Fancy visiting your favourite Outlander filming locations? Then this is the guide for you!
The TV series Outlander was an instant hit when it premiered in 2014. Telling the story of time-travelling lovers Claire and Jamie and their adventures in 17th century Jacobite Scotland, the TV series was filmed right across the country with many of our well known villages and hidden gems standing in for their 17th century counterparts.
Here is how to visit my favourite Outlander filming locations in Scotland:
The top Outlander filming locations
Here are the top Outlander filming locations to visit:
- Doune Castle – visit the filming location for Castle Leoch the home of the Mackenzie Clan in the pretty village of Doune near Stirling.
- Midhope Castle and Hopetoun Estate – explore the home of Jamie Fraser, Lallybroch, and the site of many famous Outlander scenes at Hopetoun Estate.
- Falkland – visit the village of Falkland which became the city of Inverness and you can visit Mrs Baird’s guesthouse at which Claire and Frank stayed on their second honeymoon post WW2.
- Culross – the 17th century village of Culross stood in for the fictional village of Cranesmuir which in the TV series was the village attached to Castle Leoch.
- Preston Mill – this lovely water mill in East Lothian became Lallybroch Mill where Jamie took a swim Mr Darcy style.
- The Devil’s Pulpit – dare you visit Finnich Glen near Loch Lomond to drink the waters of the Liar’s Spring like Claire?
- Kinloch Rannoch – the stone circle of Craigh na Dun might not actually exist, but you can still visit the outcrop from which Claire started her Outlander journey.
- Blackness Castle – the site of one of Outlander’s most brutal scenes, in the TV series Blackness Castle became Fort William.
- Culloden Battlefield – whilst the Outlander crew never filmed their battle scenes at Culloden you can visit the Fraser clan memorial stone like Claire.
- Drummond Castle Gardens – these beautiful gardens stood in for the gardens of the Palace of Versailles where Claire came face to face with Black Jack Randall.
- Dysart Harbour – the lovely Dysart harbour in Fife is one of Scotland’s hidden gem and the scene of where Claire and Jamie sail from to France.
Read on for how to visit these Outlander filming locations:
Map of Outlander filming locations
Here is how to visit the best Outlander filming locations:
Doune Castle (Castle Leoch)
Sitting on the River Teith and Ardoch Burn, Doune Castle is a magnificent medieval fortress. In the Outlander TV series, Doune Castle was used as Castle Leoch, the home of Clan Mackenzie.
The castle is first introduced when Claire and Frank visited it in its ruinous state during their second honeymoon in Inverness before Claire is taken to the castle by Dougal Mackenzie when she arrives in the 17th century.
> Visit: Doune Castle is located in the village of Doune, located to the west of Stirling. The castle is managed by Historic Scotland and is £10 for adults or free entry for members, entry fee includes the car parking cost. No free parking on site.
Midhope Castle (Lallybroch) and Hopetoun Estate
Located in the hamlet of Abercorn and part of the Hopetoun Estate, Midhope Castle is a 15th century tower house. The castle was used as Lallybroch (also known as Broch Tuarach) the home of Jamie Fraser as an Outlander TV filming location.
The Hopetoun Estate was used for many Outlander filming locations including the Paris street market, Jamie teaching Willie to ride a horse and many sword fights and duels. The Hopetoun Estate have produced an Outlander filming locations map.
> Visit: tickets for Midhope Castle are £6.97 for adults or you can book a joint ticket to visit Midhope and Hopetoun for £18.50.
> Get there: use post code EH30 9RW which will direct you to Farquhar Terrace in South Queensferry, from here it is a straight road from this point for about 1.5 miles.
> Read more: visting Hopetoun House.
Falkland (Inverness)
Falkland is a lovely conservation village in north east Fife which in the Outlander TV series stood in in for Inverness – the setting for Claire and Frank’s second honeymoon.
In Falkland you can visit the Covenanters Inn (the exterior was used for Mrs Baird’s B&B) and the Falkland fountain behind which Claire thinks she sees the ghost of Jamie.
After your Outlander filming location tour, don’t miss a visit to Falkland Palace and then take a stroll around the lovely Falkland Estate (and the Centre for Stewardship) and the Maspie Burn up into the gorgeous woodlands to find beautiful waterfalls.
If you are feeling energetic you could also climb the top of East Lomond for a view across Fife.
> Visit: Falkland is a small village in north west Fife
> Get there: best access on a tour or via car.
> Read more: how to visit Fife
Culross (Cranesmuir)
Culross (actually pronounced ‘coo-ris’, not ‘cull-ross’) in West Fife one of Scotland’s best-preserved and prettiest 17th-century villages and famous for its role in the TV series Outlander.
In Outlander, Culross is the base for the fictional village of Cranesmuir, the village close to Castle Leoch. The Mercat Cross square, the Study House, the gardens of the palace and the West Kirk outside the village were all used for outlander filming locations.
The square at the Mercat Cross was used in many scenes, including to hang Gellis (and nearly Clare) as witches and a squeamish scene involving an ear and a pillory! The buildings around the Mercat Cross square were painted blue for filming and ‘The Study’ house, (built in 1610 for a wealthy Culross merchant) became home to Gellis Duncan.
