Six-acre bee-shaped Mega Maze returns to Cupar’s Cairnie Fruit Farm

Cupar attraction unveils pollinator-themed summer labyrinth

One of north-east Fife’s best-known family attractions has reopened for the season, as Cairnie Fruit Farm in Cupar unveils its latest six-acre Mega Maze. This year’s design, shaped as a bee and flowers, pays tribute to the insects that help sustain the farm’s crops, with newly released drone footage showing the full sweep of the pattern across an area roughly the size of three football pitches.

The maze is a summer fixture at Cairnie, with a fresh layout created each year using a blend of GPS planning and precision planting. Gardeners plot the pattern in May, and tractors sow the maize in four-row passes to form the hedge network. At opening, the living walls stand around 5ft high and are expected to reach close to 8ft as the season progresses, intensifying the challenge for visitors as growth continues through late summer.

Seasonal window and how to take part

The farm confirms the maze operates for several months, welcoming visitors from mid-July until the end of October, after which the crop is harvested and the site reset for the following year. As in previous seasons, access is bundled with the venue’s wider play offer:

“From mid-July until the end of October, our Mega Maize Maze returns with a brand new challenge to solve each year and entry is included with your Funyard Pass.”

Drone footage offers a bird’s-eye preview of this year’s route, while on the ground, paths weave through the bee’s outline and surrounding flower motifs. Cairnie’s approach keeps the maze evolving as the maize grows, meaning early-season visits provide clearer sightlines and later visits deliver a denser, more immersive experience.

Annual tradition with a changing face

Cairnie’s Mega Maze has become a hallmark of the Cupar summer, drawing families, local residents and day-trippers seeking a low-cost outdoor challenge. Each year brings a distinct theme; previous designs have spanned popular culture and wildlife, including turtles, hedgehogs, Darth Vader and the BFG. The 2026 theme’s focus on bees underlines the role of pollinators in Fife’s agricultural landscape, tying the leisure experience to the farm’s day-to-day growing cycle.

The farm team’s method—GPS-guided plotting followed by tractor sowing—translates intricate artwork into walkable corridors. It also ensures each running season has a clear beginning and end: the maze stands through the summer and early autumn, then is harvested in late October to return the field to productive use and prepare for the following spring’s planning.

What visitors should know

• Dates: Open from mid-July until late October, subject to the growing season and harvest.
• Tickets: Maze access is included with the farm’s Funyard Pass.
• Scale: Approximately six acres, or around three football pitches.
• Hedge height: About 5ft early summer, rising towards 8ft by late season (conditions permitting).

For Fife families and visitors mapping out summer plans, the maze offers an outdoor option that shifts with the season, from easier navigation at the start to a fuller, leafier challenge by early autumn. The hive-and-bloom motif provides a clear thread through the pathways, helping younger maze-goers orient themselves while still offering enough turns and dead ends to test older visitors.

Local significance and seasonal economy

Attractions like the Mega Maze help anchor Cupar’s visitor economy in the peak months, complementing pick-your-own fruit and other outdoor activities. By aligning the design with the farm’s productive cycle—and highlighting bees’ contribution to crop success—the maze also underscores the links between leisure, education and local food production. The use of GPS and careful sowing demonstrates how modern tools can support both agriculture and community recreation on the same site.

Once the season closes at the end of October, the field is harvested and the slate wiped clean, with a new concept developed over winter and into spring. For now, the focus is on the 2026 bee and flowers pattern—and the pleasure of getting, briefly, and enjoyably, lost in it.

At a glance