One of my favorite TV series of all time is Outlander – Stars fascinating historical fiction time travel series encompassing one of the best love stories of all time. When presented with an opportunity to visit Outlander filming sites in Scotland, I jumped at the chance!
My favorite of all the storylines of Outlander was following the 18th-century epic love story of Jamie and Claire. Visiting the ancient castles, exploring the highlands, learning more about the Jacobite uprising, and meandering around the picturesque villages were everything I’d hoped for and more. And for me, visiting the location of the standing stones that inspired Claire’s time travel was the highlight.
Apparently, I’m not alone. A phenomenon known as “the Outlander Effect” has swept the country’s tourism, based at least in part on the adoring fans of the gorgeous kilted hero, Jamie Fraser.
Here are my experiences visiting the Outlander filming sites – some I visited with Scotland Folk Tours and others with Get Your Guide.
1 Midhope Castle
(aka Lallybroch)
The exterior of this 15th-century tower house stands in for Jamie’s beloved ancestral home and refuge, Lallybroch. Jamie and Claire shared sentimental moments in the courtyard.
While the exterior is intact, the interior is in disrepair and not open to tourists without a special pass.
2 Doune Castle
(aka Castle Leoch)
The striking 14th-century castle is the filming location for the fictional home of Colum MacKenzie and his clan.
But this isn’t the only time you’ve seen the medieval stronghold on screen. Much of the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail was shot here as were the Winterfell scenes in from HBO’s Game Of Thrones.
The castle is remarkably well-preserved, with towering walls, ancient halls and slashed-marked walls, and a kitchen with a cavernous fireplace, transporting visitors straight into the 18th century.
To add to the Outlander vibe, the audio tour is narrated by both Sam Heughan (Jamie Frazer) along with Terry Jones (Monty Python fame), highlighting the castle’s history and its use as a film location.
3 Clava Cairns
(aka Craigh na Dun)
This was my favorite of all the Outlander filming sites in Scotland! While the stone circle that Claire time travels through at Craigh na Dun isn’t real (it’s made of styrofoam), the mystical Outlander location near the city of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands is a real location.
Clava Cairns is thought to be the inspiration for the Craigh na Dun standing stones which transported Claire back in time to 1743. The site is one of the best prehistoric sites in Scotland, offering visitors in Scotland a similar experience to Stonehenge.
The Bronze Age monument was used for burials, and the 4,000-year-old grounds containing cairns, standing stones, and rock circles that once housed the dead are free to visit.
4 Blackness Castle
(aka Fort William)
On the shores of the Firth of Forth, this 15th-century fortress doubles as evil Black Jack Randall’s Fort William headquarters, where Jamie is flogged as well as where he had to rescue Claire when she was captured by Randall. Blackness Castle got the nickname “the ship that never sailed” because of how much it is shaped like a boat when viewed from the River Forth.
The bastion features multiple spiral stone staircases leading to ramparts overlooking rough waves crashing over black rocks. Visitors can climb the towers and wander along the castle’s open-air curtain wall, looking down into the courtyard where Jamie was flogged by Black Jack Randall.
5 Linlithgow Palace
(aka Wentworth Prison)
This 15th-century palace is the birthplace of James V and Mary Queen of Scots and is much nicer in real life than Outlander’s Wentworth Prison where Jamie was taken by the redcoats and then tortured by Black Jack Randall in the show. The towering walls, dank corridors, and creepy chambers created intense torture scenes that are not for the faint of heart.
6 Falkland
(aka Inverness)
Claire’s opening scenes of her 1940s honeymoon begin in Inverness, but the actual filming location was shot in the picturesque village of Falkland, where Frank looks for his missing wife after she is transported to the Jacobite era.
Visitors stay at Mrs. Baird’s B&B featured in the show, aka the Covenanter Hotel, which looks out onto Bruce Fountain where Jamie’s ghost was spotted looking up at Claire’s bedroom.
The village square, with cobblestone alleys, dotted with shops and cafes feels like a step back in time.
7 Glenco
(aka opening credits)
The opening credits of Outlander showcase the dramatic landscapes of Glencoe. This lush valley offers a wild splendor of towering mountains and deep glens. In particular, the Three Sisters viewpoint is stunning.
8 Culloden
Culloden Moor, near Inverness, was the historic site of the final battle of the tragic 1745 Jacobite uprising. Featured in seasons two and three, commemorative stones are strewn through the field commemorating the Highland clans who lost men in the failed battle. You can even see the Clan Frazer stone.