> Visit: Culross is located in West Fife near Dunfermline.
> Get there:
- Catch the train to Dunfermline, where Stagecoach run buses that pass through the village (Numbers 71 and 78 depart from James Street in Dunfermline, whilst number 74 departs from Dunfermline bus station).
- You can also catch a train to Falkirk and catch number 8 or 28 buses to Culross.
- From Edinburgh and Glasgow the drive will take around 40 mins to an hour depending on traffic on the Queensferry Crossing and Kincardine Bridges.
- Free parking is available at each end of the village.
> Read more: how to visit Culross
Preston Mill (Lallybroch Mill)
Jamie’s home Lallybroch (Midhope Castle on the Hopetoun Estate) is one of the most popular Outlander stops – but being part of a working estate, access to this ruined tower house is limited.
Instead, buy a National Trust for Scotland pass and help save Preston Mill & Phantassie Doocot near East Linton from dereliction. You might recognise Preston Mill from season 1, where Jamie goes for a swim, Mr Darcy style.
> Visit: entry to Preston Mill costs £10.00 for adults (with an hourly tour) or free for NTS members.
Finnich Glen / The Devil’s Pulpit (The Liar’s Spring)
In one of the most famous Outlander TV scenes, Dougal Mackenzie takes Claire down into St Ninian’s Spring to test whether she is lying – the spring is also known as Liar’s Spring.
The filming location for the Liar’s Spring is the Devil’s Pulpit in Finnich Glen near Drymen at Loch Lomond.
> Visit: access to Finnich Glen is via a muddy path and a set of very steep and muddy steps. Wear very sensible shoes! Access is not recommended after very heavy rain.
> Get there: access to Finnich Glen is by car only and the access is on the Drymen to Bearsden Road. Access is limited. There is a small amount of car parking at the junction of the A809 and B834.
Kinloch Rannoch (Craigh na Dun)
Did you know that the stone circle Craigh na Dun by which Claire goes back in time to 1743 is an Outlander film set – not a real stone circle!
> Get there: this famous Outlander filming location is at Kinloch Rannoch in Highland Perthshire and you can visit the outcrop on which the stone circle was installed.
Blackness Castle (Fort William)
Blackness Castle on the Firth of Forth is no pretty palace built for kings and queens, but a fortress, the defender of the Royal port of Linlithgow.
Built in 1440 and fortified in the 1500s, the Castle has been the scene of a great battle with Cromwell’s New Model Army, loyal to Mary Queen of Scots,
Blackness stood in for Fort William (which no actually longer stands) the headquarters of evil Black Jack Randall and Jamie Fraser’s incarceration. Spoiler alert, you will come to remember this scene rather vividly…
Blackness is also often called ‘the ship that never sailed’ due to its boat-like appearance from the sea, its location also makes for some stunning views of the river and across to Fife.
> Visit: Blackness Castle is located on the Firth of Forth, north-west of the pretty town of Linlithgow. The castle is managed by Historic Scotland and costs £7.50 / £4.50 to get in. The castle is open all year round, weather dependent obviously!
> Get there: There is car parking on site, or you can catch the train from Glasgow or Edinburgh to Linlithgow Station and then catch the no.49 First Bus.
Culloden Battlefield (Fraser memorial stone)
The Battle of Culloden took place on Culloden Moor. The visitor centre provides a detailed and interactive history of the Jacobite uprisings – and a walk on the battlefield is a sobering experience.
Whilst the filming of the Battle of Culloden in Outlander did not take place on the moor itself as the battlefield contains thousands of war graves, Claire visits the battlefield to see the Fraser memorial stone.
Take a walk out onto the field, but please respect it – remember that the reals Fraser clan who died on this moor have nothing to do with the fantasy Outlander tale.
Nearby are the Clava Cairns, prehistoric burial cairns that date back over 4,000 years and are surrounded by a stone circle.
> Visit Culloden: The battlefield is managed by the National Trust for Scotland, free for members, £16 for adults and is located outside of Inverness.
> Read more: how to visit Inverness.
Drummond Castle Gardens (Versailles)
With one of the most beautiful designed gardens in Scotland, Drummond Castle was built by John, 1st Lord Drummond around 1490 on the Gask Ridge near Crieff.
The Drummond Castle Gardens are open to the public and featured in the TV series Outlander as the gardens at the Palace of Versailles. The tower house and mansion are private.
> Visit: Drummond Castle Gardens near Crieff
Dysart Harbour (where Claire and Jamie sail from to France)
Just along from the busy hub of Kirkcaldy is Dysart with its hidden gem of a harbour which was used as the filming location for Le Havre in the TV series Outlander.
Stop for a coffee at the Fife Coastal Path centre at the Harbourmaster House before wandering on to West Wemyss.
Along the coast is the small but mighty Ravenscraig Castle built in 1460. You can walk along the Fife Coastal Path from Dysart to Ravenscraig.
> Visit: Dysart is accessible along the Fife Coastal Path from Kirkcaldy.
Love from Scotland x
Kate Hopper
The blogger behind Love from ScotlandLove from Scotland is your guide to how to travel Scotland like a local. My name is Kate and on my site you will find everything you need to plan your perfect trip to Scotland – from destination guides to the best places to stay.