I went pumpkin picking at the brilliant Craigie's Farm and had a perfect Halloween day out

So, my seven year-old daughter Eilidh and I got on our wellie boots and headed down to the farm that attracts around 250,000 visitors every year to see what the fuss is about as they host their Halloween themed pumpkin pick.

It costs £5 per person to get access to the pick your own experience at the farm, but not only that you also get access to the Monster Bale Trail this Halloween. And that’s where we headed first. The covered maze is a fun, slightly spooky experience that doesn’t take it too far. Although I will admit my trepidation when turning some corners, lest there be a masked member of staff waiting to jump out at you. 

Later as we reviewed our trip, this got Eilidh’s seal of approval and was picked as her highlight. Proving that she definitely inherited her father’s sense of humour she described it as ‘boo-tiful’.

After navigating through the maze, you can’t really go wrong while making your way through the bales given there aren’t any real dead ends, we emerged into the daylight again and headed for the Zombie Paintball (£4 per person).

We picked the perfect pumpkin at Craigie's Farm | National World

Here you get around a dozen paintballs to shoot at some spooky targets. Smaller hands will need some help actually using the paintball guns, which need a bit of strength to pull back the loading mechanism but once Eilidh got going she enjoyed trying to hit the targets. I say trying because she clearly inherited her marksmanship from her father as well - although that’s probably a story for another time. Let’s just say neither of us would be much use in the event of a real zombie apocalypse.

We then made our way to the main event - picking out a perfect pumpkin for Halloween. Craigie’s helpfully provide wheelbarrows for lumbering your giant pumpkin back to the top of the farm.

The fields are filled with a bounty of loose pumpkins of varying sizes, the size you pick corresponds to the price you pay at the end. We took our time traipsing about the fields weighing up the options and discarding those that didn’t meet our standards - too small, too green, too covered in dirt - before settling on a large pumpkin that would meet our needs.

For those who are keen to fully embrace the Instagram aesthetic, there are plenty of spots to get pictures, including a huge Craigie’s sign that is lit up in the evening. There’s also an option of taking a barrel train ride for an extra cost, although this didn’t look to be running when we visited.

Our large pumpkin cost £6 and we loaded it back into the car before heading off to the cafe to debrief over a coffee and a juice. The cafe is attached to a full deli, offering produce from the farm and further afield - including a butcher shop - and is worth a visit on its own.

All in, Craigie’s Farm and Deli is a must visit for anyone looking to get into the spooky season mood this October. There is plenty to keep everyone entertained and you could spend the better part of a day there exploring all the fields.

Book in advance from the Craigie’s Farm and Deli website.