Outlander tours from Edinburgh

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Outlander tours

Tours start at 10 am . Our private group tours take up to four people to three Outlander filming locations. We also offer bespoke private tours with the option of choosing your own itinerary .

doune castle outlander

Tours start from locations in Edinburgh .
Normal pickup point is Edinburgh city centre from your hotel or accommodation .

Other pickup points can be arranged .

Itinerary

On this tour we visit various locations used for filming the hit series Outlander. Based on the best selling novels by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is filmed in a number of locations in castles and towns in  central Scotland.

The first location on this Outlander tour is the historic town of Falkland. The town is the setting for episode one where Frank and Claire Randall come to Scotland on holiday. Falkland Palace is a historic building and shops and  features can be recognised , including the town square fountain where Frank encounters Jamie Fraser ’s ghost watching Claire through the window.

Falkland is transformed into Inverness for Outlander
Falkland is transformed into Inverness for Outlander

Doune Castle was built in  1400 for the first Duke of Albany and provides the setting for Castle Leoch in Outlander. It was also the set for Winterfell in Game of Thrones and Monty Python’s Holy Grail.

Doune is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Scotland.

blackness castle , outlander tour

Blackness Castle goes back to 1440 . The castle provides the setting for Fort William, as the original fort no longer exists.

The castle is long and narrow because of the shape of the rock on which it is situated and it is sometimes called ‘ the ship that never sailed ‘ . It guards the bay at Blackness and is only a few miles from Linlithgow Palace . The first castle was built in the middle of the 15th century by Sir George Crichton , Earl of Caithness , a member of one of the most powerful families in Scotland . King James II acquired Blackness in 1453 when he annexed the lands of the Crichtons . From then on the castle was mainly used as a prison . In 1543 Cardinal Beaton was held here for a month . Rebuilding started in the 1530s under the direction of Sir James Hamilton of Finnart who also worked at Linlithgow Palace and Stirling Castle . He was instructed to make the castle safe from artillery , and he achieved this by making the south and east walls very thick . A new tower was built at the south end . In the 1560s , in the reign of Mary Queen of Scots , a Spur was built to protect the main gate . In the 1870s the castle was the main ammunition depot for Scotland .The Castle is a popular location for historical re-enactments and has changed little in 600 years . Doune is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Scotland.

Hamlet has scenes filmed at Blackness Castle and Dunnottar Castle.
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Starring: Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Paul Scofield, Alan Bates, Ian Holm, Helena Bonham Carter, John McEnery


Filming of the Outlander TV series has taken place in Scotland . One of Outlander’s first scenes was filmed in the picturesque town of Falkland, which stands in for Inverness in the 1940s . The show is based on American author Diana Gabaldon’s series of historical novels, which sees nurse Claire Beauchamp Randell mysteriously swept back from 1945 to 1743 Highland Scotland
.  Falkland features some familiar sights from the TV series , including  Mrs Baird’s Guesthouses (actually the Covenanter Hotel), the Bruce Fountain where Claire comes across the ghost of Jamie, and the building that doubles as Farrell’s Hardware and Furniture Store.
Most of the filming will take place in Scotland,  according to the show’s executive producer Ron Moore .
Scotland’s stunning landscape, with its rolling hills, rugged mountains, picturesque towns and villages, castles and sprawling beaches has provided the perfect backdrop for the world of cinema.
Executive Producer Ron Moore has commented on Scotland : “The landscape itself is a character in the show. There’s a particular quality to the light in Scotland, even to the grass and the trees.”

The tour spends up to an hour at each location .

  • Travel by saloon car
  • Small private group tour with a maximum of four people

Tour costs – £200 for up to 4 people .

Lunch , refreshments and entrance tickets are not included in the price.

