Tour Scotland as an Outlander
Feel what it was like for Claire going back in time on this Outlander
Explore Scotland like an Outlander and really discover what Claire felt like travelling back in time to 18th Century Scotland and the Jacobites rebellion! This awesome self-drive tour is for the true outlander fan who wants to not only ‘see’ Outlander filming locations in Scotland, but also experience the sights, the sounds, and the emotions of the time.
This incredible Outlander Experience Tour lets you travel through time on your time at your own pace. As well as providing your tour route and your transport and accommodation, we will book your campsites and your chosen Outlander experiences.
Take a look at our tour route and optional Outlander experiences to include in your Outlander inspired tour around Scotland!
DAY 1 Outlander Tour - Visit Castle Leoch, Port Le Havre and Chapel
We start our Self Drive Outlander Experience Tour in the heart of Mackenzie country on a visit to Castle Leoch before taking a short 2 minute drive to France and the Port of Le Havre (we are able to travel rapidly when time travelling around Scotland!). Our final destination for the day is back in the Highlands of Scotland with a few optional excusions on the way for some more Outlander and Scottish history experience.
Visit Castle Leoch – Outlander Location
Our self-drive Outlander Experience Tour starts where Claire’s journey in 18th Century Scotland began with the seat of Clan Mackenzie at Castle Leoch home of Colum Mackenzie and his clan.
Visit Doune Castle – Scottish filming location
Take a tour of Doune Castle, the setting used for Castle Leoch in the Outlander series and enjoy walking through the courtyard, great hall and kitchens of this beautiful ancient home.
Learn about the filming of Outlander with Sam Heughan with Doune Castle’s digital audio guide and admire the views from the battlements over the River Teith and towards the Menteith Hills.
DAY 2 Outlander Tour - Visit Cranesmuir and Inverness
Following on from our visit to Castle Leoch, our next location is the pretty town of Cranesmuir followed by our 1940s town of Inverness where we first saw the ghost of Jamie looking up at Claire….or did we? 😉
Visit Port of Le Havre wine warehouse – Outlander Location
We then drive a mile down the road to the wine warehouse which was owned by Jared Fraser, Jamie’s cousin. The warehouse was first seen in series 2 prior to the Jacobite rising of 1745 when Claire and Jamie travel to France to try to infiltrate the Jacobite rebellion led by Prince Charles Stuart, and stop the battle of Culloden. This is also where Claire notices that the Compte St Germain’s men have the plague, thereby rendering their cargo unsellable.
Visit Deanston Distillery – Scottish filming location
Deanston Distillery was used in the Outlander tv series to represent a French winehouse. It was in fact originally a cotton Mill and dates back to 1785. After closing in 1965, it reopened as a whisky distillery in 1974 and you can take a tour learning how whisky is made and enjoying a whisky tasting straight from the cask!
Visit Tullibardine Chapel – Scottish filming location
Used to shelter an injured Rupert in Jamie, Claire and Dougal’s journey north to Inverness, this is where the Mackenzie’s were harassed by a band of Redcoats who force them to handover Claire who they think is a prisoner of the Mackenzie’s.
Dating back to 1446, this pre Reformation chapel is one of the few Scottish churches to survive the 1560 reformation and remains largely unspoilt.
The church is set in a well maintained graveyard that homes Bonnie Prince Charlie’s general Lord George Murray, infant daughter in 1740.
Visit Cranesmuir – Outlander location
The closest town to Castle Leoch, Cranesmuir is the home town of Gaillius Duncan and her husband Arthur and where Claire and Gaillius Duncan are accused of witchcraft . It’s also the home to a little crooked cottage that was where Claire visits a little boy named Tammas Baxter who everyone thinks is possessed and has in fact eaten a poisonous plant. Not far from Cranesmuir Jamie and Claire find the Black Kirk where the poisonous plants are found.
Visit Culross – Scottish filming location
The beautifully preserved town of Culross in Fife is filled with 17th and 18th Century buildings and was used to represent Cranesmuir in the Outlander Tv Series. As well as wandering through the pretty cobbled streets, you can go back time and visit Culross Palace for a more immersive experience and enjoy scuttling through the secret passageways. The palace gardens were used in Season 1 to represent Castle Leoch’s herb garden and where Geillis Duncan and Claire picked medicinal plants and are lovely to wander around. You can also take a 10 minute walk north of Culross to the West Kirk which stood in for the Black Kirk in Season 1 to see the abandoned and unused church.
