markdown:
Finally!!!
Check out @Outlander_STARZ’s Tweet:
[https://twitter.com/Outlander_STARZ/status/884836013574688769?s=09](https://twitter.com/Outlander_STARZ/status/884836013574688769?s=09) ![ outlander-s01e11-the-devils-mark-1080p-mkv_003413911](https://carrielt21.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/outlander-s01e11-the-devils-mark-1080p-mkv_003413911.jpg?w=562)
*Craigh na Dun, ep111, “The Devil’s Mark.” Image by STARZ/Sony Pictures Television*
Finally!!!
Check out @Outlander_STARZ’s Tweet:
[https://twitter.com/Outlander_STARZ/status/884836013574688769?s=09](https://twitter.com/Outlander_STARZ/status/884836013574688769?s=09) *Craigh na Dun, ep111, “The Devil’s Mark.” Image by STARZ/Sony Pictures Television*
I thought I could fit it all in one
[final post](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-6/), but that proved to be a mighty miscalculation. I had far too much to say about the *Outlander* tour alone–big surprise!–and I still plan to provide an overall series wrap-up. In fact, this post is so substantial, with pictures and tons of *Outlander*-related resources, I thought it best to include a table of contents. Get ready for everything (else) you need to know to create the best * Outlander* adventure for you and yours!
The
[final post](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-6/) is forthcoming. If you missed any of the first 4 parts of the series *An Outlander Tourist in Scotland*, you can find them in my blog’s Scotland and *Outlander* sections, linked through [Scotland Ventured, Scotland Gained](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/10/10/scotland-ventured-scotland-gained/), or in direct links to [Part 1](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/12/01/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-1/), [Part 2](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/12/23/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-2/), [Part 3](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/02/11/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-3/), and [Part 4](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-4/). The first 3 parts showcase 37 filming & book locations with several photos. Part 4 details my trip planning process with snapshots of our planned vs. actual itineraries and reflections on the quality of our Scotland vacation experience. This post, a.k.a. part 5, includes a succinct list of 40 *Outlander* filming sites. Read on for more!
**Table of Contents**
All images © C. L. Tangenberg
I started my tour search by perusing Diana Gabaldon’s recommended
*Outlander *tour companies, discussed on [her website](http://www.dianagabaldon.com/resources/outlander-based-tours-of-scotland/). I sought a company that offered tours of more than half a day but less than 3 days so we could balance official * Outlander* tourism with exploring Scotland more generally. My first choice was Inverness Tours, but by the time the dates of our trip became settled, there were no tours of the right length available among those led by their four tour guides who work year round. Inverness Tours has long been a popular tour company with *Outlander* fans.
Moving on to
[Slainte Scotland](http://slaintescotland.com/) *Outlander* tour. After a few messages back and forth, and a chat with a very helpful representative, I learned the likelihood of visiting West Kirk (the Black Kirk) in Culross and the all-important Midhope Castle (Lallybroch), and I carefully parsed the schedule of stops to ensure we’d have time to make it to our 7:30pm play showing in Edinburgh that evening.
Satisfied with all the circumstances, I decided to take the plunge and booked our tickets for the tour.
**Slainte Scotland** made a great first impression by being prompt, informative, enthusiastic, and professional in their communications. They provided the detail needed to help make our day flow as smoothly as possible.
The day started on our own with a train ride from Edinburgh to Dalmeny Station, our meeting place for the start of the tour. Slainte Scotland day tours allow travellers from both Glasgow and Edinburgh to converge on a central location for sites in the wider area. Dalmeny is located in South Queensferry, a stone’s throw from the Firth of Forth, about 20 minutes by train northward from Edinburgh’s Waverley Station in the valley opposite the Princes Street Gardens between Old Town (south) and New Town (north).
**The Slainte Scotland Outlander Day Tour** we enjoyed on September 17th was a
Each site’s inherent charms, curiosities, and historical intrigues await your discovery.
**Midhope Castle**, the exteriors and grounds of which served as the site of the Fraser home of Broch Tuarach, or “north-facing tower” in Gaelic, is known affectionately by those who call it home in the series as Lallybroch. The building itself is hazardous to enter, so the entrance is locked to visitors. The interiors of Lallybroch were constructed and filmed at LBP Outlander, Ltd., the * Outlander* studios at Wardpark North in Cumbernauld, to the east outside Glasgow.
Visitors may be surprised to find a couple of houses in close proximity to the building, but you might enjoy reading a bit on the way to the castle about the history of the family that used to live in and now cares for the estate. When we visited, it was the last day of public access before a solid month of filming for
*Outlander* series 3 two days later. Preparations were in evidence with the plastic tarp and orange cones covering the threshold, along with equipment set up beside the castle.
Note the electric poles and wires they have to edit out of final shots. Jamie’s ep102 flashback to BJR’s visit to the estate, where it starts on the hill as Jamie sorts the hay, and Jamie’s ep113 confrontation with Tarran McQuarrie’s lackeys of the Watch in the Lallybroch stables were filmed behind the castle and up the hill at this location.
**Blackness Castle** was one of my favorite attractions in all of Scotland, not just from the *Outlander* tour. As our tour guide Catriona explained, “Blackness” describes not the mood of the castle but the color of a specific type of land form on which the castle was built, called a “ness,” meaning a “promontory; a cape or headland” ( [https://glosbe.com/en/gd/ness](https://glosbe.com/en/gd/ness)). With the sun shining down on it, the tide out stranding a smattering of sail and fishing boats, and a view across the shore and the firth, our time at Blackness Castle was nothing but bright and cheerful.
Said to be haunted, the prisoners’ tower I left to my husband’s exploration–I didn’t want to climb all those steps. Our guide Catriona (pictured) showed us where the platform staging Jamie’s flogging by Captain Randall was set up. It was interesting to see how much uplifted rock protruded into the floor of the courtyard of this very intact, ship-shaped castle.
There was much to explore and there were hazards to avoid as we climbed in and out of the corridors and doorways, down steep steps and along the terraces framing the top level. Catriona also showed us the location where Jamie and Murtagh question the English soldier rather rudely as to the whereabouts of the “Englishwoman,” Claire.
**Royal Burgh of Falkland**, a National Trust Scotland site, offered a little eerie magic at the Bruce Fountain in the town center. Here in ep101, we see the back of Ghost Jamie watching night-gowned Claire through the second-floor window of Mrs. Baird’s B&B as she brushes the tangles out of her hair. Moments later, Frank walks up to him in the rain, and he disappears. I couldn’t resist a little mimicry of the scene.
The lunch at the Covenanter Hotel was simple but acceptable (I had tomato soup and a tuna sandwich), although service was a little slow. They were not particularly expecting us and seemed to accommodate us but grudgingly, based on the comments of our tour guide at the time. This delay may have contributed in part to our skipping West Kirk as the final stop in the tour.
Falkland Palace was visible across the main street from the hotel, and on the opposite end of the town square was the furniture store that served Claire’s window shopping of vases in ep101. Our guide Catriona had the opportunity to be an extra background actor in series 1 and described the freezing cold conditions of working on set that day. We walked a bit through town on our way back to where they had parked the vans after dropping us off in the center of town.
The sunshine enhanced our enjoyment as we passed a tavern where Catriona pointed out a sign outside that Àdhamh Ò Broin had told her misspells a Gaelic word, comically altering the translation from “a thousand welcomes” (
*ceud mile failte*) to “a thousand smells” ( *ceud mile faile*). Whether the proprietors were Scots, English, or other, it proved that even the locals lose themselves in translation sometimes. **Doune Castle** first became widely known overseas from its use in the film *Monty Python and the Holy Grail*. Now, complimentary audio guides at the castle impart insights about filming experiences from both Terry Jones of Monty Python and Sam Heughan, who plays *Outlander*‘s Jamie Fraser. Castle Leoch’s great hall and some other interiors found form on constructed sets at the studios, but the raw materials at Doune provided the courtyard, steps from the castle, exterior shots of the castle, and scans of the surrounding countryside. Monty Python used the interiors heavily for *Holy Grail*. Another well-preserved structure, Doune Castle was an impressive element of the tour.
At the close of our Doune visit,
**Slainte Scotland** provided samples of 15-year-old Dalwhinnie (Highland) single-malt Scotch whisky. A little fiery going down, but still smooth and a good introductory single malt, Dalwhinnie became one of two whiskies my husband and I took home with us from duty free.
An unusual aspect of our tour that day was the presence of the tour guides’ three children and their German shepherd puppy (pictured in the Falkland section above). Their arrival in Dalmeny was slightly delayed due to complications in the aftermath of unavailable daycare. The kids were well behaved and charming. One spoke Gaelic from attending a Gaelic school and also sang us a song. It was equally delightful to meet and chat with our fellow
*Outlander* tourists from England, Kentucky, and Germany.
While our van held two of the the three kids and Catriona, the other was driven by her husband with the puppy and the other American group as passengers. While we tasted our whisky, the kids were off running, inducing the dog to whine so as to join in the fun. Overall, from our point of view, the impromptu adjustment worked out well. I’m sure it helped that we love dogs and are perfectly contented with good kids around.
**Royal Burgh of Culross** **.** At the witching hour before sunset, we arrived in old Culross, National Trust Scotland site of series filming for exteriors of Crainsmuir village. We drove past the distinctive yellow buildings of the Palace into the square of the [mercat cross](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercat_cross) where the exterior of Geillis Duncan’s house and the pillory were filmed. We stayed only briefly, and driving was particularly tricky in the narrow streets of this well-preserved old village. Cars kept coming down a hill into the village square, forcing our van to back up a couple of different times before successfully making it all the way up the hill. Such is life in old towns with one-track, or one-lane, streets that go both ways.