Outlander set locations tour from Edinburgh £200

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Outlander tour of 5 Scottish castles

The Outlander TV series continues to be a smash hit in the UK and America. Outlander season 4 is out now on Amazon Prime  .  Five Scottish castles in particular feature heavily in the Outlander season 4 story lines – Midhope Castle ( Lallybroch ) , Doune Castle ( Castle Leoch ) , Linlithgow Palace  (Wentworth Prison ) , Aberdour Castle ( Sainte Anne de Beaupré’s monastery ) and Blackness Castle ( Fort William army headquarters ) .

1  Midhope Castle – Lallybroch
Those seeking a glimpse of the ancestral home of Jamie Fraser won’t find the real Lallybroch deep in the Highlands.
Scenes were shot at Midhope Castle on the fringes of the Hopetoun Estate near South Queensferry.
Midhope was built in the 15th Century and was built by John Martyne, laird of Medhope. It was rebuilt in the mid 1600s and remains much the same today.
Visitors are asked to admire Midhope from a distance as the interior remains largely derelict.

Midhope Castle is the external location for fictional Lallybroch, the family home of character Jamie Fraser , and it is located on the Hopetoun Estate .  Midhope Castle dates back to the 15th Century and although the exterior is relatively intact the castle is derelict inside

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Doune Castle – Castle Leoch

doune castle , outlanderOriginally dating to the 13th Century, Doune Castle near Stirling plays Castle Leoch, home to Colum MacKenzie and his clan.
It also features in the 20th century episode when Claire and Frank Randall visit the castle on a day trip.
Once a Royal residence, Doune Castle was rebuilt by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany in the late 14th Century.
Doune has appeared several times on screen and was widely used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It also represented the castle Winterfell in Game of Thrones.

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Linlithgow Palace – Wentworth Prison

Linlithgow Palace photos , 44 printThis royal pleasure palace and birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots became the backdrop for some of the most harrowing scenes of the show.
Depicted as Wentworth Prison, the prison corridors and entrance were used in episode 15 of the first series when Jamie Fraser was brutally incarcerated by his adversary, Black Jack Randall.
Built in the 1400s and 1500s, the now-ruined palace is set among the spectacular surrounds of Linlithgow Loch and Peel.

4 Aberdour Castle – Sainte Anne de Beaupré’s monastery

The Kingdom of Fife posed as the north of France in Season One when Aberdour – possibly Scotland’s oldest standing castle, was depicted as The Abbey of Ste. Anne de Beaupré.
The fictional Benedictine monastery is where Jamie Fraser was taken to recover from his ordeal at Wentworth Prison.  Happily, one of his six uncles was an abbot there.
The Old Kitchen and Long Gallery at Aberdour, in the village of Easter Aberdour, feature in the show.
The original hall house of Aberdour was built around 1200 by Alan de Mortimer with the castle largely the creation of the Douglas Earls of Morton, who held Aberdour from the 14th century.

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Blackness Castle – Fort William army headquarters

outlander , blackness castleOne of Scotland’s most impressive strongholds, Blackness Castle near Linlithgow was used as the Fort William headquarters of Black Jack Randall.
The 15th-century ex-artillery fortress overlooks the Firth of Forth and is known as “the ship that never sailed” due to its unusual shape.
It was built in the 15th century by one of Scotland’s most powerful families, the Crichtons.

Outlander tour of five Scottish castles – two to four passengers.
Prices from £180.00 . For bookings phone 07305-294773 or contact us online .

Outlander tours  – Outlander photo gifts

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Outlander the musical ?

DIANA Gabaldon revealed she was once in talks about an Outlander musical – and would one day like to see it hit the stage.

The author was approached by Aberdeen playwright Mike Gibb about making a live version of her books.

She says: “Mike came to me in 2009 as he had it in mind to do an Outlander musical. Some of the songs were really very good. But at that point my agent did the deal with Sony which took two years of negotiations.

“So we had to suspend the musical at that point. I retained my musical drama rights to the books, but there’s a hold-back period in the contract for several years.”

She adds: “But we are approaching that point again where we can consider doing a musical, so we will look around at that then and see where we are.”

