As Scottish attractions re-open, here are five unmissable days out from the hit TV series
Palace of Culross, Photo: National Trust for Scotland
Hotels and shops reopened this week in Scotland, with many attractions now open to visitors from the UK. However, dates for international travellers are yet to be confirmed.
“We still want international visitors to keep dreaming of a trip to Scotland,” says Jessica Rideout of VisitScotland. “For anyone planning a trip, take a look at visitscotland.com and you can also find specific Outlander resources too such as the Outlander Film Locations map.”
To help plan your dream tour of Scotland, take a look at the book Scotland an Outlander Tour by Ali Wood, which features all the locations of the hit TV series and explains how to combine these with the country’s top castles, cities, villages, walks and attractions.
Ali Wood, a magazine journalist, wrote the guide – along with Edinburgh an Outlander Tour – whilst travelling the country with her husband and three young children.
“Scotland is an extremely friendly country and easy to travel around with kids,” she says. “Almost every attraction we visited had a children’s area, cafe catering for all tastes, and staff who went out of their way to make you feel welcome.”
Here are Ali’s top 5 picks of Outlander locations that are now open:
01 Edinburgh Old Town
There's no better place to start an Outlander tour than Edinburgh, which is where Claire and Jamie are reunited in S3. I absolutely love the Royal Mile with its maze of quirky cobbled alleyways, old shops and street entertainers. Bakehouse Close is a must-see – it's where Jamie's print shop is. Sadly the Museum of Edinburgh (which is the other side of Jamie's front door!) isn't open just yet, but when it is, it's an absolute must. In the meantime, visit the National Museum of Scotland – plenty of Jacobite memorabilia to keep you going there.
This 17th century stately home is the height of luxury. It’s so grand! I’ve seen many stately homes in my travels, but I think this one – which appears as the Duke of Sandringham’s home – takes the prize for opulence. In contrast, the ‘real Lallybroch’, known as Midhope Castle, on the grounds of the estate, is actually just a lonely old ruin.
The entire village of Culross is like a film-set. It’s hard to believe people actually live in these charming little cottages, which in Outlander appear as Cranesmuir. The Palace of Culross (not really a palace, but a delightful stately home) was a real hit with the kids, and has a great dressing-up room.
The best thing about this imposing castle (apart from the fact it appears as Castle Leoch in Outlander) is that Sam Heughan (who plays Jamie Fraser) actually narrates the audioguide! I loved hearing his recollections of arriving there in the mist with Catrionia Balfe (Claire) on the back of his horse. The mist will probably still be there when you go…
I honestly didn’t think I could enjoy a lonely field as much as I did this one. The kids were fascinated too. Culloden is where Bonnie Prince Charlie was defeated in 1746, the finale of S2 of Outlander, and a key moment in British history. The visitor centre and tour brings it all to life, and the cafe sells great brownies!
Culloden Battlefield. Photo: National Trust for Scotland
For the latest updates and advice around travel restrictions to and from Scotland, please consult www.gov.scot
With over 90 places to see in Scotland an Outlander Tour and 32 in Edinburgh an Outlander Tour, there's plenty to keep Outlander fans busy if they want to visit the real-life locations featured in the hit TV series. These brand new editions also include behind-the-scenes interviews with the people who helped make Outlander happen, plus beautiful full-colour photography, maps and ‘scene-spotter’ tables.
Scotland an Outlander Tour and Edinburgh an Outlander Tour, distributed by Cardinal Publishers Group are available in retailers across the UK, US and Canada, and on Amazon