Visitors can walk on the sobering battlefield, and then stroll through the excellent visitor center with exhibits and a powerful 360-degree immersive film that makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the battle.
9 Culross
(aka Cranesmuir)
The charming and well-preserved 16th-century village of Culross in the Kingdom of Fife is better known as Cranesmuir, the home of Claire’s friend “witch” Geillis Duncan. The village’s cobbled medieval streets lined with whitewashed cottages make it a lovely place to stroll the old Scottish village.
Mercat Square, with its iconic Mercat Cross, is recognizable from scenes such as the witch trials and where the boy’s ear was nailed to the post as a punishment for theft.
Climb the steps behind Culross Palace for a lovely view of the village. The gardens behind Culross Palace are where Claire’s 1740s Castle Leoch herb garden was filmed.
10 Bakehouse Close
(aka Carfax Close)
Situated on the Edinburgh Royal Mile in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, Bakehouse Close serves as the backdrop where Claire and Jamie finally reunite after Claire travels back through the stones the second time to find him. These narrow, cobbled alleys capture the essence of 18th-century Edinburgh.
It’s also where the filming of the external scenes of A. Malcolm Print Shop, where Jamie worked, took place. When Claire asks a young baker’s boy for directions to the print shop, he tells her that it’s located on Carfax Close.
11 A. Malcolm Print Shop
Alexander Malcolm’s print shop is where Jamie was working when he and Claire reunited after 20 years apart (Season 3).
Outlander fans can take selfies standing on the stairs leading to the print shop.
12 Tweeddale Court
Tweeddale Court is a charming but hidden location in Edinburgh. It was transformed into a bustling marketplace, where Claire and Jamie first re-encounter each other in the series. It is also here that they run into Fergus, an orphan who is like a son to Jamie.
13 Holyroodhouse Palace
(aka Bonnie Prince Charlie’s home)
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, located at the end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, is where Claire and Jamie stayed with Bonnie Prince Charlie in an effort to persuade him to abandon the fighting at Culloden (which led to his exile in real life).
14 Urquhart Castle
While Urquhart Castle, on the banks of Loch Ness, is a significant location in the Outlander books and is historically tied to the Jacobite uprising, it was not used as a filming location for the TV series. In the book, it’s where Claire sees the “Water Horse” (Loch Ness Monster). Today, Urquhart Castle lies in ruins, having been destroyed in the Jacobite uprising, and is worth visiting.
15 World’s End Pub
The “World’s End” pub is a real 16th-century pub located near the end of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. The exterior of the pub appears in Season 3 where Jamie helps Mr. Willoughby in a situation involving a sex worker.
Two Bonuses
While these are not Outlander filming sites in Scotland, they have a connection and are a must-see when in Scotland.
16 Isle of Skye
Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye
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
Even though Outlander did not film on the Isle of Skye, the stunning island is tied to the series. “Skye Boat Song,” used as the theme song for the series, is based on a Scottish folk song recounting the events after the massacre of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden. Bonnie Prince Charlie survived and fled to the Isle of Skye.
17 Edinburgh Castle
Like the Isle of Skye, Edinburgh Castle wasn’t used in filming for the Outlander series. But it’s a historically important location that connects to the series. The real Geillis Duncan was executed for witchcraft here in 1589.
Most photos by Kary Kern.
Click below to PIN so you can find Outlander filming sites in Scotland again:
Disclosure: The author was honored to be the guest of Scotland Folk Tours during her stay, but as always, the opinions, reviews, and experiences are her own.
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About the Author
Patti Morrow
is a freelance travel writer and founder of the award-winning international blog Luggage and Lipstick and the southern travel blog Gone to Carolinas. TripAdvisor called her one of the “20 Baby Boomer Travel Bloggers Having More Fun Than Millennials” and she was named one of the “Top 35 Travel Blogs” in the world.
She is also the star of the upcoming TV series “Destination Takeover” which is scheduled to premiere in the next few months.
Patti is the author of the book “Girls Go Solo: Tips for Women Traveling Alone,” and has over 150 bylines in 40 print and online publications, including The Huffington Post, International Living Magazine, Washington Post Sunday Travel, Travel Girl, Travel Play Live Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal. She has traveled extensively through six continents looking for fabulous destinations, exotic beaches, and adventure activities for her Baby Boomer tribe.
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