However, some of Diana’s followers go to painful lengths to show their devotion.

She said: “I’ve been asked to sign people’s arms with a Sharpie, which they then go and have tattooed on their skin.

“One woman waited for hours to be in line at a book signing. She then took off her shoe and her stocking to show me the tattoo on her foot.

“It was of the running stag brooch that was on the front cover of my book The Fiery Cross on the US and Canadian editions.

“I was like, ‘Well that looks painful.’ She then gave me a Polaroid photo of her foot as a memento.”

Blackness castle ,DIANA Gabaldon writer of Outlander
Blackness Castle

And other followers have left her feeling flushed with success.

She adds: “Someone asked me a question online about the books and it was going to be quite a complicated answer.

“I replied, ‘I will be happy to answer that later as right now I only have two brain cells left and one of those is trying to remember to buy toilet paper.’

“A few days later a big FedEx truck pulls up next to my house and decants 200 rolls of toilet paper from all around the world.

“There was Korean, Japanese, Australian and a lot from the US as well. The Korean toilet paper was pretty cute as it had images of bees on it.”

Then there are the mickey-takes, with Diana left tickled by Burnistoun’s Outlander sketch which featured Jamie McShagger from The Clan McShagger on the new BBC Scotland channel last month.

She laughed: “That was very funny but I’ve seen a lot of parodies of Outlander now. Fans film their own ones too.”

But her followers will be delighted to know that after she completes her 10-part main series she plans to keep Outlander going with a string of potential spin-offs and a prequel.

She joked: “I will die sooner or later, although I think I can make it through to the tenth book.

“But the Outlander effect is now totally outwith my control.

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What is Outlander about ?

Outlander is a historical drama television series based upon author Diana Gabaldon’s historical time travel book series of the same name. Outlander is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Left Bank Pictures for Starz, the show premiered on August 9, 2014. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore , producer of Battlestar Galactica

midhope castle outlander tours
Lallybroch ( Midhope Castle ) . Outlander tours can be booked on 07305-294773

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Caitrina Balfe nominated for Golden Globe

The 39-year-old actress received her fourth Golden Globes nomination on Thursday, for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Claire Randall on “Outlander”. When the annual awards show airs live from Los Angeles next month, Balfe will go up against Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”), Julia Roberts (“Homecoming”) and Keri Russell (“The Americans”).

Shortly after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association revealed the full list of this year’s honorees, Balfe took to Twitter to react to the exciting news.

“Wow, thoroughly shocked and completely ecstatic to hear I am among the nominees for this years @goldenglobes,” Balfe, who was also nominated in the same category in 2016, 2017 and 2018, tweeted. “A HUGE thank you to the HFPA for their continued support and a HUGE congratulations to Julia, Elizabeth, Sandra and Keri, I am beyond proud to be in your company.”

“Mostly, thank you to my incredible fellow actors and the wonderful team of writers, producers and crew on @Outlander_STARZ that push me to my best,” she added. “#GoldenGlobeAwards.”

Wow, thoroughly shocked and completely ecstatic to hear I am among the nominees for this years @goldenglobes A HUGE thank you to the HFPA for their continued support and a HUGE congratulations to Julia, Elizabeth, Sandra and Keri, I am beyond proud to be in your company. But 1/2

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Wow, thoroughly shocked and completely ecstatic to hear I am among the nominees for this years @goldenglobes A HUGE thank you to the HFPA for their continued support and a HUGE congratulations to Julia, Elizabeth, Sandra and Keri, I am beyond proud to be in your company. But 1/2

Mostly, thank you to my incredible fellow actors and the wonderful team of writers, producers and crew on @Outlander_STARZ that push me to my best. #GoldenGlobeAwards

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Although Balfe’s “Outlander” co-star, Sam Heughan, wasn’t nominated for his own Golden Globe, he couldn’t be happier for his onscreen wife.