Visit Inverness – Outlander Location
Viewed throughout the Outlander series, much of the first episode takes place in Inverness where Claire and Frank arrive on their second honeymoon at the end of WW2. As well as meeting Mrs Baird the owner of their B&B and the local minister Reverend Wakefield, Inverness is the location where Frank stumbles upon what he thinks must have been a ghost staring up at his wife in their hotel bedroom. The identity of this ghost has continued to be a source of debate amongst Outlander fans who reason that it can’t have been the ghost of Jamie, Claire’s husband from the 18th century.
Visit Falkland – Scottish filming location
The pretty town of Falkland which substituted as Inverness in the Outlander series lies north of Edinburgh and is a royal palace of the Scottish Kings and Queens and a favourite of Mary, Queen of Scots. The castle fell into disrepair in the 16th century but was renovated in the 17th century with inspiration from the grand chateaux of France. Used as a royal hunting lodge by the royalty, the surrounding gardens are a must to explore. Make sure you take a look at the tennis court which is believed to be the oldest surviving tennis court in the world!
DAY 3 Outlander Tour - Visit Craig na Dun and Baile Gean
Day 3 takes us north towards the real Scottish Inverness as well as the fictional Outlander Inverness with a stop at the location where Claire started her time travelling. Follow this with a real Highland experience at Baile Gean and the optional stop into Ruthven Barracks as you head north towards the real Scottish Inverness!
Visit Craig na Dun – Outlander location
As we head north into the highlands, the next stop on your tour has to be Craigh na Dun. This iconic view point is where Claire and Frank park up to watch an ancient witches ceremony and where Claire shortly after, falls through the stones back in time into the 18th century.
Visit Kinloch Rannoch – Scottish filming location
A few miles from the highland village of Kinloch Rannoch, the viewpoint where Craig na Dun was filmed using Styrofoam stones placed on the small tree dotted hillock, still has a unique and magical atmosphere. Loose yourself in history and magic as you gaze down towards Loch Rannoch and the wilderness of Rannoch Moor beyond.
Visit Baile Gean Village – Outlander Location
This highland village was used in the Outlander series to show the Mackenzie’s under the leadership of Dougal, collecting taxes for Clan Mackenzie (and the Jacobite cause). The memorable scene where Claire helps the village women dye cloth with urine is filmed here and this open air museum with a number of cottages really does transport you back in time . Other scenes filmed here are the hut where Dougall Mackenzie gives his infamous speech about the Jacobite cause; and the Blacksmith hut where Lieutenant Jeremy Foster who we later find out is a redcoat, asks Claire if she is okay after her argument with Angus.
Visit Highland Folk Museum – Scottish filming location
Free to visitors with only a small fee for parking which goes towards the upkeep of the museum, the Highland Folk Museum located near Newtonmore is on route to Inverness and the Culloden battlefield. Step out of your campervan, close your eyes and open them and experience what life was like in the Highlands from the 1700s to the 1950s with costumed staff live animals and 35 buildings to explore. The site is a mile long and includes 18th century townships, working crofts, houses, trains and schoolhouses. The museum hosts a number of events such as a reenactment day so if you are keen to tie your self-drive tour with this then let us know!
DAY 4 Outlander Tour - Visit Culloden Battlefield
Day 4 is an emotional day as we visit Culloden Battlefield, home of both the fictional and real Scottish battlefield where the Jacobites lost to the Government. We have a number of optional excursions to the nearby Clava Cairns and to Fort George and the Highlander Museum that we would recommend including in your day.
Visit Culloden Battlefield – Outlander and real Scottish location
And so to the saddest day of your tour. No matter what your feelings are towards which side should have won, Culloden saw a tragic event in Scottish history and the incredible Visitor Centre here is an absolute must for not just Outlander fans, but anyone visiting Scotland. Nestled just outside Inverness, this is where the Outlander tv series and the reality become intertwined.
Take a tour across the battlefield at your own pace with the beautifully scripted headset recording and listen to the cries of battle from both side and the ensuing heartache of this tragic battle. For Outlander fans this part of the story is the crux to what happened before and after in all subsequent locations and Claire and Jamie’s new life in America.
Visit Clava Cairns – Jacobite location
Just a few miles from Culloden lie the Clava Cairns, 3 bronze age prehistoric burial cairns known as the inspiration for Diane Gabladon’s book. The 3 cairns form lines aligned with the winter solstice. A really atmospheric place to wander and move your mind back into the ancient history of Scotland.
Arrive early and get the place to yourself and enjoy a sunrise.
Visit Fort George and the Highlander Museum – Government location
A short distance from Culloden, Fort George was built following the defeat at Culloden in 1746 by George 11 as the ultimate defence against further Jacobite unrest . Taking 22 years to complete, it has served the British army for 250 years since and has an amazing collection of arms.