For
*Outlander* series 1 filming, the Culross Palace Garden doubled as the Castle Leoch herb garden, the Mercat Cross stood in for the village of Cranesmuir, and visual effects fused the Palace Garden with the backdrop of Doune Castle to bring Crainsmuir and Leoch together. The Study building (in white) was Geillis Duncan’s house, and the Culross Palace Withdrawing Room became Geillis’ drawing room. In series 2, the Palace Courtyard provided the main stair where Claire practices dentistry while Jamie meets with Bonnie Prince Charlie, while the Palace High Hall was used for the Jacobite meeting where Jamie swears his oath to the Prince. Then, the Palace’s Kings Room became Jamie and Claire’s bedroom when visiting a village, and the Palace’s Kitchen and Pantry served as the tavern bearing wanted posters, and the Bennet House outside it, in ep211, “Vengeance Is Mine.” See where Jamie & Claire stood: [http://www.nts.org.uk/](http://www.nts.org.uk/Outlander/Culross-Palace/) [O](http://www.nts.org.uk/Outlander/Culross-Palace/) [utlander](http://www.nts.org.uk/Outlander/Culross-Palace/) [/Culross-Palace/](http://www.nts.org.uk/Outlander/Culross-Palace/).
Although I had hoped we would venture nearby to West Kirk (the Black Kirk), time constraints and fading daylight robbed us of the chance, so we worked our way southward again, back across the Firth of Forth, to Dalmeny, South Queensferry, to catch the train back to Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. On our way back to Dalmeny, Catriona played a mix of songs by Scottish artists, old and new, which added to the festive mood.
I took a final opportunity to ask Catriona about Hopetoun House, the estate of which we passed on our return path. She provided the insight that a visit there would require at least 2 hours, whereas one could take in all of Linlithgow Palace in about an hour. These details helped us make decisions about where to go in our trip’s final days.
**Summary Review of Outlander Day Tour with Slainte Scotland
**
This exciting 9-hour tour with
**Slainte Scotland** was led by Owner and Managing Director of Clyde Coast Tourism Ltd., proud Scot, and *Outlander* STARZ TV series extra–the lively, lovely, and knowledgeable pro tour guide Catriona Stevenson. Assisted by her husband and fellow driver, the small group experience allowed time and attention for individual questions and interests. Although the tour path altered slightly from the order of advertisement, in the end we had no regrets.
Mirroring positive first impressions, the
**Slainte Scotland** experience met and exceeded all expectations. The tour ran smoothly, and they made it insightful and fun. Visiting time at each site was ample and enjoyable, and Catriona was uniquely qualified to provide glimpses of behind-the-scenes facts about the *Outlander* TV series, including her encounters with its stars and crew. This tour also served as our official primer on *Outlander* filming locations, which we further pursued on our own afterwards. *
The sun was setting as we alighted on the train platform in Dalmeny. That evening at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, we attended a vibrant performance by the Dundee Rep Theatre of a 20th-century, ceilidh-style historical and political play
*The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black, Black Oil*, which kept us awake even after an all-day tour and with jet lag setting in from the day before. Seeing this play early in the trip provided essential perspective on the past 200 years of Scottish-English relations and politics, which we could then reflect on as we traveled the country.
* One particular
*Outlander* visit I arranged directly with the property manager, Sarah Chambers, was to **Glencorse Old Kirk**, location of Claire and Jamie’s wedding in ep107. Through email and then mobile texting upon arrival on the grounds, we settled on a day and time, around 2:45pm on 21 September, for a brief look through and around the kirk.
We were staying in Arrochar at the time and had just visited the incomparable Stirling Castle that morning. Sarah asked in advance for a donation of 20 pounds, which we gladly provided, and she showed us a scrapbook of filming pictures not seen online. She also pointed out how the grounds and interior were used in the making of ep107, sharing her personal observations of the occasion.
Many visitors and some journalists have mistaken the Glencorse House for the Glencorse Parish Church as the building used for the wedding. The actual site is downhill and behind a gate from the house. It’s a little hidden and difficult to find, even with assistance, and it requires permission to access. But if you’re all about the wedding, Glencorse a great little addition to an itinerary. Incidentally, they also regularly host weddings at the church and receptions at the house. See the
[Glencorse House facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/Glencorse-House-221253517908272/?pnref=lhc) for a flavor of their work.
These were Sarah’s directions, which we had to alter slightly coming from Stirling Castle instead of from Edinburgh:
Directions from Edinburgh: Take A701 toward Penicuik. After you pass the Ikea, continue past the Nissan garage at the traffic lights. Then, there are 2 roundabouts till Gowkleymoss roundabout (very large). Continue on the small dual carriageway w/ Glencorse Golf Club on left, then very shortly Fisher’s Tryst pub on the left. Directly opposite the pub, take the road to the right signposted Glencorse Kirk. The large church on the brow of the hill is NOT us. Continue round the corner, to the bottom of the hill: you’ve arrived! Total of about 2 miles from Ikea.
The property is owned by the McCaig family, and our contact was Sarah Chambers (McCaig), daughter of the owners. Glencorse Old Parish Church, or Glencorse Old Kirk, is located in the foothills of the Pentland Hills south of Edinburgh and north of Penicuik, Midlothian. The address is the town of Milton Bridge, EH26 0NZ. Tel: 01968 676 406. Email:
[in](mailto:info@glencorsehouse.com) [fo@glencorsehouse.com](mailto:info@glencorsehouse.com). Glencorse House: [http://www.glencorsehouse.co.uk/](http://www.glencorsehouse.co.uk/).
After our visit at Glencorse, we enjoyed exploring the iconic Rosslyn Chapel in nearby Roslin, site of key scenes in the filming of
*The Da Vinci Code*.
Previous posts have touched on our experiences of
[Linlithgow Palace (Wentworth Prison)](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/10/20/linlithgow-palace-aka-wentworth-prison/) and other *Outlander*-related sites not included in our guided tour. See the previous parts in the series *An Outlander Tourist in Scotland*, organized by region, for comments and pictures about the following book and filming locations we sampled:
I also provide insights with photo captions at
[Scottish Color: A Photo Essay](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/10/12/scottish-color-a-photo-essay/). **Slainte Scotland** offers several different kinds of their most popular day tours including the Loch Lomond and Trossachs Day Tour, Whisky Distillery Tour, Glencoe Day Tour, Loch Ness Day Tour, South of Edinburgh Tour, and a selection of *Outlander* Day Tours. However, they are open to interests in other destinations, and some tours can be personalized. Their website’s site map also has sections for Whisky Tours, a Luxury Tour, a Private Tour, Cruise Ship Shore Excursions, and a tour search page.
On TripAdvisor, the management company for Slainte Scotland, called
**Clyde Coast Tourism Ltd.**, features over 100 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, and has earned TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence, awarded to attractions that consistently receive great reviews from travelers.
Visit
[http://slaintescotland.com/](http://slaintescotland.com/) and [http://slaintescotland.com/day-tours.html](http://slaintescotland.com/day-tours.html) for more information.
*Outlander* Day Tours at [http://slaintescotland.com/outlander-tours-of-scotland.html](http://slaintescotland.com/outlander-tours-of-scotland.html) describes the packages for the *Outlander* Day Trip, *Outlander* 3 Day Tour, *Outlander* 7 Day Tour, and *Outlander* 5 Day Tour.
In addition, a new offering from
**Slainte Scotland** this year is [a special Outlander tour](http://slaintescotland.com/outlander-tours-of-scotland/outlander-tour-with-special-guests.html) featuring actor Scott Kyle ( [Outlander-Based Tours of Scotland – DianaGabaldon.com](http://www.dianagabaldon.com/resources/outlander-based-tours-of-scotland/) – Herself explains the purpose of her list, provides disclaimers, and describes how the selected companies made the list.
**Slainte Scotland (Catriona Stevenson and co.)** [ – Are you a fan of Diana Gabaldon’s Slainte Scotland – Outlander Tours | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/info/tours/slainte-scotland-outlander-tours-p1182021) [Outlander Day Tours from Edinburgh and Glasgow – Scottish Tours and Private Hire – Slainte Scotland Tours](http://slaintescotland.com/outlander-tours-of-scotland/outlander-day-tour.html) – [Outlander Tours, Outlander filming location Tour, Outlander Tour Scotland – Scottish Tours and Private Hire – Slainte Scotland Tours](http://slaintescotland.com/outlander-tours-of-scotland.html) – **Inverness Tours (Hugh Allison and co.)** [Outlander Tours, based on Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series](http://www.invernesstours.com/outlander-front-page.html)
[Outlander – Inverness Tours – All Day Diana Gabaldon Outlander Special Tour](http://www.invernesstours.com/s03-diana-gabaldon-outlander-tour.html) (This was the tour my friend took and greatly enjoyed in July 2016. Stops include Clava Cairns, Culloden, Inverness, as well as Beauly Priory, Castle Leod, Rogie Falls, and Loch Garve.)