“CONGRATS LOVELY!!!!!” he gushed on Twitter. “So deserved and what a catagory [sic]. Or should I say Caitagory… #BalfeForTheWin.”

CONGRATS LOVELY!!!!! So deserved and what a catagory. Or should I say Caitagory… #BalfeForTheWin

Congratulations to @caitrionambalfe on her @goldenglobes nomination for Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama for #Outlander! We are so proud.

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Breaking news – Sam Heughan auditioned for James Bond

If you’ve seen the red-haired Sam Heughan on Amazon’s Outlander, then you’ll know that he’s the ultimate action man. It’s perhaps not that surprising then, that he Sam Heughan auditioned for James Bond. He’s been thrust back in time in Outlander and forced into the pressure zone on Doctors, so did the Bond producers miss a trick in opting for Daniel Craig?

“I did audition for Bond a long time ago when they were redoing it with Daniel Craig when he was Bond 21,” Heughan confessed on U.S. show Live With Kelly and Ryan, the Radio Times reports. His appearance was ahead of the fourth season of Outlander, which sees Heughan playing Jamie Fraser, an 18th century Scottish warrior who steals the heart of Claire (played by Catriona Balfe), as well as just about everyone watching at home. So, maybe count your blessings. If Heughan had landed the Die Another Day role, he might not have become the sexy Scottish warrior you thirst over today.

It’s not just the role of James Bond that Heughan’s had bad luck with. As he told Vulture back in 2014, he tried auditioning for Game of Thrones a whopping seven times before settling into his Scottish warrior role. “I auditioned for Renly, Loras,some of the members of the Night’s Watch. And I’d always get so close! I’d be like, ‘Guys, just give me a sword!'” While he didn’t get Bond’s gun or martini, nor Jon Snow’s Longclaw sword, he did finally get a sword when he joined Outlander.

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images News/Getty Images

He revealed in the same interview that he did feel an affinity to Jamie Fraser, as he gushed:

“Something about this one just felt right. This part felt different. I knew this character. I felt a connection with him. I knew where he had come from.”

Even though I’m unable to think of an actor better suited to the role of Fraser (Gerard Butler, maybe?), the pundits — and the actor himself — aren’t letting go of the idea that Heughan could be the next Bond. “I’ve always wanted to play James Bond. It’s a part of every British actor’s legacy,” he told the Sunday Post back in July.

As the Sunday Post also reported, Heughan’s odds to play 007 were once a beefy 50/1, but those were slashed when he played a spoof spy role alongside Mila Kunis in The Spy Who Dumped Me, which was released in the UK back in July. “Are you really in the running for James Bond? Please say yes,” he was asked by a fan during a Facebook Live interview back in July, as The Scottish Sun reported. “Well if you would like me to, of course I will. I feel like I’ve got the tuxedo and I’ve got the car from this movie so I could just take them with me,” he reportedly answered, referring to his role in The Spy Who Dumped Me. We all know about Bond’s deep Scottish roots, so it wouldn’t be any surprise if Jamie becomes James ( Bond , James Bond )

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Appeal started for century-old fishing boat that played a star role in Outlander

An appeal has been launched to complete the restoration of a unique century-old fishing boat that played a star role in time-shift drama Outlander.

Outlander news from Outlander tours Scotland .

reaper Outlander tours Scotland
Reaper – Outlander tours Scotland

Reaper is the last surviving Scottish herring lugger, or Fifie, and one of the few National Historic Ships fleet that has been kept in a seagoing condition. Reaper, with its distinctive red sail, is emblematic of the east coast herring industry. Built around 1901-03, the 70ft vessel has been the flagship of the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Fife for more than 40 years. The vessel has itself served as a floating museum, touring more than 50 ports across the UK and hosting more than 180,000 visitors.

