Pumpkins have been banned from a Halloween festival in favour of a more Scottish-style celebration.
Traditional activities such as a turnip lantern competition and “dooking (ducking) for apples” will feature in the De’il Tak the Hindmost event.

Organisers of the festival at Scone Palace, in Perthshire, said they wanted to move away from US-style celebrations which have become commonplace.

The move was laughed off by Scots-based Americans.

Jock Ferguson, of Herald Events, said: “We will be having none of that pumpkin or trick-or-treat rubbish.

“Pumpkins are banned and will not be allowed beyond the front gate.”

Send us your views
American Bruce Cook, who is the general manager of the Scottish Rocks basketball team, said: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I just kind of laugh at things like that.

“Carving pumpkins is a tradition from my childhood and I wouldn’t associate it with the flag.

“I’ll be carving pumpkins with my daughters this year, who will be going out ‘guising’, or trick-or-treating as we say.”

The Very Scottish Halloween show, which is being held at the palace on Saturday and Sunday, will include a short film about a Templar Knight who guarded the Stone of Destiny for more than 700 years.

As well as the specially-commissioned ‘A Tale O’ Twa Stanes’ film, there will be a short drama featuring “deid Scotsman”