THE PUMPKIN PATCH!
WHEN DO YOU OPEN FOR PUMPKIN PICKING?
During the October school holidays leading up to Halloween. Please note this is a ticketed event and only visitors will valid tickets will be allowed entry. Tickets will go on sale in early September. Our open dates for 2023 will be 14th to 28th October, excluding Mondays and Thursdays.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Park your car, grab a colourful wheelbarrow, choose pumpkins, visit turkeys, hens and sheep, enjoy a cup of pumpkin soup or hot chocolate, take photos, browse the autumnal craft stall and leap around on hay bales. Whether you want to carve, cook or decorate with your pumpkin this is the place to come for a fun day out in the fresh air (with a little mud thrown in!).
IS IT JUST FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN?
No! Many of our visitors are young children (and we love seeing them running around having fun!) but growing numbers of our visitors are adults who enjoy cooking with pumpkins, couples on a date, and students looking for beautiful photos for their social media pages. There are so many reasons to visit and we welcome everyone!
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR?
Warm clothes and, most importantly, wellies! It can be very muddy and can get cold.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO VISIT?
Tickets cost £10 per car, including booking fees (so if five people travel in one car they just need a single ticket). There is no obligation to buy any pumpkins but if you do they are priced at between 50p and £10. You can buy as many pumpkins as you like.
MY BOOKING IS FOR A 1.5 HOUR SESSION. DO I NEED TO ARRIVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION?
You will need at least an hour to make the most of your visit, so it's best to arrive promptly.
DO I GET TO ACTUALLY PICK MY PUMPKIN OFF THE PLANT?
No the pumpkins will have been cut off the vines and will be laid out in the field for you to choose from.
ARE ALL THE PUMPKINS PERFECT AND ORANGE AND ROUND?
No I'm afraid not! These are north of Scotland pumpkins, which means they are all different colours and shapes. We think they are even more beautiful when they have greens and oranges in them and aren't totally perfect!
DO YOU HAVE LOTS OF VARIETIES OF PUMPKINS?
Yes, in addition to traditional orange pumpkins we are growing white pumpkins, warty ones, small decorative ones, culinary pumpkins and others: 20 varieties in total.
ARE ALL YOUR PUMPKINS GROWN ON SITE?
Our pumpkins are a mix of 8000 grown on site and 2000 provided by another Scottish farm.
DO YOU HAVE A TOILET?
Yes we have portaloos.
DO YOU HAVE A CAFE?
We have a stall selling pumpkin soup made from our own pumpkins, hot chocolate and snacks. If you are looking for a larger meal there are lots of lovely cafes nearby. Please ask for recommendations!
HOW DO WE FIND YOU?
We are located near Udny Green, about nine miles north of Aberdeen. If using the sat nav, the postcode is AB41 6SP but note this will take you to a farmhouse around the corner. With this on your right, drive to the end of the road, turn right and Udny Pumpkins is first on the right. If approaching from Aberdeen, drive along the B999 towards Pitmedden. Take the left turning marked Millbank, just before the turning to Udny Station. Udny Pumpkins is just over a mile up that road on the right.
IS IT SUITABLE FOR A PUSHCHAIR/BUGGY?
The ground is grassy and can be bumpy and very muddy. An offroad buggy will be fine but a sling may be a better option.
CAN I PAY BY CARD?
Yes we can take cash or card payments.
CAN I EAT MY PUMPKIN?
Definitely! The varieties grown on site have been specifically chosen because they are particularly delicious to cook with. They have been grown without the use of any chemicals and you will find that they tend to have a very thick layer of flesh. There are so many delicious ways to eat pumpkin. Please ask if you would like advice on the tastiest varieties.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD BRING?
A strong bag (such as heavy-duty shopping bag or Ikea bag) would be useful for carrying your pumpkin(s) to the car.
DO YOU ALLOW DOGS ON SITE?
Unfortunately not. We have found that many dogs like to chew pumpkins. We also have sheep and free-range chickens. And as we are a family friendly attraction we have a lot of young children on site and need to respect that some young children are frightened of dogs.
DO YOU HAVE HAND WASHING FACILITIES?
Yes and we strongly recommend visitors use them regularly.
IS IT SUITABLE FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS?
The site is largely based outside and can be very muddy and quite bumpy so it can be a challenge for a wheelchair, but not impossible. We do regularly have visitors in wheelchairs and we will do everything we can to support your visit.
DO YOU ALLOW SCHOOL TRIPS?
Unfortunately we cannot provide staff resources to individual school visits. However, we are happy for small groups to visit the pumpkin patch. Please book in the same way as other visitors, by purchasing one ticket for each car arriving. We cannot cater for large buses as our car park is too small. During the spring we offer structured sessions for pre-school and school groups during which time children will plant a pumpkin and visit the animals on our smallholding. Please contact us for more information.