But despite a series of repairs and refits over the years, major work has been required to keep Reaper seaworthy and its condition has been found to be worse than anticipated. And despite a £500,000 grant from the Scottish Government last year, an extra £25,000 is required to finish the job at the Babcock yard in Rosyth that started last November. It is hoped this will be completed next June so Reaper can make a triumphant return home to mark the Anstruther museum’s 50th birthday by leading a flotilla of historic boats down the Forth.

Museum director of operations Ian Goodyear said: “Reaper is hugely significant boat for the nation. In 2015, it was realised the boat required an extensive renovation to preserve it for the next 30 years and continue its outreach programme. Due to the nature of the vessel, it now requires even more work than was first surveyed and further funds are required to complete phase one.” Work will include renewing the hull timbers and replacing those on the deck, using larch from the same north-east forest whose wood was used in its construction at Sandhaven, near Fraserburgh.

Reaper, with its distinctive red sail, played a key role in Outlander as the boat used by central characters Claire and Jamie to escape to France. Chris Oliver, a retired surgeon who has become a volunteer at the museum’s boatyard that will complete phase two, said: “Reaper is sorely missed and we are always asked when it is coming back. “These historic boats were such an important part of the local fishing communities.” Phase two will include painting and fitting out a new cabin. Some 10-20 per cent of the original boat will be retained.

Read more at: https://www.scotsman.com/regions/edinburgh-fife-lothians/outlander-boat-reaper-needs-another-25k-to-keep-seaworthy-1-4800560

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Outlander series 4 trailer

The full trailer for Outlander season 4 is here. Starring Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe as star-crossed lovers, Jamie and Claire, the historical time travel series is based on Diana Gabaldon’s series of novels of the same name. Debuting in 2014, the show has slowly built its own fan community who are passionate about what comes next for the couple. After nine months since its third season wrapped up, the rollout of this brand new look is proof that Droughtlander is nearly over and loyal viewers cannot be more thrilled.

outlander series 4 trailer

Watch the Outlander series 4 trailer here .

Season 4 will mine narrative inspiration from Gabaldon’s fourth book titled Drums of Autumn which follows Jamie and Claire to the American colonies. It can be remembered that season 3 ended with the two washed up in Georgia after surviving the shipwreck.  Initially hoping that they’ll be able to build a better life in their new location, the couple will settle at River Run, the home of Jamie’s Aunt Jocasta (Marie Doyle Kennedy). Unfortunately, little did they know that fresh danger awaits them, and with no trusted ally, they find themselves having no one to rely on but each other.

lallybroch castle tours

Lallybroch castle, ancestral home of Jamie Fraser . Outlander tours

 

Posted on Starz’s official YouTube account is the official trailer for Outlander season 4. It follows the release of a first-look teaser back in July and includes several of the scenes that were previously shown, as well as never-before-seen sequences from the upcoming outing. However, the biggest takeaway from the clip is Bree, played by Sophie Skelton (who is still in the 1900s and getting closer to Roger, played by Richard Rankin), in Craigh na Dun getting ready to travel back in time. Watch the full video above.

Since the emotional season 2 finale where Jamie had to send a pregnant Claire to her own timeline before the Battle of Culloden began, fans have been eagerly waiting for him to meet his daughter. Despite having not met, Jamie knows what Bree looks like thanks to the photos Claire brought with her when she went back in time to look for her Scottish lover. Readers of Gabaldon’s books know how significant it is in the overall story (not to mention emotional) when the two finally see each other face-to-face. Luckily, fans won’t have to wait for too long since it’s confirmed that the much-anticipated meeting will take place sometime in the upcoming outing. It’ll be curious to know, however, if Starz has any plans of changing elements of their encounter. For the most part, the people behind the series have been doing a good job in closely following the books, which is greatly appreciated by those who were fans of the novels first.

Whether Jamie and Brianna meet early or late in the season, fans won’t have to worry that there won’t be enough time to explore their eventual relationship. Outlander scored another two season-renewal (12 episodes each) back in May which means that at least The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes will be translated to the small screen.