The Patch is at Kilduff Farm just outside Athelstaneford in East Lothian. The postcode for the farm is EH39 5BD. Access to The Patch is from the B1343. The Patch and parking will be clearly signposted so you won’t miss it!

Bus – the farm is on the North Berwick to Haddington route – the 121 is currently run by Eve’s Coaches.  https://www.eveinfo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/121-071019.pdf

Kilduff Farm isn’t a scheduled stop but if you make the driver aware that you are coming to The Patch they should stop to let you off. Walk up the farm drive and you can access The Patch safely from there!

The Patch will be open on the following dates and times in October 2020:

Friday 16th, Saturday 17th, Sunday 18th & Monday 19th October

Friday 23rd, Saturday 24th, Sunday 25th & Monday 26th October

Friday 30th & Saturday 31st October

We are introducing sessions for pumpkin picking in 2020 and tickets will be required. Sessions will be between 9am & 11am, 12pm & 2pm and 3pm & 5pm. Each person wishing to access The Patch will require a ticket.

YES!  We have introduced ticketing to pick pumpkins in 2020. This will allow us to manage numbers, adhere to Covid-19 social distancing requirements and ensure a special picking experience for all of our visitors.

Each person wanting to access The Patch will require a ticket, regardless of age. Tickets are restricted due to Covid-19 so if you don’t have the right number of tickets for your party, you won’t all be able to access The Patch.

Tickets are priced at £1 per person which will be redeemable against the cost of the pumpkins bought during your visit.

Your ticket will allow you access to The Patch during the 2 hour picking session for which you have booked. You can access The Patch at any time during your session but you will be asked to leave as soon as the session ends to allow us to clear The Patch and prepare it for the next session to begin.

Please note that tickets will be limited to 10 per person and you will be required to provide contact details to allow us to adhere to ‘Track and Trace’ requirements.

Tickets for entry are £1 per person regardless of age which is redeemable against the cost of pumpkins on The Patch. Pumpkins are priced according to weight and range between £2 and £10.

Tickets are non-refundable and we regret that, due to restrictions on numbers, we are unable to transfer tickets to different picking sessions.

The health and safety of our pumpkin pickers and staff are of upmost importance. We are and will continue to work hard to ensure we  following Government guidelines in dealing with the risk of Covid-19 while still trying to ensure that everyone has fun while on The Patch.

Before you come to The Patch please ensure that you are up to date with the most recent Government guidance which can be found here:

https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/

Although The Patch is an outdoor activity, we will be putting in place various precautions not only to make sure our staff and visitors are safe, but also to make sure that the event can run safely and within the guidelines we have been set by the Government.

We have put the following precautions in place:

• You will be required to adhere to social distancing requirements and we ask that you and your household keep two meters between you and other households
• 6 people in a maximum of two households can meet outside. Children do not count towards the 6. This rule should be adhered to on The Patch and staff will remind you of this if required.
• We will have one way systems in operation in certain areas on The Patch, including the bale trail. Please keep an eye out on signage to keep you right.
• Socially distanced queuing will be in operation where necessary and our staff will be on hand to help with this.
• Face coverings will be required while queuing to pay, buy food, use the toilets and for adults in the maze. We ask that where possible only one person queues to allow us to limit contact between our visitors.
• Our staff will be wearing masks where social distancing is difficult.
• There will be hand sanitiser stations located throughout The Patch and we will have strict cleaning protocols for pay stations, weighing stations and toilet facilities.

We have planted thousands of pumpkin seeds of lots of different varieties and each pumpkin grows in its own way so you are sure to find the perfect pumpkin to suit you. All the pumpkins will be cut from the vine and ready to lift into one of the wheelbarrows waiting on The Patch.

We plant thousands of pumpkin seeds at Kilduff Farm each year.  Our culinary pumpkins are grown on a dedicated culinary patch separate from the pick your own patch. Our aim is to grow all the pumpkins we sell ourselves from seed right here at Kilduff. Pumpkins do however need certain weather conditions to grow and survive until they are harvested in Autumn. They need sunshine and warmth to ripen and encourage their skins to set.

We all know that Scottish weather doesn’t always play the game and sadly not every pumpkin survives on The Patch until picking. If weather conditions make growing pumpkins tricky, we may need to top up our numbers with pumpkins grown on other farms. We want to try to make sure that we have enough for everyone. These pumpkins will come from farms further South where conditions are warmer and dryer.

Remember that a pumpkin is a fresh fruit and it’s made up of 90% water, so it won’t last forever. Most uncarved pumpkins will last for at least a couple of weeks (and often longer) but unfortunately some will rot after a few days of being picked. It just depends on a huge number of factors! Culinary pumpkins can usually be stored for up to 6 months.

Pumpkins like being kept clean and uncarved in a cool, dry place.  As soon as you damage the skin of a pumpkin (i.e. carve it) it will start to deteriorate – it’s natural!

If you are wanting your pumpkin masterpiece to last until Halloween it is best to leave it to carve until the weekend before.

Please note that we are unable to offer refunds for pumpkins that rot.

Yes. We are encouraging the use of contactless payment this year on The Patch.

Parking for The Patch is in a stubble field near The Patch. Please note that there is no parking on the roads around the farm. While we will do everything we can to keep the field from getting too muddy, we are in Scotland and it might get very wet! If your car is as precious as Cinderella’s carriage we may not be the place for you to visit. There will be Pumpkin Patch Pals managing the traffic and parking so please follow their instructions – they are there to help and keep you safe! If you have mobility difficulties and need to park close to The Patch please let our Patch Pals know and they will direct you to a parking spot as close to The Patch as possible.

Unfortunately not! The Patch is a pooch-free place. Dogs must be left at home or if happy in the car. There are lots of lovely walks surrounding the farm and further afield in East Lothian that you can all enjoy together once you’ve visited The Patch.

Wrap up warm and wear wellies – we are in Scotland after all! The Patch will be open for picking whatever the weather (as long as snow and storms stay away). The Patch and car park may get muddy so save your white trainers for another day!

Unfortunately due to current Covid-19 restrictions we are unable to offer catering on The Patch. There will be a straw bale trail to explore and lots of opportunities to take autumn themed family photos. There will be toilets and a stretch tent for shelter too!

• Entry to The Patch is strictly by ticket only.
• Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be transferred to a different day or time slot.
• As an outdoor event, The Patch will be open for pumpkin picking even if it is cold and wet. We will only close The Patch if it becomes unsafe for visitors or if we are forced to close due to Covid-19 restrictions. We will make the decision to close The Patch as early as possible on the day and will aim to have made the decision at least one hour before your picking session is due to begin. You must check your email and our social media before leaving for any updates from us.
• Visitors will be required to follow Covid-19 precautions while on The Patch.
• In the event of cancellation, ticket holders will be offered a refund and should be requested through our ticketing provider, Citizen Ticket.
• Children must be supervised at all times by a responsible adult over 18.
• Visitors will be asked to leave The Patch in the event of abusive or antisocial behavior, or in the event of failure to adhere to Covid-19 safety precautions including social distancing and use of face coverings where required.
• Dogs will not be allowed on The Patch.
• Kilduff Farm cannot accept liability for personal damage, loss or injury or damage to vehicles sustained as a result of negligence or unforeseen actions of ticket holders or other visitors.