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!

Coming by bus? The farm is serviced by the North Berwick to Haddington route – the 121 is currently run by Eve’s Coaches.

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 open for our pumpkin festival in October 2022 on the following dates:

• Saturday 15th, Sunday 16th, Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th October
• Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd, Sunday 23rd and Monday 24th October
• Friday 28th, Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th October

Sessions will run between 9.30am & 11.30am, 12pm & 2pm and 2.30pm & 4.30pm.

You are welcome to arrive at any time during your chosen session but must leave The Patch by the end of the session time to allow us to clear The Patch and car park before the start of the next session.

Yes, the pumpkin festival is a ticketed event. You need to purchase a car parking ticket to access The Patch. Please contact us if you are intending to arrive by foot or on public transport.

We introduced ticketing to pick pumpkins in 2020 and will be continue to run our pumpkin festival on a ticketed basis. This allows us to manage numbers and ensure a safe and happy experience for all of our visitors.

Tickets for 2022 will be PER CAR not per person. Please purchase one ticket per car that you intend to arrive in. You can then fill the car with as many passengers as is legal to do so!

Car parking tickets are per car (regardless of number of passengers). Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Your car parking ticket will allow your group 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 2 car parking tickets per transaction and you will be required to provide contact details.

Car parking tickets are priced per car (regardless of number of passengers).

Pumpkins are priced according to weight.

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

Parking for the pumpkin festival is in a grass paddock adjacent to The Patch or on the farm steading, depending on weather and ground conditions. Please note that there is no parking on the roads around the farm.

While we will do everything we can to keep the car parks 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 members of staff 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 staff know and they will direct you to a parking spot as close as possible.

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 of carving pumpkins 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.

The culinary pumpkins we sell will only ever be grown here at Kilduff Farm.

Yes, we accept contactless and cash payments on The Patch.

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) so please dress appropriately. Children always have a better time on The Patch when they are cosy and dry.

The Patch and car park may get muddy so save your white trainers for another day!

We are excited to be able to run our pumpkin festival with a full offering in 2022.

We will have food trucks, our straw bale maze, autumn family photo opportunities and lots of other exciting festival fun and games to keep everyone entertained.

Our stretch tent will be back for shelter as well as our toilet facilities, including accessible toilets this year.

Remember that a pumpkin is fresh produce, 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 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.

The health and safety of our pumpkin pickers and staff are of upmost importance. We continue to follow 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/

• 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 experience, 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.
• In the event of cancellation by us, ticket holders will be offered a refund and this should be requested by email.
• Children must be supervised at all times by a responsible adult over 18.
• You must dress appropriately for an outdoor event and wear suitable footwear.
• Dogs will not be allowed on The Patch, with the exception of guide dogs and assistance dogs.
• When purchasing a ticket for Kilduff Pumpkin Festival you consent to being filmed and/or photographed while on The Patch. Any images or footage taken on The Patch may be used in promotional materials including on our social media platforms and website.
• 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.
• Refunds will not be given for any damaged or rotten pumpkins.
• Visitors will be required to follow Covid-19 precautions while on The Patch and contact details will be collected and stored in line with government requirements for track and trace.
• Visitors will be asked to leave The Patch in the event of abusive or antisocial behavior, failure to follow directions given by staff members or in the event of failure to adhere to Covid-19 safety precautions where required.