**Clans & Castles **(clansandcastles.com/gabaldon.htm) – [Clans & Castles – self-guided itinerary for fans of Diana Gabaldon ‘s novels](http://www.clansandcastles.com/gabaldon.htm) – Clans & Castles itinerary for fans of Diana Gabaldon’s novels. Will you walk through the split stone? **Borders Journeys** (bordersjourneys.co.uk) – *Outlander* – Preston Mill – *Outlander* Film Set – Borders Journeys – Tailor made private guided sightseeing and ancestral tours of Scotland. Specialising in Dumfries & Galloway and Scottish Borders. [Outlander tour – Rosalyn’s Ancestral & Outlander Tour – Borders Journeys.](http://www.bordersjourneys.co.uk/2016/06/15/rosalyns-ancestral-outlander-tour/) [Outlander Road Trip – Borders Journeys.](http://www.bordersjourneys.co.uk/2016/03/27/outlander-road-trip/)
Borders Journeys has also taken tourists to Glencorse Old Kirk, among other southern and central filming locations.
**Outlandish Journeys** (outlandishjourneys.com) – [Outlander – Tour Options – Outlandish Journeys](http://www.outlandishjourneys.com/tour-options.html) – Tour Options available with Outlandish Journeys
[ (outlandertour.co.uk) – Outlander – TV Series Tour – Outlander Tour](http://www.outlandertour.co.uk/outlander-tv-series-tour/) [Discovering Outlander](http://www.nts.org.uk/Outlander/Preston-Mill/) – National Trust Scotland
I checked out at least four other companies online last summer, but there are probably dozens. One of those four was Vacation Scotland, included in Diana’s list. Her description was compelling, but I was put off by their outdated website presentation and place name misspellings. Further perusing signaled to me a company I wouldn’t personally pursue. Although I didn’t include them here, you may find expertise and other facets that make up for the shaky first impression. Another company steered me away by their emphasis on Ireland tours.
I recommend finding a company that has specialized in
*Outlander* tours for several years prior to the show’s premier and those that have a genuine special interest in the series, a unique approach, or a special focus. They’re more likely to deliver a bit of the magic viewers and readers receive from the series. For instance, it was very interesting to me to hear about Catriona’s acting and running into the cast on more than one occasion. She also knows Àdhamh Ò Broin, official Gaelic language consultant for the show, with whom we explored Argyll on 20 September, three days after our *Outlander* tour.
For other tour possibilities, go to
[Outlander Tour Search Results – VisitScotland.](https://www.visitscotland.com/search-results?freesearch=outlander+tour&freesearch-go=Submit+Query) [Outlander – Filming Locations in Scotland | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/attractions/tv-film/outlander/#) – includes a link to their pdf (below) with labeled map and site snippets, a section on *Outlander* book sites including Inverness, highlights of *Outlander*-related culture and history, and links to other TV, film, and literary tourism opportunities. [Outlander film locations – outlander-film-locations.pdf](http://static.visitscotland.com/pdf/outlander-film-locations.pdf) – a great guide available through the above page at VisitScotland; a full-color map of numbered sites mainly in Scotland’s central belt, each number corresponding to a succinct but helpful blurb about a location accompanied by an identifying picture of the actual site. A total of 29 listed as of this post–vastly updated since summer 2016! Also accessible through [Outlander map | VisitScotland](http://www.visitscotland.com/en-us/about/arts-culture/outlander/map/) [Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander TV series filmed in Scotland – VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/blog/scotland/outlander/) (2013 article) [Outlander – 14 Scottish Places All “Outlander” Fans Must Visit](https://www.buzzfeed.com/hilarywardle/scout-aboutlander?utm_term=.qy9VBv5jG#.numlzLN7q) (Buzzfeed.com, 2015) – Never seen Outlander? You should visit these stunning Scottish locations anyway. Warning: Mild Season 1 spoilers ahead… (Episode shots alongside tourism photos of each site.)
[Outlander’s Cast and Crew’s Favorite Filming Locations | Travel + Leisure](http://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/tv-movies/outlander-cast-and-crew-favorite-locations?iid=sr-link1#kinloch-rannoch-scotland) (interview, 2016) – The masterminds behind the Starz hit spoke to T+L the best places they went on the job. [Where is Outlander filmed? Top 5 Scottish locations in season 2](http://www.scotsman.com/heritage/people-places/scots-tourism-feels-outlander-effect-of-hit-tv-show-1-3933138) (radiotimes.com, 2015) Gary Rose goes for a spin in the Highlands, taking in the Culloden battlefield, the town that doubles as Cranesmuir and a working medieval village [Outlander – Five must-visit Outlander filming locations – The Scotsman](http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/tv-radio/five-must-visit-outlander-filming-locations-1-4017677) (2016) [7 Outlander sights you need to visit in Scotland this year – Daily Record](http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now/7-outlander-sights-you-need-9566564?ptnr_rid=%20&icid=CommunicatorEmail_ScotlandNow) (2017) [LBP Outlander Ltd, Wyndford Road, Cumbernauld, Wardpark North, Glasgow, UK – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/@55.9024035,-4.1759461,12z) [Pollok Country Park – Glasgow City Council](https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=16592)
[A Visit to Pollok Country Park](http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/burrell-collection/more-museum/Pages/default.aspx)
[Pollok House](http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Pollok-House/#) [Hopetoun locations map](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?usp=sharing&mid=1Jyo_rwWlSZ59pAfpb7UDpmzBhW4)
[Outlander at Midhope (Lallybroch) – Hopetoun](http://hopetoun.co.uk/corporate-events/media-location/outlander-at-hopetoun/) (hopetoun.co.uk – Hopetoun House and estate includes Hopetoun Farm Shop and Midhope Castle among its properties.)
[Midhope Castle, Abercorn – Queensferry – West Lothian – Scotland | British Listed Buildings](http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-630-midhope-castle-abercorn)
[You searched for Midhope – Hopetoun](http://hopetoun.co.uk/?s=Midhope)
[Outlander at Hopetoun – Hopetoun](http://hopetoun.co.uk/corporate-events/media-location/outlander-at-hopetoun/)
[House and Grounds – Hopetoun](http://hopetoun.co.uk/house-and-grounds/)
[Grounds and Wildlife – Hopetoun](http://hopetoun.co.uk/house-and-grounds/grounds-and-trails/)
[Hopetoun Farm Shop – Butchery, Deli, Bakery near Edinburgh](http://hopetoun.co.uk/farm-shop/)
[Hopetoun-Farm-Shop-Broxburn-to-Midhope-Castle-Google-Maps.pdf](http://hopetoun.co.uk/wp-hopetoun-house/wp-content/uploads/Hopetoun-Farm-Shop-Broxburn-to-Midhope-Castle-Google-Maps.pdf) [Blackness Castle](http://visitwestlothian.co.uk/see-do/history-heritage/blackness-castle/) (visitwestlothian.co.uk)
[Blackness Castle](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/blackness-castle/) (historicenvironmentscotland.scot) [Bo’ness And Kinneil Railway – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bo'ness,+Falkirk,+UK/@56.0100804,-3.6141306,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4887d652b0fb7533:0xda531a858ce9ddd4!8m2!3d56.0130175!4d-3.6035156?hl=en) [Glencorse House: ](http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-7454-glencorse-old-glencorse-kirk-glencorse#.V2xRB57suBs) [http://www.glencorsehouse.co.uk/](http://www.glencorsehouse.co.uk/).
[Glencorse, Old Glencorse Kirk – Penicuik – Midlothian – Scotland | British Listed Buildings](http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-7454-glencorse-old-glencorse-kirk-glencorse#.V2xRB57suBs)
[Glencorse Old Kirk – Outlander Film Set – Borders Journeys – Tailor made private guided sightseeing and ancestral tours of Scotland. Specialising in Dumfries & Galloway and Scottish Borders](http://www.bordersjourneys.co.uk/2016/03/08/glencorse-old-kirk-outlander-film-set/)
[Glencorse, Old Parish Church | ScotlandsPlaces](http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/record/rcahms/51868/glencorse-old-parish-church/rcahms) [City Tours Edinburgh | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/info/tours/city-tours-edinburgh-p1071261)
[Royal Mile and Grassmarket | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/royal-mile-and-grassmarket-p918401)
[Palace of Holyroodhouse](https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse) (Edinburgh)
[Edinburgh and Stirling castles ranked in UK’s top 10 best-loved castles – Scotland Now](http://www.scotlandnow.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/edinburgh-stirling-castles-ranked-uks-8345256?ptnr_rid=694436&icid=CommunicatorEmail_ScotlandNow)
[Discover Edinburgh Castle](http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/discover)
[Parks and gardens – Meadows | The City of Edinburgh Council](https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory_record/164120/meadows) [Preston Mill & Phantassie Doocot](http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Preston-Mill-and-Phantassie-Doocot/) (NTS)
[Discovering Outlander](http://www.nts.org.uk/Outlander/Preston-Mill/) – Preston Mill brief profile, National Trust Scotland (NTS)
[Outlander – Preston Mill’s Outlander | National Trust for Scotland USA](https://www.ntsusa.org/2015/07/lallybroch-preston-mills-outlander-makeover/) (ntsusa.org detailed article about the scene) – In June 2014, 150 cast and crew members from the hit TV show *Outlander* set up camp at the NTS Property Preston Mill and Phantassie Doocot. *Outlander* – Preston Mill – *Outlander* Film Set – Borders Journeys – Tailor made private guided sightseeing and ancestral tours of Scotland. Specialising in Dumfries & Galloway and Scottish Borders.
