Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault
Outlander is filled with stunning cinematography showcasing the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands. From the cobbled streets of Edinburgh to the bucolic setting of Lallybroch, Outlander portrays Scotland at many pivotal moments throughout history. Outlanderwhich will soon release part 2 of season 7, is filmed entirely on location in Scotland, and many of the filming locations were sites of historic events. Several of these points they offer guided tours or are open to the public.
Scotland has a proud history that the country works to maintain through conservation efforts (via Historic Environment Scotland). Many of the Highland castles and estates on display date back to the 15th century, with other stately homes built in the mid-18th century, in which much of the show takes place. Until Outlander‘s Fraser’s Ridge, the North Carolina estate of Jamie and Claire Fraser (CaitrÃona Balfe and Sam Heughan), is located in Scotland.
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Kinloch Rannoch
Craigh Na Dun
Craigh na Dun is where all the drama Outlander start. Claire unwittingly travels back in time after feeling called to the circle of stones, which takes her to 1745, and the love of her life, Jamie Fraser. In the exhibition, the stones are located a short distance from Inverness. Unfortunately, Outlander‘s Craigh na Duhn is not real, but the artificial stones were placed in Kinloch Rannoch, a picturesque village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, near the freshwater Loch Rannoch.
Stone circles exist throughout Scotland, and local folklore historically associates stones with fairies. One particular stone circle, the Callanish Stones, is believed to have been created by fairies throwing stones into a meadow (via Argyll Cruise). Historians estimate that some stone circles could have been created to track lunar cycles in early civilizations before the invention of the Gregorian calendar, or were used for Celtic pagan celebrations (via Visit Scotland).
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Malvinas
Inverness, 1946
The charming village of Falkland replaced Inverness, Scotland, circa 1946. As the real Inverness is now a booming city, with modern technology superimposed on its historic structures, the largely untouched Falklands, just an hour away from Edinburgh, represented the city in early Outlander. The inn where Claire and her first husband, Frank Randall (Tobias Menzes), stayed after World War II is also a real place called the Covenanter Hotel.
The fountain at which a perplexed Frank wanders and sees Jamie’s ghost is the Bruce Fountain, and is located in the center of the village square. The humble village boasts a variety of authentic local Scottish businesses and is best known for Falkland Castle, built between 1501 and 1541 by Kings James IV and James V. The palace includes two 16th-century tennis courtssome of the first built in the whole of Britain (via Visit Scotland).
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Doune Castle
Castle Leoch
Doune Castle, located 33 miles northeast of Glasgow, Scotland, is the location of several pivotal moments in Outlander. The 14th century castle is the fictional Castle Leoch, the home of Jamie’s uncle Colum MacKenzie and the rest of the MacKenzie-Fraser clan. When Claire time travels to the 1740s from the 1940s, she is rescued by Jamie after being attacked by Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzes). Castle Leoch soon becomes the beginning of the couple’s epic love story through time.
Jamie and his fellow highlanders bring Claire to Castle Leoch for shelter, where she tells them she is a widow after realizing she may never return in time for Frank. As the story continues, the outspoken Claire uses her knowledge of modern medicine from her time as a nurse in World War II to work as a healer, putting herself in so many difficult situations that an arranged marriage to Jamie becomes the answer to both their political problems. The rest, as viewers know, is history.
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Culross
Crainesmuir
The village of Culross served as Cranesmuirthe site of Claire and Geilis Duncan’s (Lotte Verbeek) witch trials. When jealous Laoghaire MacKenzie (Nell Hudson) tries to win Jamie back (the two are seen kissing before Jamie’s relationship with Claire, but viewers later learn that it was never a serious commitment for Jamie), she accuses Claire of witchcraft by planting materials associated with rituals under Claire’s bed.
This leads to Claire’s arrest, alongside Geilis, who also appears to have knowledge of modern medicine and a talent for paganism. Jamie manages to convince the local priest to release Claire, but Geilis (later revealed to be a fellow traveler) is convicted of witchcraft. Pregnant with Dougal MacKenzie’s (Graham McTavish) child, viewers later learn that she was spared until giving birth and then managed to escape her execution. Instead of a brutal prison for witches, the village of Culross is a charming place that offers walking tours for visitors (through City and countryside).
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Hopetoun House
House of the Duke of Sandringham
The Red Drawing Room at Hopetoun House, located on the outskirts of Edinburgh, served as the home of the calculating Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow). in Outlander. The estate is still home to the noble Hopetoun family and is currently inhabited by the current Earl of Hopetoun, Andrew Victor Arthur Charles Hope. The property and grounds are open to the public from 11am to 5pm, from Good Friday to the last Sunday in September (via Hopetoun).
