Fans of “Outlander” are currently going through what’s been referred to as “droughtlander,” while waiting for the next season of the series to return. In the meantime, the perfect antidote is to plan a trip to Scotland, putting some of the filming sites on your itinerary. There’s enough to fill a lengthy vacation with everything from the castle where Lallybroch scenes were shot to the hill where Claire traveled through time via the stones. Even if you aren’t a fan, you’ll enjoy visiting these destinations.
Midhope Castle a.k.a. Lallybrach - Abercorn, South Queensferry
Lallybroch is the ancestral castle home of Jamie on the show. It’s a real castle with a visit providing the ultimate experience for any fan. Lallybroch is actually Midhope Castle, just 30 minutes from Edinburgh on the 6,500-acre Hopetoun Estate. While it’s a working farm estate, visitors are allowed seasonally. It’s closed from Christmas Eve through March. The castle was originally built in the 15th-century by John Martyne who was laird until his death in 1478. While the interior is derelict inside, the exterior is intact. Just walking down the same road that Jamie did and capturing photos is well worth the visit.
Glencoe
Glencoe doesn’t appear in a specific scene but it’s featured in the opening credits of every “Outlander” episode. It’s located in the Highlands near Glenfinnan Monument, where Bonnie Prince Charlie started the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The area is a highlight for any Scotland itinerary with its winding rivers, wide lochs, lush rolling hills, and remote feel. Driving through, dramatic mountains come into view that were carved by nature centuries ago. Its beauty has made it a popular filming location for many movies too, including the Harry Potter films.
Crieff
Jamie and Claire may have landed in what you thought was North Carolina, with Jamie’s Aunt Jocasta living off the Cape Fear River near Cross Creek, but it was actually Scotland. The executive producer didn’t want to leave the Scottish crew behind so the scenes were filmed in Crieff, specifically at Abercairny Estates, about an hour and 20 minutes from Edinburgh. Three days of filming took place here, with the set built to include a Southern plantation house, a.k.a. River Run, the home of the Moray family for over 700 years. When not used as a film set, it’s a popular venue for weddings and other events.
Falkland
Outlander may begin in 1940s Inverness where Frank and Claire were honeymooning, but the scenes were actually shot in the village of Falkland, an hour north of Edinburgh. You can even stay at the same guesthouse the pair did on the show, Covenanter Hotel. It looks out to Bruce Fountain where you might recall the ghost of Jamie appearing. This was Scotland’s first conservation village, ideal for a scenic stroll. Be sure to visit Falkland Palace while you’re here, a favorite spot for Mary Queen of Scots.
Craig Varr Cairn at the Top Kinloch Rannoch - Kinross
Kinloch Rannoch is one of the most iconic Outlander filming locations, used as the site of Craigh na Dun. This was where Claire visits the stone circle and is transported back in time to 1743 where she meets up with the sadistic British captain, “Black Jack” Randall before Highlander Murtagh rescues her. Today this vast wilderness area is one of the last remaining areas of its kind in Europe. The Great Moor of Rannoch stretches far north and west from Rannoch Station, made up of rocky outcrops, rivers, lochs, and bog, with abundant flora and fauna, including red deer. The best way to see it is to ride the famous West Highland Railway which crosses the moorland for 23 miles.
Faskally Forest - Pitlochry
The Mohawk Village in season four was Faskally Forest, located in Tay Forest Park on the banks of Loch Dunmore, which is just a 30-minute drive from Kinloch Rannoch. It’s renowned for its brilliant autumn foliage, so if you happen to visit in the fall, be sure to bring your camera. The village was built after researching longhouses that the Mohawk would have built, with the cast and crew taking over the park for a month. It’s located near Pitlochry, a town considered a must-stop on the way to the Highlands.