[Aberdour Castle | VisitScotland](http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/1641/name/Culross+West+Church+Culross+Fife)
Dysart Harbour –
[The Harbourmasters House, Hot Pot Wynd, Dysart, Kirkcaldy KY1 2TQ, United Kingdom – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fife+Coast+%26+Countryside+Trust/@56.1229659,-3.1236628,18z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x4887b4f75afcd0d5:0x74f2d49b666587f8!2sHot+Pot+Wynd,+Dysart,+Kirkcaldy,+Fife+KY1,+UK!3b1!8m2!3d56.1241022!4d-3.1245479!3m4!1s0x0:0x3ac4830ad7572031!8m2!3d56.123478!4d-3.1238287) [Black Kirk | My Outlander Adventure](https://myoutlanderadventure.com/tag/black-kirk/#jp-carousel-210) [Royal Burgh of Culross | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/royal-burgh-of-culross-p239441)
[Culross Palace, Townhouse & Study | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/culross-palace-townhouse-study-p250721)
[Culross West Church – Culross, Fife – Places of Worship in Scotland | SCHR](http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/1641/name/Culross+West+Church+Culross+Fife) [Falkland Palace & Garden](http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Falkland-Palace-and-Garden/) – National Trust Scotland (NTS) [Attractions near The Covenanter Hotel](http://www.covenanterfalkland.co.uk/links.html) [Finnich Glen – Devil’s Pulpit – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Newtonmore,+UK/@57.0651468,-4.6788068,9z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x488f312bc0a54cb1:0xd4963272e84fac45!8m2!3d57.066379!4d-4.121542) [Doune Castle](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/doune-castle/) (HES) [Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust | Pages | Perthshire Big Tree Country](http://www.pkct.org/Pages/Category/perthshire-big-tree-country)
[Rannoch_Path_Network_Leaflet.pdf](https://www.pkct.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=2d30538f-8595-4b78-a24f-eebc259f75ab%20)
[Walkhighlands: Start of Loch Rannoch Forest walk](http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/directions.php?w=18)
[Kinloch Rannoch, Tummel Bridge, Loch Rannoch, walking holidays, wildlife watching, fishing, highland clans](http://www.rannochandtummel.co.uk/)
[Places to Visit from the Dunalastair Estate Holiday Cottages – Central for touring](http://www.dunalastair.com/Places-to-Visit-from-the-Holiday-Cottages)
[Dunalastair Highland Estate near Pitlochry in Scotland has holiday cottages for relaxing vacations](http://www.dunalastair.com/Dunalastair-Estate)
[Walking, Cycling, Horse-riding around Perthshire](http://www.dunalastair.com/Horse-riding-walking-cycling-by-Rannoch) [Cairngorms-National-Park-Map.jpg (JPEG Image, 1969 × 1439 pixels)](https://i1.wp.com/blog.visitcairngorms.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Cairngorms-National-Park-Map.jpg)
[Cairngorms Guide, Things To Do, Events, Activities](http://www.scotland.org.uk/guide/regions/cairngorms-holiday-guide)
[Map of Waterfalls in Cairngorms National Park, Scottish Highlands, Scotland](http://www.touristlink.com/scotland/cairngorms-national-park/cat/waterfalls/map.html) [Outlander – Cairngorms – Tulloch Ghru (as Featured in Outlander TV Series) | Stately Home](http://www.lovetoescape.com/business/47698/tulloch-ghru-as-featured-in-outlander-tv-series.htm) (lovetoescape.com) – Tulloch Ghru (as Featured in Outlander Tv Series) is a Thing to Do in Aviemore, The Highlands, Scotland. Stately Home, Loch, Lake, Waterfall, Nature Reserve, Park, Garden or Woodland . . .
[Tulloch-Ghru_old-map-area_from-Wizzley.jpg – sleuthing and description of the area, distinguishing it from a similarly named one nearby](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/05/82/9e/05829ef45c67d28f0048644ca112d6ce.jpg)
Rothiemurchus Forest
[landscape profile](http://cairngorms.co.uk/caring-future/cairngorms-landscapes/landscape-areas/?rothiemurchus-forest)/description. This area of the Cairngorms National Park is located in its western region on an east-west line between Fort Augustus (at the southern tip of Loch Ness) and Aberdeen (on the North Sea coast).
[Detailed map](http://rrcairngorms-2015.rs.rroom.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Rothiemurchus-Forest.pdf) of Rothiemurchus Forest; includes “Tullochgrue” (Upper and Lower), which is located west of Allt Druidhe (waterway) and the forest center, just north of Achnagoichan (close to it), south of Inverdruie (farther from it), and southeast of Aviemore (farthest of these)
[Aviemore: Overview of Aviemore](http://www.scottish-places.info/scotgaz/towns/townfirst2370.html) (Gazetteer Scotland)
[Bed and breakfast Kingussie near Aviemore](http://www.bedandbreakfastcairngorms.co.uk/old_tractor_shed.htm) [Highland Folk Museum home page](https://www.highlifehighland.com/highlandfolkmuseum/) (Highlife Highland)
[Visitor Information – Highland Folk Museum](https://www.highlifehighland.com/highlandfolkmuseum/visitor-information/) (Highlife Highland)
Lochaber, Fort William
[Fort William, Highland PH33 6SW – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/Torlundy,+Fort+William++Postcode:+PH33+6SW/@57.3023865,-7.815314,8z)
[The Outdoor Capital of the UK – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/Garbh+Eilean+Fort+William,+UK/@57.3023865,-7.815314,8z)
[The Jacobite Steam Train – Locomotive and Coaches | West Coast Railways](http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/locomotives-and-coaches.cfm)
Inverness & Inverness-shire
[Visit Inverness Loch Ness Tourist Destination Guide](http://www.visitinvernesslochness.com/)
[Inverness Information Centre | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/info/services/inverness-information-centre-p333031)
[Inverness Travel Guide | Travel + Leisure](http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/inverness-scotland)
[Inverness – Holidays, Breaks & Travel | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/inverness/)
[Art Galleries – Inverness Museum and Art Gallery](https://www.highlifehighland.com/inverness-museum-and-art-gallery/art-galleries/)
[Events in September in Inverness, Loch Ness & Nairn | Things to do | Page 1 | Welcome to Scotland](http://www.welcometoscotland.com/things-to-do/events/inverness-nairn/september) [Tour Search – Loch Ness by Jacobite](https://www.jacobite.co.uk/booking/Search/Results?date=22+September+2016&tour=0&a=2&c5a=0&se=0&c5u=0&st=0&Submit=)
[Jacobite Cruises Ltd | Cruise Scotland](http://www.cruisescotland.com/jacobite-cruises)
[Urquhart Castle tourist and visitor information, history and pictures | Urquhart Castle](http://www.urquhart-castle.co.uk/) [Fort George: Overview](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/fort-george/)
[Contact Us – The Highlanders Museum](http://www.thehighlandersmuseum.com/contact-us/) (Highlanders Museum, Fort George) [Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/culloden-battlefield-and-visitor-centre-p247471)
[Culloden – Visit](http://www.nts.org.uk/Culloden/Visit/Times/) (NTS)
Beauly
[Beauly Priory: Prices and Opening Times](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/beauly-priory/prices-and-opening-times/)
[Beaufort Estate Cottages, Beauly, Inverness-Shire – Go Breakaway.co.uk](http://www.gobreakaway.co.uk/Go-Breakaway/Cottages/Beaufort-Estate/Beauly/Inverness-Shire/9225/) **Standing Stones, Stone Circles, Stone Features, and Cairns**
[Prehistoric Sites in Scotland](http://www.destinations-uk.com/attractions.php?country=scotland&category=Prehistoric%20Sites) Examples: __Fowlis Wester Sculptured Stone, Perthshire (Perth and Kinross)__ ** – **In village church at Fowlis Wester, 6 miles (10km) NE of Crieff, On the A85. Historic Scotland property; tall cross-slab carved with Pictish symbols, figure sculpture and Celtic details.
Cairnpapple Hill, Edinburgh and the Lothians – 3 miles (5km) N of Bathgate, Lothian. Near Torphichen (B792), Narrow, winding road. Tel. 01506 634 622. Open: April-end Sep, 9.30am-5.30pm, daily. Historic Scotland property; one of the most important prehistoric monuments in Scotland; used as burial and ceremonial site BC3000 – AD500; central part of monument under cement dome with ladder leading down to interior; views from the hill.
[Cairnpapple Hill – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairnpapple_Hill) __Nether Largie Cairns, Argyll and Bute__ ** – **Between Nether Largie and Kilmartin, Argyll, Off the A816. Historic Scotland property; 2 Bronze Age cairns, 1 Neolithic cairn (3000BC); axe carvings in N cairn. __Temple Wood Stone Circles, Argyll and Bute__ ** – **.25 miles SW of Nether Largie, South of Kilmartin, Argyll on A816. Open site. Historic Scotland property; circle of upright stones and remains of earlier circle; date approximately 3000BC. __Machrie Moor Stone Circles, Ayrshire and Isle of Arran__ ** – **3 miles N of Blackwaterfoot, On W side of Arran, off the A841, 1.5 mile walk to the site. Historic Scotland property; remains of 5 Bronze Age stone circles considered one of most important sites of its kind in all of Britain. __Twelve Apostles Neolithic Stone Circle, Dumfries and Galloway__ ** – **Off the A76, N of Dumfries and New Bridge, Situated in a field. Of the 11 remaining stones only 5 are standing, the tallest of which is about 3.2 feet high. [Clava Cairns](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/clava-cairns/) (HES)
The Clava Cairns (also known as Balnuaran of Clava) lie 6 miles E of Inverness. These Bronze Age chambered cairns are each surrounded by a stone circle in a wooded field. A most unusual place. Robert Pollock has
[a guide to this site](http://www.stonesofwonder.com/clava.htm). Photos online [by Phil Wright](http://www.darkisle.com/c/clava/clava.html) and [Undiscovered Scotland](http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/inverness/clavacairns/index.html).