The Highlander Museum within the fort have the largest collection of military artefacts outside of Edinburgh.
The scale of Fort George is super impressive, built to intimidate the local population. The battlements surrounding the fort and entrance are still complete with cannons.
DAY 5 Outlander Tour - Visit Beauly Abbey, Urquhart Castle and Eilean Donan Castle
Day 5 takes us deep into Mackenzie territory and the incredible history of the Jacobite rebellion around this area. Apart from Beauly Abbey, the Outlander Series was not filmed in these locations, however you will feel familiar in many of the places whose stories were based on these areas in the books. A stunning area of Scotland, I would urge you to take a look and explore the real Scottish (and Mackenzie ) landscape.
Travel west from Culloden and Inverness to Beauly before descending south down the famous Loch Ness. Claire did actually mention she saw the shape of some kind of dinasour when travelling past Loch Ness with the Mackenzie’s collecting rent.
Then step back in time as you travel from Fort Augustus and along the magnificent mountain range known as the 5 sisters of Kintail.
The lands of Wester and Easter Ross to the north of the pass were historically Mackenzie land with the stronghold of Eilean Donan Castle on the west coast as the seat of their Chiefs.
Several Jacobite Risings were fought along this valley including the Battle of Glenshiel and the Rising of 1719. There are way points along the road to stop at and immerse yourself in this beautiful landscape and feel how Claire and the Mackenzie’s must have felt so long ago.
Visit Beauly Abbey – Outlander and Scottish filming location
To the west of Inverness, Beauly Abbey is one of the Outlander filming locations in Season 2 when Jamie and Claire have been sent back from Francy by Prince Charlie and told to rejoin the Fraser and Mackenzie Clan at Beauly. Claire meets the seer who tells her that Lord Lovat will die at the hands of the axeman.
Visit Urquhart Castle – Jacobite Location
Urquhart Castle isn’t actually used as a filming location in the Outlander series, however it is where Claire encountered what she called a water horse in Loch Ness in the books. The castle played a key role in the fight for Scottish independence and the Jacobite rebellion and is worth going to visit for this history as well as its magical setting on the banks of Loch Ness.
Urquhart Castle played a critical part in the fight by government forces against the Jacobites with the government soldiers stationed there for 2 years during the first rebellion of 1689. However the castle was blown up in 1692 as the last battalion exited and has stood in ruins ever since. Situated on the shore of Loch Ness that runs south from Inverness, the Castle is believed to have originally been the site of a Pictish fort
Visit Eilean Donan Castle – Jacobite Location
For centuries this stunning iconic castle was the seat of the chiefs of Clan Mackenzie.
Given to the Mackenzie Clan in 1263 after they defeated the invading Norsemen at the Battle of Largs, the clan grew in power and fought alongside Robert the Bruce at Banockburn in 1314 to defeat the English.
Their support of the Jacobite rebellion was critical in their rise but unfortunately the clan were split come the rising of 1745 with Kenneth Mackenzie, Lord Fortrose supporting the government forces and George Mackenzie, Earl of Cromartie supporting the Jacobites.
DAY 6 Outlander Tour - Visit Skye, Glenfinan Monument and Glencoe
No Outlander Experience Tour would be complete without a trip “over the sea to Skye”. The Skye Boat Song being played in the opening credits refers to Bonnie Prince Charlie fleeing to Skye after his defeat on Culloden Moor in 1746. After 2 months on the run, he met Flora Macdonald on the Outer Hebridean island of South Uist who then dressed him up as her maid and sailed him to Skye where he made his escape by boat to France.
Visit the Road to the Isles – Jacobite location
Our Outlander Experience heads into the south west of Skye where you can take a ferry over the sea from Skye – from Armadale – to the pretty fishing port of Mallaig.
Feel like what it must have felt like for Flora Macdonald as she crossed across the water to Skye with disguised Jacobite prince Bonnie Prince Charli as her maid.
From the port of Mallaig you drive one of the lovliest and breath taking roads in Scotland, the Road to the Isles, which passes through the pretty village of Arisaig with the most beautiful white beaches.
Enjoy the west coast of Scotland and take in the surrounding Inner Hebridean islands of Rhum, Muck and Eigg from the shoreline.
Visit Glenfinnan Monument – Jacobite location
The Glenfinnan Monument which sits proudly at the north end of Loch Sheil on the Road to the Isles is significant to Outlander fans as it was where a flag was flown in August 1745 to signal the beginning of the Jacobite Rising of 1745.
Glenfinnan was also where Bonnie Prince Charlie addressed his followers and convinced many of the clans to follow him into battle.
