. Or why not try a 25 Mile Border Feast? All the ingredients are grown on the farm and in the kitchen garden, along with other local artisan products from within a 25 mile radius to provide a delicious, seasonal, multi-course feast in The Stables.
- Just a few fields away in farming terms, you’ll find Beirhope Alpacas where you can swap walking the dog for walking an alpaca. And if you love it, you can always adopt an Alpaca. You can also try needle-felting, or the kids can do crafting.
- Ah for the peaceful outdoors! Take a farm tour or stay at Lennox of Lomond. It’s easy to see why the family have farmed the land here since 1750. Come back in spring and you can really experience the joys of spring on a farm at lambing time.
- Enjoy the same views of Loch Lomond as the cows at Portnellan Farm. We just hope they don’t make the most of the watersport activities also on offer on this organic farm!
- At Bellevue Farm on the Isle of Arran enjoy quality time on a family-friendly farm tour, meeting an array of animals from Shetland ponies to chicks and learn about life on an island farm.
Connect to Nature
- Spot red kites and red squirrels and find out about the marvellous conservation work that takes place at Argaty Kites on Lerrocks Farm near Dunblane.
- Make the most of Scotland’s dark skies from an idyllic, eco-friendly, off-the-grid shepherd’s hut at Creeside Escape Shepherds Huts. A working hill farm situated within Europe’s second Dark Sky Park, you’ll find your only neighbours may be a little woolly!
- Get creative at West Moss-side Organic Farm and work with the fruits of the land. Why not try your hand at one of their arts, crafts or cooking weekends? The farm lies within Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve, where you’ll often see their Shetland cows helping with conservation work. The farm is brimming with wildlife, so if you are staying in one of the woodland yurts don’t be surprised to wake up to the sight of inquisitive deer.
Plan a stay on a Scottish farm and find more things to see and do at all times of the year, with working farm holidays & stays in Scotland.
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