Corrimony chambered cairn is situated in Glen Urquhart (8 miles W of Drumnadrochit) and surrounded by a circle of 11 standing stones. Robert Pollock has
[a guide to this site](http://www.stonesofwonder.com/corrimon.htm). (undiscoveredscotland.co.uk) [Standing Stones & Stone Circles in Scotland | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/about/history/standing-stones/) [Standing stones and ancient monuments – The Internet Guide to Scotland](http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/stones.htm) (scotland-inverness.co.uk) [The Old Man of Storr](https://www.isleofskye.com/skye-guide/top-ten-skye-walks/old-man-of-storr) is a strangely shaped rock pillar you can see from as far as Portree and beyond; Portree, Trotternish area, Isle of Skye. ( [https://www.isleofskye.com/skye-guide/top-ten-skye-walks/old-man-of-storr](https://www.isleofskye.com/skye-guide/top-ten-skye-walks/old-man-of-storr)) [Castlerigg Stone Circle, Saint John’s Castlerigg and Wythburn, Allerdale District, United Kingdom – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/@56.01302,-3.6793137,11.75z) – Lake District, England **Fairy Hills, Fairies, Witches & Legends**
[Fairy Hills, Biodiversity & Heritage](http://www.alastairmcintosh.com/articles/1997_faerie_hills.htm)
[Fairies – TOMNAHURICH CEMETERY](http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00374) (Historic Environment Scotland profile)
[http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/scotland/invernesshire/featured-sites/tomnahurich-hill.html](http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/scotland/invernesshire/featured-sites/tomnahurich-hill.html)
[I](http://www.theinvernessarchive.org/picture/number61.asp) [nverness Image Library – Tomnahurich (Hill of the Fairies)](http://www.theinvernessarchive.org/picture/number61.asp)
[The Witch of Inverness and the Fairies of Tomnahurich – Google Books](https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Witch_of_Inverness_and_the_Fairies_o.html?id=SC8QAAAAYAAJ)
[Fairies – The Faery Folklorist: Robert Kirk – Part 2 – Aberfoyle Church](http://faeryfolklorist.blogspot.com/2010/09/robert-kirk-part-2-aberfoyle-church.html)
[The Kelpie of Loch Garve | Mysterious Britain & Ireland](http://www.alastairmcintosh.com/articles/1997_faerie_hills.htm)
Black Isle –
[RSPB Fairy Glen – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/Fairy+Glen,+Scotland,+UK/@57.4200744,-5.7550494,9z/data=!3m1!4b1)
Skye –
[The Fairy Pools, Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/@57.2980417,-6.1820862,12z) **Brochs, Caves & Other Rock Formations** [Brochs in Scotland | Unusual Accommodation | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/accommodation/unusual-places-to-stay/brochs/)
[Caves and karst in Scotland – Scottish Natural Heritage](http://www.snh.gov.uk/about-scotlands-nature/rocks-soils-and-landforms/caves-and-karst/)
[Cliffs, Canyons & Rock Formations of Scotland, United Kingdom](http://www.scotland.worldweb.com/Photos/CliffsCanyonsRockFormations/)
[10 unusual rock formations | Travel | The Guardian](http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jul/14/beach.uk16)
There is also Fingal’s Cave on the Isle of Staffa, Bowfiddle Rock on the Moray Firth, and the famous Ring of Brodgar on Orkney, among others.
[Falls-of-Rogie_tripadvisor_stock-image.jpeg](https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cdn.tripadvisor.com%2Fmedia%2Fphoto-s%2F08%2F29%2Ff2%2F9e%2Ffalls-of-rogie.jpg&f=1)
[Waterfalls, Rivers, Caves & Natural Features to Explore in Garve | Things to do | Page 1 | Welcome to Scotland](http://www.welcometoscotland.com/things-to-do/attractions/natural-features/north-highland/garve)
[Loch Garve | Fishing | Caithness, Sutherland & Ross-shire | Welcome to Scotland](http://www.welcometoscotland.com/things-to-do/activities/fishing/north-highland/loch-garve)
[12 fairy tale waterfalls in Scotland to see before you die – Daily Record](http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now/12fairy-tale-waterfalls-scotland-see-8521523?ptnr_rid=694436&icid=CommunicatorEmail_ScotlandNow)
–> For a
[guide to nature and wildlife tourism in Scotland](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/wildlife-programs-this-week-on-tv/), see the end section of my post “Wildlife TV Programs This Week,” which also previewed the Destination Wild show *Wild Scotland* that aired on NatGeoWild on 2 April 2017. **The Clans** [Map: The 18th century territories of Scotland’s clans – The Scotsman](http://www.scotsman.com/news/map-the-18th-century-territories-of-scotland-s-clans-1-4151299)
[Map of the Highlands of Scotland denoting the districts or counties inhabited by the Highland Clans. – Maps of Scotland](http://maps.nls.uk/scotland/detail.cfm?id=864)
[The Clan Museum – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Luss,+Alexandria,+Argyll+and+Bute,+UK/@56.1016727,-4.6532822,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4889aa87fc342b0d:0x5fcd5fdbd8fb6f3e!8m2!3d56.1015345!4d-4.6422386?hl=en)
[Strathpeffer Visitor Guide, Hotels, Cottages, Things to Do in Scotland](http://www.scotland.org.uk/guide/places/strathpeffer-visitor-guide)
[Castle Leod | the Seat of Clan Mackenzie](http://www.castleleod.org.uk/)
[Castle Leod (Strathpeffer, Scotland): Top Tips Before You Go – TripAdvisor](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g551820-d7927568-Reviews-Castle_Leod-Strathpeffer_Ross_and_Cromarty_Scottish_Highlands_Scotland.html) **Genealogical Research** [How to research your Scottish family history in six easy steps | VisitScotland](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Luss,+Alexandria,+Argyll+and+Bute,+UK/@56.1016727,-4.6532822,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4889aa87fc342b0d:0x5fcd5fdbd8fb6f3e!8m2!3d56.1015345!4d-4.6422386?hl=en)
[Family History — Clan MacKenzie Routes](http://www.clanmackenzieroutes.com/family-history) **Lochaber/West Highland**
[Glenfinnan Monument – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Glenfinnan,+Highland,+UK/@56.8702468,-5.4533555,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4889548377a3cd47:0x80b6f780e2515bdd!8m2!3d56.8714243!4d-5.4383183?hl=en) **Fraser Lands** [Castle Fraser | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/castle-fraser-p248311) – Aberdeenshire (just north of Royal Deeside)
[Lovat Castle (site of) | Castle in Kirkhill, Inverness-shire | Scottish castles | Stravaiging around Scotland](http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castle/lovat-castle) [Castles in the Highlands | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/attractions/castles/highlands-itinerary/)
Inverness/Nairn (searching for Claire in Ep108, “Both Sides Now”)
[Darnaway Forest – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/WWT+Caerlaverock/@54.959967,-4.8237677,10z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487d3345c6a442f9:0xbd520cff392a9016!8m2!3d54.976226!4d-3.484809?hl=en)
[Findhorn Bridge – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/@57.2708534,-3.8568144,12z) (Findhorn River)
Highland (searching for Jamie in Ep114, “The Search”)
[Achnasheen – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Urquhart+Castle/@57.5772654,-5.1517672,12.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x488f13e20178670b:0x996126cfcd3d2df0!8m2!3d57.3241399!4d-4.4420013?hl=en)
[glen rowan cross – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/@57.2117327,-4.6239217,15z)
[Glen Rowan Guest House – Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/glen+rowan+cross/@57.2117327,-4.6239217,15z)
Glasgow’s Royal Conservatoire
[Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: Overview of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland](http://www.scottish-places.info/councils/region16.html)
[Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: Photographs of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland](http://www.scottish-places.info/features/moregpix8137.html)
[: Glasgow City Map](http://www.scottish-places.info/councils/region16.html) / [http://www.scottish-places.info/councils/morecpix16.html](http://www.scottish-places.info/councils/morecpix16.html) [Cumbernauld lands role in production of US TV series (From Herald Scotland)](http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13114590.Cumbernauld_lands_role_in_production_of_US_TV_series/) (2013)
[Outlander brings Diana Gabaldon fans flocking to Scotland | UK news | The Guardian](http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/31/outlander-diana-gabaldon-scottish-highlands) (2014)
[Town movie studio is a star attraction – Cumbernauld News](http://www.cumbernauld-news.co.uk/what-s-on/town-movie-studio-is-a-star-attraction-1-3530210) (2014)
[Outlander article – Scots tourism feels ‘Outlander effect’ of hit TV show – The Scotsman](http://www.scotsman.com/heritage/people-places/scots-tourism-feels-outlander-effect-of-hit-tv-show-1-3933138) (2015)
[A brief history of Outlander and the Scottish Clans – Scotland Now](http://www.scotlandnow.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/brief-history-outlander-scottish-clans-8444235?ptnr_rid=694436&icid=CommunicatorEmail_ScotlandNow) (2016)
[Outlander looking for trainees to work on Season 3 of hit show in Scotland – Scotland Now](http://www.scotlandnow.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/outlander-looking-trainees-work-season-8146914) (2016)
[Filming underway for Outlander season three Voyager – Daily Record](http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now/filming-underway-outlander-season-three-8689230) (2016)
[Outlander helps Scotland outshine rest of the UK when it comes to visitor attractions – Daily Record](http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now/outlander-helps-scotland-outshine-rest-10107843?ptnr_rid=694436&icid=CommunicatorEmail_ScotlandNow) (2017) [10 ideas on how to beat Droughtlander | VisitScotland](https://www.visitscotland.com/blog/scotland/outlander-droughtlander-ideas/)
In the true
[final post](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-6/) of this series, the official [Part 6 to ](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-6/) [, I present Scotland tourism tips and logistical resources, plus share some final thoughts on An Outlander Tourist in Scotland](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-6/) *Last updated March 17, 2017*
My previous posts in this series collected and presented the vast majority, a total of 37, of the options for
*Outlander* tourist attractions in Scotland: book- and film-related sites numbering 15 in [Part 1](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/12/01/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-1/), 11 in [Part 2](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/12/23/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-2/), and 11 in [Part 3](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/02/11/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-3/).