Across from the monument there is an excellent museum filled with artefacts and information about Bonnie Prince Charlie and the 1745 Jacobite rising.
DAY 7 Outlander Tour - Visit the Palace of Versailles and Le Havre in France as well as magnificent Lallybroch!
Alternating between France and Scotland, Day 7 takes us to the magnificent gardens of Versailles.
In the afternoon , we visit two of the Duke of Sandringham’s homes – his apartment in France as well as his grand Scottish home. Both of these locations were in fact filmed in the same place outside of Edinburgh at Hopetoun House.
We then end the day in lovely Lallybroch! Nestling in the grounds of Hopetoun House, if you are desperate to see Lally broch at the beginning of your Outlander Experience Tour, you can pull it forward to the beginning of your tour.
Visit the Gardens at Versailles in France – Outlander location
From the rugged, wild and beautiful landscape of the Highlands, the next part of our tour takes us over to the France and the beautiful gardens of Versailles. The gardens and palace of Versailles are featured in Season two where Claire and Jamie go to meet King Louis and try to sabotage the Jacobite rebellion before the disastrous Battel of Culloden.
Visit Drummond Gardens – Scottish filming location
Drummond Castle gardens that stood in for the gardens of Versailles in the Outlander TV series are regarded as one of the finest formal gardens in Europe. Approached by a long impressive tree-lined driveway, the gardens are split into several sections separated by walls and neatly trimmed hedges. The formal gardens were replanted in the 1950s but many of the plants were planted by Queen Victoria commemorating her visit in 1842.
Visit Le Havre in France – Outlander Location
Slightly out of order with the Outlander TV series, our next destination takes us to Le Havre in France where Claire and Jamie arrived in France at the start of Season 2. The scene shows Claire finding a ship full of sick men and diagnosing them with smallpox resulting in the harbourmaster ordering the ship and its cargo to be burned. The owner Le Comte St. Germain is not happy with Claire and becomes yet another enemy to her whilst she is in France.
Visit Dysart – Outlander filming location
The pretty harbour of Dysart in Fife is used as the double for the French port of Le Havre in the outlander series. Dating back to 1450, the Scots traded with the Dutch and Belgians from the port exporting coal and salt to the Baltic region.
Visit the Duke of Sandringham’s homes – Outlander location
Your afternoon location on Day 7 continues in both Paris and Scotland – at the residences of the Duke of Sandringham who Jamie has met previously and who he saved from a hunting accident. Claire and Jamie go to visit the Duke in his Paris residence ostensibly to discuss investments with him but actually to try to extract information in their quest to sabotage the Jacobite rebellion.
Visit Hopetoun House nr Edinburgh – Scottish filming location
Hopetoun House, a large stately home just outside of Edinburgh, features as two different locations throughout the TV series. The building’s exterior represents the home of the Duke of Sandringham. Some of the interiors were used for scenes set in his Paris residence. The famous red drawing room poses as the Duke of Sandringham’s Paris. Dating from the 17th century, Hopetoun house is filled with stunning collections and grand gardens. An Outlander scene locations outlines the 14 locations filmed here!
Visit Lallybroch – Outlander location
And finally, the place that all Outlander fans are desperate to see, Lallybroch, Jamie Fraser’s ancestral home- a must for all Outlander fans! Dating back to the 15th Century, this iconic tower house was inherited by Jamie after his father Brian’s death, Lallybroch is run by Jamie’s sister Jenny after Jamie was arrested by Captain Randall for intervening in the harassment of Jenny by said Captain Randall. The home continues to feature throughout the Outlander TV series episodes with Brianna and Roger moving to Lallybroch with their children in the 20th century.
Visit Midhope Castle – Scottish filming location
Midhope Castle, a 15th Century tower house that was the inspiration for Lallybroch, stands in the sprawling estate of Hopetoun House and you can enjoy a walk around the well maintained exterior. After passing through the Martin, Lindsay, Drummond and Livingston families, the castle was used to house farm workers after the building of Hopetoun house. It housed 53 people before being abandoned and falling into a slightly derelict state. It does however still exude heaps of charm and takes you back to the past as you walk under the archway entrance.
DAY 8 Outlander Tour - Visit Wentworth Prison, Inverness and Ardsmuir Prison
After the joy of seeing Lallybroch, Day 8 takes us to the darker side of life to the locations of two atrocities for Jamie at Wentworth Prison and Fort William.
We then head south to Prestonpans where the Battle of Prestonpans was fought and then on to Preston Mill.
Our final location for the day is yet another prison, Ardsmuir.
