Guided By Curiosity

Outlander Tour

Like many people in the world, Outlander is truly one of my favorite series (book and television) of all time. The history, fantasy, romance, characters, literally everything within the Outlander universe is life changing once you immerse yourself in it! I found this series almost 10 years ago and I will forever be grateful. There are some stories and universes that just stick with you and help shape you, and that right there is the beauty of story telling. And being able to intertwine travel with storytelling? Unmatched.

There are many tours you can choose from when deciding how you want to explore Outlander locations. It is also important to know that you absolutely can not do it all in one day, not even two or three. There are many locations around the country and even I was not able to experience them all. A guided tour will give you the comfort of someone else driving and doing the research. Driving yourself will give you the luxury of going at your own pace and spacing out your exploration over multiple days or weeks. Pick what works best for you! There is no right or wrong way.

Map To All Outlander Locations Mentioned Below

It is also important to note that not every single location mentioned is accurate to the location in real life. For example, when they are in Inverness in the show they are actually in Falkland, which is a village in the Kingdom of Fife, and Culross is the filming location for Cranesmuir. Castles also all have different names. Just a small reminder to separate fiction from reality! 

My husband and I did a road trip, so we explored these locations over the course of a week. While we were not able to go to all locations, it just gives us an excuse to go back! Below is the list of where we went and at the very end I have also listed out all other Outlander locations and where they can be found on the map. 

I loved being able to do this tour just me and my husband and I hope you enjoy your tour too!

MidHope (Lallybroch or Broch Tuarach) £9.50

This location is primarily visited by Outlander fans as it is known as Lallybroch (Broch Tuarach) in the show. You can only walk the grounds as the castle itself is not open to the public on a regular bases. There are occasionally special visits to the interior, but those are separate from regular tickets and the inside is not what is shown in the show.

We had the first time slot ticket and it was just my husband and I plus 5 other people. It was just incredible to stand in the place of the fictional story that changed my life. If you’re an outlander fan, you’re going to love it. If not, it is still gorgeous, especially the surrounding grounds, so I would suggest still visiting. It was so cool to see in person and the nature surrounding the area was beautiful! We got there at 8:30am and since it doesn’t open until 9am, we were just able to soak in the countryside. We walked around the open trails in the woods next to the entrance where the scenes from season 3 when Jamie is in the cave were filmed.

When the gates opened, it was perfect. 7 people in total and the quietness of the countryside made for the experience to be beyond what my imagination could have dreamed up. Fictional stories have a way of forming our hearts and minds into worlds you feel like you can never physically experience. To be able to step foot in a real location from a fictional story just made the situation incredibly special. I couldn’t imagine having that experience with crowds so if you want to feel like you’ve got it to yourself go early!

Blackness Castle £7.50

The Ship That Never Sailed (Fort William): The best part of this day castle wise, was how early of a start we got. Due to that, we rarely ran into any crowds when touring castles and the grounds and were fortunate enough to experience them all casually without feeling rushed. This was one location that was incredibly rich in history. From being a royal castle, to a garrison fortress, to a state prison, to a ammunition depot, to eventually being decommissioned after the First World War, there is so much to learn and explore when visiting this location. You can feel the darkness when walking the grounds.

This is the filming location for the brutal Fort William in Outlander. Scenes from season 1 include The Flogging Scene, The Rescuing of Claire, and the Escape. This location is also included in Season 2 when Biranna visits with Roger to explore the grounds.

Doune Castle (Castle Leoch) £10.00

I LOVED this castle. I absolutely adored everything about this location, including the grounds. This is Castle Leoch (both in Outlander and Blood of My Blood and also extremely recognizable location from Monty Python and the Holy Grail in various scenes such as the Trojan Rabbit and the French taunting scene and Game of Thrones (pilot episode) as Winterfell.  There is a wonderful audio tour available that provides multiple points of view for learning about the castle and the grounds. Sam Heughn actually voices one of the audio tours! There are options for film and series and history, so no matter what you’re looking for you will walk away being informed and impressed! While we were there it was partially under construction, but we hardly noticed and it did not take away from the splendor of the castle itself.

After you finish touring the castle, don’t miss the grounds! There are woodland walks, the site of a Roman Fort, and a beautiful pedestrian bridge. We could have stayed for hours just wandering around. There is also the village of Doune that you can visit for some lunch or to just simply walk around.

Culloden Battlefield £12.50

While Outlander did not film here, for obvious reasons, if you’ve seen Outlander you know The Battle of Culloden was a massive plot point in seasons 1-2. So while this isn’t filmed on the actual battlefield, visiting this location reminds readers and watchers the of the true history behind The Battle of Culloden. I am personally a history buff, so regardless of Outlander I knew I would be visiting this location. History buff or not, this felt so important to visit during our time in Scotland to pay respects and learn the history.

Clava Cairns (Craigh na Dun) Free

This is where Diana got her inspiration for Craigh na Dun and let me just say, how freaking cool and mind boggling this location is. While the fictional Craigh na Dun is not real, Clava Cairns is one of Scotland’s best prehistoric sites that is free to visit! Truly one of those places you could just stay and stare at and think about for hours. Did I touch the stones trying to go back in time? Absolutely. Unfortunately, that did not work since I am writing this now! The biggest plus to this location is that it is only roughly  If you’re already going to the battlefield, take time to stop by. It’s incredible!

Isle of Skye (Skyeboat Song)

While Isle of Skye isn’t directly involved in the filming of Outlander, it is often mentioned in the books and show and is from the opening credits song. While the originally song talks about a lad (Bonnie Prince Charlie), Bear McCreary changed the lyrics to lass to reflect Claire’s journey. 

Sing me a song of a lass that is gone

Say, could that lass be I?

Merry of soul, she sailed on a day

Over the sea to Skye

*If you are a fan of the Netflix series Witcher, Old Man of Storr is part of the landscape around Kaer Morhe.

Old Man of Storr

Glencoe (Opening Credits) Free

The opening credits were filmed in Glencoe around the gorgeous mountains and landscapes. Driving through Glencoe truly feels like you’re experiencing the opening credits and there many pull off park sections (not to be confused with pull offs to allow people to go around) where you can park and walk and just stop and take it in.

Bakehouse Close (Carfax Close) & A. Malcolm Print Shop (Free)

Walk through the tunnel and you will be met with Jamies print shop which you will recognize from season 3 when Claire and Jamie are reunited. You can walk up the stairs and take pictures if you want.

World’s End Pub

Just up the hill from the Print Shop, you’ll find World’s End Pub which is featured in season 3 when Jamie helps Mr. Willoughby. Stop in and enjoy a pint!

Edinburgh Castle £19.50

While not really mentioned in the books or series, this is actually where the real life Geillis Duncan was executed for witchcraft.

Other Locations

While Outlander has its historical moments, it is so incredibly important to remember that it is, at the end of the day, a fictional story filled with fictional characters. Are there real people involved in the story? Absolutely. But the characters the story revolves around are indeed fictional and when planning your itinerary around Outlander filming locations it’s important to remember the true history surrounding the locations you are visiting. Of course have fun visiting these spots! It’s not often you can step into your favorite fictional world and feel like you are living out the story you love so deeply. However, Scotland is not an amusement park. Please travel with the courtesy that you are visiting someone’s home and country and be respectful and understanding of the culture and history. Have fun and enjoy living your Outlander dreams!