This post tells the story of my planning process for our own
*Outlander*-themed Scotland trip, complete with changes in scope, backtracking, enlisting outside help, comparing and revising itineraries, and reflecting on the choices we made. Next time, I’ll provide a review of our *Outlander* tour experience and of the tour company we went with for our day tour.
Also in my final post in this travel guide series, I will list and discuss
*Outlander* tour companies and tour options, including additional film locations not covered in my first 3 posts, compile a list of all the resources linked and discussed in the first 4 posts, and run down a list of websites and apps I used and loved but didn’t mention here. I’ll also provide some final thoughts on travel for *Outlander*, in Scotland, and generally. A sign-off of sorts with directory, closing credits, and bibliography.
Other Scotland trip posts down the road will add to the trail of breadcrumbs I’ve laid down since last October, to highlight specific sites visited, services engaged, adventures experienced, and images captured. Be glad you weren’t subjected to a slide show at my house; you have the privilege to take in these servings in digestible portions. In case you missed the first several, see the list at my introductory post
[“Scotland Ventured, Scotland Gained.”](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/10/10/scotland-ventured-scotland-gained/) **March 2016**
It was about this time last year when I began my months’ long planning process for a UK vacation with an
*Outlander* focus. I don’t recommend spending as much time as I did—even if you have it; I simply have an obsessive, high-maintenance approach to project planning. I “just want it the way I want it.”
Still, as with many transcontinental excursions, for travelers from outside the UK going there for the first time, there are some things you should consider and do several months in advance of your departure. The most obvious include booking airfare, lodging, and, of course, your dream
*Outlander* tour. In most cases, it will be wise to book the tour first of all. **Where I Started**
My first phase involved researching England and Scotland for places and attractions I would most like seeing. In addition to doing online research, I purchased a set of travel guides and magazines at the bookstore instead of from online, where I previewed them and their reviews, so I could flip through the pages of the options, get a feel for each one’s layout, focus, ease of use, size and weight before buying. These included a combination of books and magazines:
I had enjoyed the color illustrations, digestible organization, and other features of DK’s guide to Provence when I traveled for study abroad in college, and I was not disappointed in any of the DK products I bought for this trip. Fodor’s turned out to have a valuable alternative perspective along with stellar regional maps and recommended sites labeled by “Fodor’s Choice” in each region.
**Curse of Abundance**
In addition to taking notes on the overall highlights of each major city, I compiled lists of attractions from different regions of England and Scotland into groups. After a few weeks of attempting to narrow the list down to a reasonable set of regions and sights, I then used the suggested itineraries in the guide books to draft a few possible trip outlines. The shortest trip I could stand to plan under these constraints was 16 days, and that turned out to be too long for us due to the budget and timing of our trip.
**Getting Unstuck
**
To solve this problem, I took a different tack: First I created a checklist of steps to consider taking to strategize our tourism.
In town:
From this process, I color coded my previously handwritten notes, highlighting preferences and categorizing attractions by type. Fodor’s and the top 10 guides were particularly helpful to this end in their category pages by type of attraction or experience. These included castles, palaces & historic homes, villages & towns, cities small & large, gardens by season, and things like parks, mountains, lakes, and walks.
To narrow further, I even created a Must-NOT-See list of things to avoid because either I did not care about them, they seemed overrated or tourist trappy, or they might even disgust, offend, or otherwise dampen our adventure.
**The Must-Flee List**
My must-not-see list included things easily captured in online pictures or video and grandeur for its own sake. Between college visits, study abroad, and post-college travel, I had already been to Paris, Normandy, the Loire Valley, Provence, the Riviera, Venice, Florence, Rome, Vienna, Salzburg, and Holland, as well as Utah, Colorado, New York City, Washington, D.C., Virginia Beach, western Massachusetts, upstate New York, and several parts of California. My husband had already been to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ankara, Istanbul, and Paris.
And together we’d been to Chicago, Wisconsin, Mount Rushmore, Devil’s Tower and the Badlands, the Great Plains, Denver and the Rockies, Northern California, Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, North and South Carolina, Orlando and the Florida coast, and on a western Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon. With everything we’ve been blessed to see, we didn’t need to be dazzled by immensities.
Other no-nos included shopping meccas (not my thing); Wales which has lots of cool castles (plenty of those in Scotland) but not much else of obvious interest; places too far out of reach, such as the Outer Hebrides, Ireland, Northern Ireland, East Anglia, Cambridge, and the Orkney Islands (though I might make a beeline for Orkney next time for all its uniqueness); gardens best seen in other seasons; famous sites too far off our “circuit” unless personal meaning demands it; too many churches; and too many castles. In London, I discarded Buckingham Palace, Westminster Cathedral, and anything focused solely on the Royals. I just didn’t care.
**Chopping Block**
When all that was said and done, even with all that trimming and relinquishing, I finally realized and admitted to myself that we couldn’t do both England and Scotland in a feasible amount of time without feeling rushed and disappointed by what we would miss. Over the years, my vacation philosophy has evolved to a preference for more in-depth exploration of a smaller territory over the impulse to cover as much mileage as possible before throwing your exhausted carcass back on the plane or in the car home.
At that point, I asked my husband if he would object to visiting only Scotland this time around, and to my surprise, he agreed. I had been laboring under the assumption that he would very much prefer England due to his greater familiarity with it, his frequent exposure to English Premiere League football matches, his Manchester City fandom, and, frankly, his lesser interest in Scotland and
*Outlander* compared to mine.
I was so relieved to gain this freedom of focus, to be able to plan a trip that wouldn’t be the typical whirlwind tour of a vast region that goes by in a blur and becomes more stressful than the everyday work situation your vacation is meant to offset.
Scotland it would be.
**Scotland Guidebooks**
To adjust to this change in plans, I purchased the
*DK Eyewitness Travel Top 10 Scotland* pocket guide and a used 2011 edition of Peter Irvine’s *Scotland the Best*, touted as the guide preferred most by Scots. The top 10 guide provided the same format of best-of lists in various categories—some regional, some interest based—found in the London version.
I would have purchased a more current edition of
*Scotland the Best*, but the best option would not be released until October, after our trip would have ended. I felt the older edition served its purpose and did not regret buying it. Without illustrations or photos, Irvine’s guide focuses on providing comprehensive best-of lists in a broad range of categories and subcategories.
Certain of Irvine’s preferences I found surprising compared to those in the other guides that seemed more in agreement with each other. As a later purchase following so much in-depth research,
*Scotland the Best* turned out to be less useful than the collected wisdom from the other guides, but I was still glad to compare viewpoints and learn about some attractions beyond the beaten path. **Drilling Down**
With these new tools, some of my more intensely focused additional considerations consisted of narrowing down options among types of attractions found in abundance, such as castles, to only the very best, those nearest along our natural circuit through the country, or those with special literary, historical interest, or film association. For instance, having traveled in Europe and to several major U.S. cities with rich arts scenes, I already knew which types of art I preferred and what kinds of activities my husband and I leaned towards.
I also felt the need to mix in a variety of activities requiring different levels of energy, foot travel distance, and other demands on the human body or mind, spread across several days with rests or natural lulls built in. Thus, an all-day Jacobite Steam Train ride after several days of hoofing it to cover our bases. Hubby slept a total of at least an hour on that West Highland line while the spectacular countryside meandered by, but he had the very legitimate excuse of having been the designated driver of the previous week, adapting to opposite sides of car and road, as well as single-track, stone-sided, and winding roads, for the first time. I was just the navigator.
*Outlander* Tours
As for factoring
*Outlander* in with all of these guidelines, I had already begun screening the other guides for popular Scottish sightseeing and scanning Google maps to locate as many *Outlander*-related sites as possible. I had also oriented myself to some of the better, recommended *Outlander *tour companies, using Diana Gabaldon’s website as my starting point.
Newly applying the Scotland focus to the
*Outlander* tour search, I then began narrowing down those options to find one that would be more than a half-day but less than 3 days in length so we wouldn’t overdo *Outlander *at the expense of classic Scotland and an overall varied set of experiences.
I settled on Inverness Tours early on, but as the timing and focus of our trip evolved and solidified, I lost my window of opportunity to book a day tour during the dates we had selected. My second choice became Slainte Scotland, but I hesitated, corresponding with the company to gather more information to clarify exactly which sites the tour would include.
**Reaching Out**
Although it might not seem like we needed it, I did end up hiring a great travel agent, Chima Travel in Akron, Ohio, which helped with reality checking, pre-packaged tour awareness, and eventually discounted airfare and hotel package booking. However, our agent was impressed by my prior homework, to be sure.
Excited to see the trip taking shape, as I mentioned in my overview in
[Part 1](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/12/01/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-1/) of this series, I laid out our tentative list of sites and sights in the post [Five-Phrase Friday (38): Scotland](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/five-phrase-friday-38-scotland/).
“Five Scottish regional destinations for a 2-week visit, clockwise order from the south-west: Most preferred sights are listed for each area, though we may will not make it to all of them.