Sandringham is the English nobleman responsible for Jamie’s status as a wanted man throughout the first season, after Jamie tried to fight back when Black Jack Randall threatened to rape his sister. This resulted in Jamie’s brutal public flogging, which resulted in the notorious scars on his back. The Frasers’ relationship with Sandringham is often a strategic point when navigating the Jacobite Rebellion, a Scottish effort that sought to return the House of Stuart, a Catholic lineage, to the throne of Great Britain (via National Army Museum). Sandringham, appropriately enough, is a selfish character, willing to stab people in the back to gain power.
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Midhope Castle
Lallybroch
Midhope Castle was used as Jamie’s ancestral land, his estate at Lallybroch. The charming stone country castle dates back to the 15th century and is also known as Broch Tuarach in Outlander. Although the castle’s exterior is intact, its interiors are in ruins and interior photos of the house taken Outlander were filmed on a sound stage. Special permits from Hopetoun Estate are required to visit the land (via Hopetoun).
Although Jamie is the heir to Lallybroch, he finds himself disinherited numerous times, first by the Redcoats and later again during the Battle of Culloden, when you transfer ownership of the property to your young nephew to keep it in the family in the event of your death. Jamie’s sister, Jenny Fraser-Murray (Laura Donnelly), lives on the property with her husband Ian Murray (Steven Cree) and their several children. Jamie returns to Lallybroch and hides in a nearby cave after surviving Culloden.
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Linlithgow Palace
Wentworth Prison
The real Wentworth Prison, shot at Linlithgow Palacehas a much less brutal story. The 15th-century palace was the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots (via Royal United Kingdom). The palace is open to the public for walking tours, and the interior is still practically intact. The palace was once home to the Royal Stuart dynasty, the catalysts of the Jacobite Rebellion movement. The stone palace has beautiful architecture and surrounding landscapes.
At the conclusion of Outlander In the first season, Jamie is imprisoned in Wentworth Prison for his involvement with the Jacobites and also for his personal rivalry with Black Jack Randall. In the first Outlander In the season finale, Jamie is brutally assaulted and raped in prison while awaiting execution by hanging, becoming one of the locations of what is widely considered the most graphic episode of the series to date. Jamie finally escapes Wentworth with the help of Claire, his godfather Murtagh Fitzgibbons (Duncan Lacroix) and some highland cows.
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Drummond Castle Gardens
Versailles
The gardens of Drummond Castle replaced the famous gardens of Versailles in Paris, France in Outlander. Although Drummond Castle itself is not open to the public, the gardens are, and the landscape is surprisingly reminiscent of the famous French floral display. 2nd season of Outlander mainly sees Jamie and Claire traveling through Paris, France while working for Jamie’s cousin Jared’s winery. It is here that the pair also meet a boy called Claudel, who Jamie adopts as his own and nicknames Fergus (Romann Berrux).
The pair go to Paris in a vain attempt to stop the final Jacobite rebellion of 1746.in which thousands of men die. At this point, Claire has revealed to Jamie that she is a time traveler, and they work together as a couple with Claire’s knowledge of the future in an attempt to change the course of history. Although his attempt does not work, it allows Outlander to reference real French historical figures, including Count St.
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Abercairny Properties
River run
Abercairny Estates in Creiff, Scotland, ranked to Aunt Jocasta’s (Maria Doyle Kennedy) plantation in North Carolina, in Outlander. In the show, the property is said to be located on the Cape Fear River near Cross Creek. This is based on the true history of the region, as Cross Creek was once home to a large population of Scottish settlers in early colonial America. The Frasers’ stay at River Run was short-lived due to their abolitionist views, as Jocasta owned slaves. This is the catalyst for the couple choosing to build Fraser’s Ridge.
The fair opted to keep production in Scotland rather than flying to North Carolina, and was able to add Southern design touches to the Abercairny properties. The property is located approximately an hour and a half from Edinburgh and offers site tours, private events and wedding venues. The grounds feature examples from various eras of architecture, making it a fascinating place to visit.
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Faskally Forest
Fraser’s Ridge and Mohawk Village
When Jamie and Claire migrate to the Blue Ridge Mountains area of ​​inland North Carolinathey struggle to adapt to life in the desert. A careful look might notice that the flora and fauna don’t look much like those of the Tar Heel State. This is because, once again, the production chose to maintain Outlander in Scotland. The real forest has 23 different types of trees and varied terrain (via The Enchanted Forest UK).
Scenes around Fraser’s Ridge, Jamie’s settlement and the Mohawk village where young Ian Murray (John Bell) lives were filmed in Faksally Forest in Scotland. The forest is known for its beautiful foliage and tourists are encouraged to hike the picturesque trails. Located just 30 minutes from Kinloch Rannoch, it’s a great stop for Outlander fans visiting their favorite filming locations on screen. As Season 7, Part 2 approaches, with Outlander 8th season coming next year, the show seems to have a tough job in fictional North Carolina.
Sources: Historic Environment Scotland, City and countryside, Argyll Cruise, Visit Scotland, Hopetoun, National Army Museum, Royal United Kingdom, The Enchanted Forest UK