Doune Castle a.k.a. Castle Leoch - Stirling
Doune Castle stands in for Castle Leoch, the home of Colum MacKenzie and clan where Jamie and Claire’s adventure begins. The 14th-century castle is one of Scotland’s most popular ruins, located just over 30 miles northeast of Glasgow. It’s a popular filming site with much of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” shot here as well as Winterfell scenes in the pilot of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” You might recall Frank and Claire visiting the ruins just after the war and Claire seeing it at its peak after going back in time.
Linlithgow Palace - Linlithgow
Located on the road between Edinburgh and Stirling, Linlithgow Palace was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Just 15 miles west of Edinburgh, it was used to represent Wentworth Prison, where some of the show’s most horrific scenes took place. It was here that Jamie was tortured and raped by Captain “Black Jack” Randall. The palace continued in use throughout the second Jacobite war, until Bonnie Prince Charlie was driven out by the Duke of Cumberland who set it ablaze when he left. After the fire, centuries of fortifications resulted in the imposing edifice.
Culross
Culross, a tiny village about 25 miles from Edinburgh, served as the town of Cranesmuir, the closest village to Castle Leoch. It was the home of Geillis Duncan, where she lived with her husband Arthur Duncan until she killed him. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth and is considered the most complete example of a 17th/18th-century burgh in Scotland. It was used in several episodes and is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, which has helped preserve the town’s historical buildings, many of which date to the 18th-century.
Kilmarnock
Jamie Fraser’s grandfather, Lord Lovat, made his home in Beaufort Castle which is actually Dean Castle in Dean Castle Country Park in Kilmarnock. You might recall that Jamie and Claire visited the castle to persuade Lord Lovat to send his men to aid Charles Stuart. In real life, Robert the Bruce gave the lands to Robert Boyd for his service in the Scottish Wars of Independence. The Boyd family held the castle and land for centuries, until Lord Boyd was executed for supporting Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Second Jacobite War. It sits in a wooded glen with the grounds open for exploring.
Culloden Moor, Inverness
Culloden Battlefield, where Jamie and Claire were ultimately torn apart for 20 years, has become a pilgrimage for fans. The Battle of Culloden was the final conflict during the Jacobite Rising of 1745, in which the government forces defeated the Jacobite army, suppressing for good Charles Stuart’s ambition of reclaiming the thrones of England and Scotland for his father, James Stuart. Back in the 1960s, Claire visited the battle site, sitting at the gravestone marking the mass grave of Clan Fraser. The real battlefield was used for this scene. The memorial to the the battle, the preserved battlefield, and the history that surrounds it, make it well worth a visit for any Outlander fan.
Milton Bridge, Penicuik
The site where Jamie and Claire were wed is located at Glencorse House, a private family residence hidden behind a locked gate, which means it’s a bit of a challenge to visit and have a look around Glencorse Old Kirk (church). The 17th-century church is where Jamie saved her from Black Jack Randall by making her his wife. Fortunately for fans, the owners are willing to offer prearranged private tours via email: [email protected].
Newtonmore
Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore is a place you’ll recognize from the fifth episode in the first season. Claire and Jamie visited here accompanied by Dougal and crew when they were sent by Colum to collect taxes for Clan Mackenzie. It includes buildings that were authentically constructed using 18th-century methods, as the place where Claire helps the village women dye cloth with urine. The museum is 45 miles south of Inverness and represents the history of life in the Scottish Highlands. There are exhibits that reveal how people lived in the region from the 1700s through the 1960s. The staff will be happy to talk to you about the filming of the show, the crew, and what was done to make it appear so authentic.
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park - Callander
Loch Katrine is popular among locals and visitors alike, thanks to the spectacular beauty of the loch and surrounding Trossachs National Park. Loch Katrine is located at the heart of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park and was used in the second season of the show, episode 13 “Dragonfly in Amber.” It’s here during a scene set in 1968 where Roger and Brianna have a picnic. The car that they are seen getting out of at the beginning actually got stuck during filming, but the Sir Water Scott steamship came to the rescue, towing them out. The exact spot is Brenachoile Point – if you take one of the daily cruises, it will be pointed out during commentary.