Glasgow and environs(4 nights Glasgow) – Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Park, City Chambers, Glasgow Cathedral/Necropolis, a play, boat ride on the river Clyde; Cumbernauld (Outlander studios drive-by), Falkirk Wheel, Stirling Castle, Doune Castle (Monty Python, Castle Leoch), Wallace Monument
The Trossachs, Argyll, and Central Highlands– Loch Lomond (and maybe Loch Katrine) in Trossachs National Park; Loch Awe, Inveraray Castle; Glencoe
The Great Glen, Highlands, and west coast(2 nights Fort William) – Fort William, Glenfinnan Monument (Jacobite Rebellion launch), Jacobite Steam Train to Mallaig, lochs and walks in the Great Glen; Eilean Donan Castle
Inverness and environs(3 nights Inverness) – Inverness Visitors Centre, excursions to Foyers Falls, Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle (maybe a boat ride), Cawdor Castle (Macbeth), Culloden Moor (Jacobite Rebellion), Clava Cairns (standing stones with split rock), Cromarty, Black Isle, Moray Firth
Edinburgh and environs(4-5 nights Edinburgh) – Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Calton Hill, The Royal Mile main street, which includes Writers’ Museum, Greyfriars Kirk (“Bobby” the Westie), St. Giles’ Cathedral, Scott Monument, and more; Southern Uplands including Rosslyn Chapel and maybe Abbotsford House (Sir Walter Scott) and Melrose Abbey
The above sites are separate from several specific towns and rural locations where the
OutlanderTV series has been filmed. After some consideration, I’m inclined to skip a packaged Outlandertour in favor of making our own. I know enough about the books, TV series, and show creators that information won’t be lacking, and we need not be further restricted in our movements or schedule. ”
What I ended up doing is splitting the difference and combining self-guided
*Outlander* tourism with a single day’s guided *Outlander* tour, taking the official tour early on and scooping up the remainder once we obtained our rental car on day 4.
Another part of reaching out came to me around this time. My friend and fellow
*Outlander* fan called to tell me she and her husband would be going to Scotland in July with another couple for 10 days and that they had booked with Inverness Tours. She thought I’d be jealous, but I told her about my planned trip too, and we ended up sharing in each other’s excitement. She agreed to help with recommendations after her trip to inform mine, and she even looked at my itinerary to weigh in on its feasibility. I’ll share their circuit and some of her tips in my final post in this series. **Our Scotland Trip**
Next is a look at our two-week trip overview and a comparison between the planned and actual itinerary of the first two days. While day 1 turned out quite different from its plan, day 2’s plan came to fruition, except for the Real Mary King’s Close, which was our last major Edinburgh attraction on the 19th. Note the bit about where we dined and what I ate.
And the rest of our itinerary . . .
*Sept 16*
We flew in overnight on September 15, arriving September 16 late morning in Edinburgh, and used a taxi from the airport to our hotel, the Residence Inn south of Old Town. After sleeping very little on the plane, we snoozed in the restaurant of our hotel waiting for our room to open up, then slept the rest of the afternoon and had a late dinner at Vittoria, which serves up-scale Italian food.
We then used a combination of buses, trains, a tour van, and our unaccustomed feet to explore the hilly, cobbled Edinburgh and surrounding areas over the next three days.
*Sept 17* * Tour of 5 filming sites. A 9-hour tour with Outlander*
That evening at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, we attended a vibrant performance by the Dundee Rep Theatre of the ceilidh-style historical and political play
*The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black, Black Oil*, which kept us awake even after an all-day tour and with jet lag setting in from the day before. Seeing this play early in the trip provided essential perspective on the past 200 years of Scottish-English relations and politics, which we could then reflect on as we traveled the country. *Sept 18, 19*
Edinburgh city tourism, including book sites Palace at Holyroodhouse and walks through Old Town, setting for the printer’s shop and smuggling outfit of A. Malcom, Jamie’s alias in book 3,
*Voyager*. The main focus on these days, though, was catching some of Edinburgh’s major attractions, including Edinburgh Castle, the Writers’ Museum, the Real Mary King’s Close, and Scott Monument on Princes Street—well worth it! ** Planned Actual**
We picked up our car on the evening of September 19, our last night in the capital before heading north to the Trossachs and Argyll early on Tuesday morning.
*Sept 20*
All-day personalized journey through Argyll & Bute’s vistas and sites of ancient Scots roots and a Gaelic kingdom’s medieval hillfort, with the delightful
**À** **dhamh ** **Ò** **Broin, Gaelic Language** **Consultant for the ** **Outlander** **STARZ show**. We hired him for a day of his time to share his love and knowledge of the endangered Dal Riata Gaelic dialect, the wonders of Argyll, the region of his upbringing, and insights into the everyday lives of Scots from the past and today.
We managed to fit in views of island mountains, croft ruins, standing stones, ancient hill fort, cairns, sheep, a few castles and ruins, lochs and hills, bagpipes, singing, cattle, jokes, supernatural stories, local color tales, coffee, lunch, two churches, and a night view over the Kyles of Bute. We even took a close look at a caterpillar (in Àdhamh’s hand on this blog’s recent header image) at the Kilmory Oib Township ruins.
Phew! What a day. By far superior to anything we could have done on our own. As a result, we skipped visiting Inveraray Castle and the Auchindrain Museum village, though we passed by both. The richness of our experiences made those omissions irrelevant.
** Planned Actual** *Sept 21, 28*
Combined with unrelated but great attractions in the vicinity, we selected additional Edinburgh-area
* options among Glencorse Old Kirk (visited, film), Linlithgow Palace (visited, film), Hopetoun House (skipped, film), and Preston Mill and Phantassie Doocot (skipped, farther east, film). Upon returning to Seabank B&B at the end of day 2 in Argyll, the Trossachs, Stirlingshire, and Midlothian, we encountered our previous day’s guide Àdhamh Ò Broin at the Drover’s Inn, on the north end of Loch Lomond! Well, it is a small country, after all. Outlander* ** Planned Actual** *Sept 22*
Drove through Glen Coe—an absolute must for any first-time visit to Scotland—on our way northward up the Great Glen toward Inverness. Parts of Glen Coe were used for long shots during
*‘s credits. Outlander* *Sept 22, 23*
Made sure we passed Loch Ness (book) to and from other adventures, such as our Jacobite Steam Train ride from Fort William (book) to Mallaig on the western coast and back. The train passes and stops at Glenfinnan after crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which was used in the filming of Harry Potter. The Glenfinnan Monument is the site where the standard for the Jacobite Rising of 1745 was raised by Bonnie Prince Charlie.
** Planned Actual** *Sept 25*
Drove to Loch Rannoch area, Perthshire, sort of hunting for the site of
**Craigh na Dun**‘s filming, surmising also about the location of the Mackenzie rent party’s rides on the way for Jamie to meet Horrocks through the forest near Aviemore, along the way to and from Rannoch Forest, Loch Rannoch, Rannoch Moor, and Kinloch Rannoch. It was actually somewhere on the nearby Dunalastair Estate where the Craigh na Dun set was created and filmed. *Sept 25, 26*
Identified Inverness (book)-area
*filming and book sites to choose from, visiting the gorgeous Beauly Priory (book), mysterious Clava Cairns, and humbling Culloden Battlefield (book & film), as well as Cawdor Castle (the Macbeth castle), while skipping Loch Garve (book), Falls of Rogie, and Castle Leod (book) in Strathpeffer. Outlander * ** Planned Actual** *Sept 27, 28*
Scouted and targeted Glasgow city centre and metro-area filming sites, including George Square, Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis, Pollok Country Park, and the
* studios in nearby Cumbernauld. On our last day of sightseeing, we visited Linlithgow Palace, used to film the exteriors and corridors of Wentworth Prison in the last episodes of series 1, and finished the day at Hampden Park, home of the Scotland National Football Team, of the Celtic Rangers, and of the Scottish Football Museum. We ate a fabulous lunch at The Cotton House, in Longcroft, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire ( Outlander* ** Planned Actual**
Some days fulfilled the carefully assessed, vetted (by recent Scotland traveler friend), and revised plan, but most deviated quite a bit, and some plans were totally replaced. Overall, we managed to meet our priorities, fit in some spontaneity, and get sufficient rest to keep going.
**End of the Tourist Season**
One thing that really helped us was favorable weather for outdoor activity during the whole first half of the trip, including our day-long
*Outlander* tour on the 17 th. A mixture of sun and clouds with highs in the mid 50s to low 60s held strong through most of each day from September 16 to 23. From all I had heard, this was like winning the lottery. Actually, my research showed September to be generally drier than late summer, but we were lucky, too.
Before making final reservations at B&Bs, and for the
*Outlander* and train tours, and before purchasing tickets for the play, I asked my husband whether he would prefer a train trip or a boat ride on Loch Ness. He chose the train. I originally preferred the boat cruise, but a train excursion turned out to be the wiser choice, as it rained the whole day of the 23 rd and the train offered shelter and the occasion to nap, which hubby really needed at that point.
We had a rainy afternoon in Perthshire on the 24
th while the west coast got hammered (we were lucky to miss the really bad stuff in Mallaig the day before), but we enjoyed a beautiful sun and clouds Culloden visit that morning. Then, the daylight hours of the last two days in the Highlands—25 and 26 in Inverness, Moray Firth coast, Beauly & the Black Isle—were uniformly gorgeous.
