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A field of sunflowers in full bloom at Balgone under a wide, cloudy sky, with a grass path running along its edge.
Lothian

Balgone Estate

A working farm of 1,500 acres two miles from North Berwick, with a sunflower trail in August, a pick-your-own pumpkin patch in October and Herd, its café.

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Welcome

There's something special about an autumn afternoon in a pumpkin field, and Balgone, a working farm of 1,500 acres two miles from North Berwick, is a lovely place to spend one.

The estate is all volcanic cliffs, twin lakes and woodland trails, and it's home to a suckler herd and rare-breed Oxford Sandy and Black pigs. In August the fields turn gold for the sunflower trail, and from mid-October, Fridays to Sundays, the pumpkin patch opens, with wheelbarrows to fill, photo spots in the field and a Haunted Trail round the lakes. One ticket covers everyone in the car. Herd, the farm's café, serves speciality coffee, home bakes and seasonal plates made with the estate's own beef and pork from Friday to Sunday, and hosts steak nights and workshops. You can even walk here along the John Muir Way from North Berwick in about an hour. Bring wellies, since it's a working farm and the fields can get muddy.

A short drive awaySteampunk CoffeeA coffee roastery and coffee bar in an old joinery warehouse in North Berwick, roasting single-origin coffees on site, open every day.11 min by roadSee itSteampunk Coffee
Before you go

Every visitor to the pumpkin patch and the sunflower trail needs a ticket, booked through the estate's own site.

Herd opens Friday to Sunday and around events, so check before a special trip.

Where
Balgone Barns, two miles from North Berwick, EH39 5NY. Follow the event signs on arrival; some maps send cars to the back entrance.
Pumpkins
Fridays to Sundays in the second half of October, 9am to 6pm (5pm after the clocks change). £18 a car, or a walking group of up to five; pumpkins are priced by weight.
Sunflowers
The sunflower trail in August, by ticket; most people take 45 minutes to an hour.
Herd
The café, Friday to Sunday, 9am to 3pm, with steak nights and workshops on some evenings.
Dogs
On a lead on the sunflower trail and round the pumpkin field, but not in the patch; on Herd's decking and outdoor seats.
Access
Beach wheelchairs for adults and children can be booked; the fields and the Haunted Trail are uneven, with slopes.
Walking in
Along the John Muir Way from North Berwick, about an hour from the station.
Phone
07454 335556

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
Closed
Friday
9am–3pm
Saturday
9am–3pm
Sunday
9am–3pm

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Where it is

At Balgone Barns, two miles from North Berwick in East Lothian, EH39 5NY.

Close byNorth Berwick and the East Lothian coast.
  1. North Berwick LawNorth Berwick LawA volcanic hill rising 187 metres behind North Berwick, crowned by old lookout posts and a whale jawbone arch, with a view over the Forth.2 miles 7 min by road
  2. North BerwickNorth BerwickA seaside town on the Firth of Forth half an hour from Edinburgh, with two sandy bays, a harbour, the Law behind it and the Bass Rock offshore.2 miles 8 min by road
  3. Gelato display case with a "do not touch or lean on glass" signAlandas GelatoAn award-winning gelato shop in North Berwick, a short walk from the beach, making gelato each day with cream and milk from East Lothian.3 miles 10 min by road
  4. Museum display cases beneath a "North Berwick Flyer" sign and railway exhibit boardsCoastal Communities MuseumA free, volunteer-run museum in North Berwick, telling the story of the town and the coastal villages around it.3 miles 11 min by road
  5. Dirt path winding through dense woodland with tall treesThe Glen, North BerwickA steep wooded glen running down to the sea at North Berwick, with a path by the burn past the ruins of old mills.3 miles 11 min by road
  6. Ruined stone walls and towers surround a grass courtyard at Dunbar CastleDirleton Castle & GardensA castle ruin of the 13th century in the village of Dirleton, with gardens that hold the longest herbaceous border in the world.5 miles 11 min by road
  7. Tantallon CastleTantallon CastleThe last great medieval castle built in Scotland, its huge red sandstone curtain wall on a cliff near North Berwick, looking out to the Bass Rock.5 miles 16 min by road
Directions
The Brand family's sheep grazing a green field at East Fortune Farm in low autumn sun.ShoppingThe Brand Family Larder2.0 miles
Wooden fence lining a coastal golf course fairway under grey skiesAttractionsNorth Berwick Golf Club2.9 miles
Wooden dining table under black pendant lights in a brick-walled caféRestaurantsThe Herringbone3.0 miles
Sandstone frontage of The Ship Inn with wooden benches and parasols outsideRestaurantsThe Ship Inn3.1 miles
Sandstone building with North Berwick Fry sign above the doorwayRestaurantsNorth Berwick Fry3.1 miles
Dark-fronted Norden shopfront with sash windows on a sandstone terraceShoppingNørden3.1 miles
Customers queue at the counter inside a plant-filled café with exposed brick wallsCafeSteampunk Coffee3.2 miles
Green-framed shopfront with large display windows on a pale blue buildingShoppingTime and Tide3.2 miles
Terrier-shaped "Barker & Bone" sign hanging from a whitewashed shopfrontShoppingBarker and Bone3.2 miles

Recommend to a friend

The Daily for 23 October, from Scotland with love. Aerial view of a concrete road bridge with angled supports spanning a sea loch, twin cloud-wrapped mountain peaks rising behind autumn-coloured hills.

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the estate, and when each is next free.

A stone cottage with red pantiled roofs and a gabled dormer sits behind a gravel courtyard, an apple tree in the foreground.Maybell Cottage
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 12 miles from Balgone
Check datesAn orange leather sofa draped with a sheepskin faces a stone fireplace beneath a timber ceiling, a staircase rising behind.The Old Stable
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 12 miles from Balgone
Free 25–27 OctThe Crow’s Nest, FifeThe Crow’s Nest
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Pittenweem
  • 12 miles from Balgone
Free 2–5 NovFifies, FifeFifies
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 12 miles from Balgone
Free 1–3 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in LothianAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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