Must see outlander film locations

30 December 2019
door Linda de Bruijn

Craigh na Dun, Lallybroch, the chapel where Jamie and Claire got married and of course Jamie's Printshop. Every fan of the  Outlander TV series knows these places that play a role in the love story of Jamie and Claire. Maybe you have wondered if these film locations really exist and where they are located? Is Lallybroch an existing castle and where was A. Malcom's print shop? You wouldn't say but most of the Outlander locations are in Scotland, even the gardens of Versailles and Harvard University. All worth visiting. I show you 10 of the most beautiful Outlander film locations from all the seasons. Get inspired for your upcoming summer holiday.

One of the most appealing places in the Outlander series is Craigh Na Dun, the place where the "standing stones" are located. The place where the story begins and where it may end. The place where Claire travels back in time and where Jamie brings her to safety when the battle of Culloden is about to begin. Unfortunately, the stones are not here, in fact, they do not exist at all. They are specially made for the series and placed there. The hill itself does exist. The beautiful scenes were filmed in Rannoch Moor, in the village of Kinloch Rannoch in Perth and Kinross, in the Scottish Highlands.

Midhope Castle is perhaps the best known Outlander location and models for Lallybroch (Broch Tuarach). It is the estate of the Frasers, that Jamie inherited after the death of his father but where his sister Jenny and her husband Ian are in charge. Jamie's official title Laird (Lord) Tuarach is derived from it. Midhope Castle is a 16th-century tower house in Scotland. It is located in the hamlet of Abercorn on the Hopetoun Estate, on the outskirts of Edinburgh. The estate is private but the outside of the castle is (under conditions) freely accessible. Midhope Castle is not the only Outlander site on the Hopetoun estate. The main building is also a film location in the show, as Duke of Sandringham's salon in season one.

At the foot of the Pentland Hills, just 20 minutes from Edinburgh city center, lies Glencorse House with the Old Kirk, an estate in a secluded park. It is perhaps the most romantic place in the Outlander TV series because Jamie and Claire got married here. Today, Glencorse is a private family home whose grounds are exclusively offered for weddings and events. You can get married in the church and party in the country house, a tip for super fans. (www.glencorsehouse.co.uk/gallery)

About 33 miles northeast of Glasgow is Doune Castle, originally built in 1390 and modeled for Castle Leoch, the home of Collum and his Clan MacKenzie. In the series, Claire, after she landed through the stones in 1743, is brought here by Jamie. For executive producer Ronald D. Moore, filming at Doune Castle was quite a challenge because nothing could be anchored in the ground outside and no lights could be hung inside and nothing could be changed on the walls.

There is almost nothing that can match the splendor of the Versailles gardens, but the grounds of Drummond Castle in Scotland have done it. Drummond Castle near Crieff has one of the most beautiful gardens in the country. They are designed in the Italian formal terraced style and were used as the lush gardens of Versailles in season 2. Although you can visit the gardens, the castle itself is closed to the public. (ww w.drummondcastlegardens.co.uk).

The most impressive location is Culloden Moor where the Battle of Culloden was fought in 1746 and where around 1000 highlanders were killed in just a few hours. Season 2 takes us to the events prior to the uprising. We meet Prince Charlie and his plan to recapture the throne. We meet Black Jack Randall again and the fight on Culloden Moor. In the visitor center on Culloden Moor you can read how the battle actually took place and outside you can see the memorial stones that were erected for each clan.

This is the most important location for those who are in love with the romance of Jamie and Claire. Here in A. Malcolm's Print Shop, Jamie and Claire find each other again, after years of separation, in the third season. Who has not shed a tear when Claire steps into the print shop and sees Jamie again. The scenes in and around the print shop were filmed at multiple locations. The exterior is Bakehouse Close near the Royal Mile of Edinburgh. If you were hoping to take a look at Jamie's print shop, you're out of luck. The interior has been created in a studio just outside of Glasgow, with attention to every historically important detail. There are two working printing presses and hundreds of antique and reconstructed stamps.

In season 3, Claire and Frank Randall moved with their daughter Brianna to Boston in the 1960s,  The cast and crew however didn't fly across the Atlantic to film scenes in Boston. Instead, they used Glasgow University to film scenes that took place at Harvard University, where Frank taught. Glasgow University is one of the oldest universities in the UK and was founded in 1451. The iconic arches that can be found in the monasteries of the university are also included in the show.

After a frightening attack on their camp on the river, Jamie and Claire are on their way to a safer accommodation in season 4. They travel to Aunt Jocasta's large plantation house: River Run. In the story, Jamie's mother's sister lives at the Cape Fear River near Cross Creek, North Carolina. In reality, the Outlander crew had to recreate America in Scotland. The façade was specially built on Abercairny Estates, a private estate near Crieff (Scotland), which is often used for weddings and other events. A fan saw the film set and told about the reconstructed facade and the blue top floor, which was later digitally filled in. The interiors were filmed on a set in Glasgow.

In season 4, Claire and Jamie try to find a home in The New World, colonial America around 1760. After exciting adventures, of which I will not tell anything about, they founded Fraser's Ridge in North Carolina. According to Diana Galbaldon, the author of the books, Fraser's Ridge is close to Boone and Blowing Rock. This this season was however mainly filmed in Scotland, so whether there really is a Fraser's Ridge in North Carolina and where the film location is, remains a mystery.

In my webshop you will find a collection of Outlander inspired jewelry, like jewelry with the Scottish thistle, dragonfly in amber earrings en Claire's red earrings from season 2.