Wentworth Prison – Outlander location
The blackest of scenes in the Outlander TV series, it is here that Captain ‘Black Jack’ Randall rapes Jamie. Located in the Scottish Borders in the series, Jamie is standing trial there and sentenced to hang. Claire and Murtagh attempt to free him but are discovered by Black Jack so Jamie negotiates Claire’s release by agreeing to not resist which then leads to the rape.
Linlithgow – Scottish filming location
Linlithgow Palace dates back to the 12th century and was the birthplace of several monarchs including Mary Queen of Scots. Devastated by fire in the 1400s James 1 re constructed it and it made the perfect family home for the succeeding Stuart heirs. The palace today is a roofless ruin however the scale of the rooms and the intact maze of staircases and levels make it incredible to explore. Make sure you climb to the roof to get some excellent views of Linlithgow loch and beyond.
Visit Fort William – Outlander location
Following on from Jamies altercation at Lallybroch with Captain Randall in Series 1, he is led to Fort William where he receives the brutal lashes and where later in season 1, Jamie breaks into the castle to rescue Claire from the hands of Black Jack.
Visit Blackness Castle – Scottish filming location
Used as a royal castle, prison and weapon store, Blackness Castle is a 15th century castle located on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and close to the Hopetoun House estate. Distinctive for it’s location, the castle sits on protruding rocks into the sea with a central courtyard surrounded by imposing high walls. A fantastic place to explore and feel like you have walked back in time, you can climb the stairs to the Spur’s Battery and check out the views across the Firth of Forth and the Barracks below.
Prestonpans – Outlander location
Prestonpans appears in the 10th episode of the Outlander TV series and follows history in showing Jamie fighting in this pivitol battle in the Jacobites campaign. Relying on Claire’s knowledge of history, that the battle (which was prior to Culloden) would be won with an overwhelming victory by the Jacobites, Claire uses her WW2 nursing skills to tend to the wounded.
Prestonpans – Jacobite location
Starting at the view point beside Meadowmill Sports Centre, you can still get a sense of the battle that was fought here by the Jacobites. Large parts of the battlefield have survived and there are landmarks, monuments and interpretation points so that you can relate what it would have felt like to be here in 1745. After walking around the battlefield you can visit the Museum in Prestonpans Town Hall which tells the story of the battle and houses some historical and archaeological artefacts.
Visit Old Mill – Outlander location
Seen a couple of times in the series, Preston Mill is where Jamie is forced to hide underwater from the Redcoats. It is also seen in the courthouse scene where Claire and Geillis are accused of witchcraft
Visit Preston Mill – Scottish filming location
Dating back to the 18th century, Preston Mill has a Dutch-style canonical roof, this working water mill is beautiful to photograph and one of the oldest working water mills in Scotland
Visit Ardsmuir Prison – Outlander location
First appearing in Season 3, episode 3, Ardsmuir Prison is where Jamie and other Jacobites were held after loosing the Battle of Culloden before he makes his escape. It is here that Jamie Fraser and Duncan Innes were inmates.
Visit Craigmillar Castle – Scottish filming location
Known for having provided refuge to Mary Queen of Scots in the 1500s, Craigmillar Castle, the Stuarts used the castle to keep political prisoners here. One of the best preserved medieval castles in Scotland, the central tower house, or keep, is surrounded by a 15th century courtyard wall with good defensive features.
DAY 9 Outlander Tour - Visit Holyrood House, Carfax Close and Tweeddale Court
Our final day focuses on Outlander filming locations in the beautiful city of Edinburgh.
As well as visiting some more film locations we can also arrange some ‘not to be missed’ experiences to help give you the REAL Outlander experience!
Palace of Holyroodhouse – Jacobite location
The Palace of Holyroodhouse whilst not used for the Outlander TV series was mentioned in the book and is where Claire and Jamie visit Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The official residence of the British monarch when in Scotland, Holyroodhouse is located at the east end of the Royal mile. With an ancient abbey and beautiful grounds you can also take a tour of some of the state rooms
Visit Carfax Close – Outlander location
The setting for the romantic reunion of Jamie and Claire after 20 years apart, Carfax Close is close to the busy market place that the two run into Fergus, an orphan who becomes like a son to Jamie. It is also where Alexander Malcolm’s print shop where Jamie worked in Series 3 is set.
Visit Bakehouse Close – Scottish filming location
Bakehouse Close which is the actual Carfax Close was historically set in the bakery district of Edinburgh. The surrounding area was used multiple times in Series 3 . Tweedale Court is an old lane that was decorated as a busy market place.
DAY 10 Outlander Tour - Reflect on your journey and plan your next trip for more time travel through historic Scotland!