Once we got to Glasgow, our last leg of the trip, the rain mixed with the cloudy skies more often, but shelter was easy to come by and most of the 27
th was conducive to picture taking at Glasgow Cathedral and around town. Finally, the 28 th provided steady light rain throughout our visits to Linlithgow Palace (castle ruins), Outlander studios (front gate), Pollok Park (driving around), and Hampden Park (indoors). **The Verdict**
My experience of this trip was so absolutely positive, I don’t hesitate to call it the best trip of my life, and my husband is nearly in agreement on that score. Thorough, careful planning surely played a key role in increasing the chances of such an outcome, but we must also give proper credit to the place, the sights, and the people.
**What we might have done differently if we had a do-over**
Top changes I would have made
__to smooth out the schedule__, with *out* looking at weather:
Top changes I would have made
__if I were in better shape__, with *out* looking at weather:
Top changes I would have made
__if __ __we had had more time__, with *out* looking at weather:
Top changes I would have made
__to lighten the luggage load and save time__, with *out* re-considering weather: **What you can do**
While careful, refined planning can have positive outcomes, as you have gathered by now, it’s no quick or easy process. I had to contact multiple service providers directly, exchanging emails with our tour guide at Glencorse Old Kirk and hosts at Daviot Lodge and Seabank B&B, arranging Alamo/Enterprise car hire (I was more successful at finding good rates than my travel agent was!), and booking the Jacobite Steam Train excursion, our viewing of the Lyceum Theatre play, and our
*Outlander* tour directly from across the pond.
All of this was of course predicated on gaining intimate knowledge of distances and durations of travel between key towns and cities and spatial relationships among sites on our must-see list. I spent countless hours just perusing Google maps, creating personalized travel guides including a chart of distances between cities, and bookmarking and starring favorites toward making this a great trip.
Then, I familiarized myself with money-saving strategies such as purchasing Historic Environment Scotland’s Explorer Pass and National Trust Scotland’s membership to reduce costs at individual sites. In the end, it was cost effective to buy the Explorer Pass but not the NTS one in our particular case. I oriented myself to banking, traffic, and other infrastructural systems, often trying out apps for satnav/GPS, bus systems, and rail networks. I even had my husband program our Garmin Nuvi GPS with Scotland maps, which became indispensable when trying to save mobile data with phone satnav.
Glimpsing all the detail, reading, rehashing, clarification, and direct booking that went into my process should tell you one of a few things about your own planning. It may tell you either that:
You may discover that you couldn’t care less about Scotland itself (or at least cared less than you thought you did) and are only interested in the
*Outlander* attractions, or heaven forbid, vice versa. If so, more power to you, but if you can stomach the stress of it, I recommend splitting your focus between the two.
The good news is that
*Outlander*‘s growing popularity continues to boost Scotland tourism (confirmed by both my own travel agent and Scottish news sources). As a result, more and more travel companies and touring services have added *Outlander* to their repertoire in one way or another or enhanced the offerings they already had.
Just remember for me in reading this post, the previous ones or the next, that . . .
(Disclaimer) It’s ultimately up to each of you as trip planners to verify details to make your stay go as smoothly as possible, details such as which sites are open to the public (not all are), how, and when, especially if you intend to take the DIY approach for all or part of your trip. I have and will continue to provide some resources to get you started, but information and access can change, and the location property owners and stewards have the final word, so be sure to do your own verifications.
In the
[next part](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/review-slainte-scotland-outlander-tour-outlander-tourism-resources/) of this travel guide series, we’ll [focus on Outlander tour companies and tour options](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/review-slainte-scotland-outlander-tour-outlander-tourism-resources/), along with film locations not covered in my first 3 posts, and bring together all the shared and unshared resources I used and liked. I’ll close with some thoughts on
But wait! There’s more. In future posts, I’ll continue to highlight specific sites visited, services engaged, adventures experienced, and images captured during our trip. Keep coming back to my introductory post
[“Scotland Ventured, Scotland Gained.”](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/10/10/scotland-ventured-scotland-gained/) to get the full scope of available bits from just after our trip last fall through the rest of this year.
I hope all this helps you get through Droughtlander, at the very least. Thanks for reading.
In
[Part 2](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/12/23/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-2/), we explored the western central and southern sites of *Outlander* TV series filming, focusing on the Glasgow area and Ayrshire. This time, we head north into the Highlands, starting with Perthshire, also a central region. In an upcoming post, I’ll present our particular trip itinerary for your consideration and discuss existing *Outlander*-dedicated tours you can book and enjoy in your Scotland travels. To start our journey from the beginning, see [An Outlander Tourist in Scotland, Part 1](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/12/01/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-1/).
As for the
*Outlander* sites, this post will take us full circle so to speak from one version of the story’s central plot mechanism—the fictional standing stone circle of [Craigh na Dun](http://www.dianagabaldon.com/resources/faq/faq-gaelic-pronunciations/)—to another, with several essential stops in between. We start north of the main cities Glasgow and Edinburgh and take a gradual north-westerly path from there. The climb begins with a tantalizing mystery of the TV show and ends with a point of resonance for Diana Gabaldon’s creation of the books. You may also learn some history along the way.
**Dividing a Nation**
One thing I noticed in my tourism research was how inconsistently the areas of Scotland are named from one resource to another and over time. To distinguish areas of north central and northern Scotland for this post, and find current, accurate names for them, I finally found a resource that clarifies how Scottish lands are sliced and how they overlap:
[UndiscoveredScotland.co.uk](http://UndiscoveredScotland.co.uk).
Fully orient yourself to where’s where on their
[Councils, Regions, and Counties](http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usfeatures/areas/) page, which links to breakdowns of those three different types of division. Or, for the simplified tourism approach, see the official Scottish Tourist Board website mentioned previously, [VisitScotland.com](https://www.visitscotland.com/). Find out more about how the tourism industry, as well as British and Scottish governments, have labeled things; see the first footnote under the heading “Notes on Area Names.” *
In short, it can be confusing, but with quick look-ups, ready resources, and having precise addresses, you’ll find your tailored trip less daunting to plan. If you’re going far less DIY, it shouldn’t matter. I can nearly guarantee you’ll be well taken care of, at least in country. Choice of travel agent or airline in your home country–and now, perhaps, getting home again–is another matter.
**From Here on Up**
The Highlands, broadly considered, are sort of a mythical, amorphous landscape in some respects, for a few reasons. For a discussion of this issue, see my second footnote section under “Notes on Area Names.” **
Whatever names the land acquires, one of its most distinguishing features are its diverse, ubiquitous configurations of rock and stone, both geologic—hills, caves, coast lines, mountains, tors, volcanic plugs—and man made—standing stones, stone circles, cairns, brochs, crofts, stone fences, houses, streets, castles, and so on. Stone, loch, and green together mean “Scotland.”
“
*My heart is in the Highlands, wherever I go” – Robert Burns* **Perthshire, Perth & Kinross council area** → **Outlander** **film setting**
From roughly east to west toward the Great Glen, the areas of general attraction in the glen of Rannoch include Schiehallion, Dunalastair Estate, Kinloch Rannoch village, Loch Rannoch, and Rannoch Moor.
**Rannoch. →** On a line east of Glencoe and Fort William in the Central Highlands, **somewhere on the Dunalastair** **Estate, they “can’t tell you where,” **the *Outlander* TV production erected their set of Diana Gabaldon’s fictional circle of standing stones called **Craigh na Dun**. Shown in eps 101, 103, 108, 111, 201, and 213, this set of Claire’s time-travel scenes includes its backdrop—the very real Loch Rannoch and surrounding mountains, including Schiehallion to the southeast.
Lying on a National Scenic Area between the Cairngorms National Park to the north and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park to the south, Dunalastair Estate sits on 17,000 acres. The village, loch, hills, and moor are accessible to the general public, as are the holiday cottages for booking on estate land. Caitriona Balfe (Claire Randall Fraser) once called this filming location her favorite and noted the magic that seemed to meet the crew each time, and she’s
[not the only one](http://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/tv-movies/outlander-cast-and-crew-favorite-locations). Source: *Travel+Leisure* magazine’s article [“The Cast and Crew of ‘Outlander’ Reveal Their Favorite Filming Locations.”](http://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/tv-movies/outlander-cast-and-crew-favorite-locations)
The Dunalastair Estate website features comprehensive details for tourists. It covers area clan history, the estate family, farm, village, wildlife, rare plants, hiking, horse riding, railway, and other recreational options, plus links to websites like that of the Rannoch and Tummel Tourism Association. Source:
[http://www.dunalastair.com/Dunalastair-Estate](http://www.dunalastair.com/Dunalastair-Estate)
Rannoch Moor looking west to Glen Coe. Creative Commons image by cosmicherb70, via
*Buzzfeed.com* & *Flickr*
* * *
**Argyll (county), Highland council area** → **Outlander** **film settings** **Glen Coe.** This mountain range is in long shots of Scotland. It was all about showcasing Scotland itself. If you’ve seen representative landscape views of Scotland in any form, chances are you’ve seen Glen Coe. One such view has been my blog’s header image in early 2017. The glen is the result of glaciers cutting into extinct volcanoes, creating a broad, sweeping valley of pleasing symmetry from key vantage points.
Glencoe is the name of the village in Lochaber to the west of the picturesque glen, and the two are connected by the umbilicus of the River Coe. Coming from the south, follow the A82 westward from Loch Lomond toward Glencoe Village, Loch Leven, and the Great Glen. There are dedicated viewpoints along the way where you can park and take it all in.
The Three Sisters of Glen Coe, Season 1, Episode 1, opening shot during Claire’s voice-over. Image by STARZ & Sony Pictures Television, via
*Outlander-Online.com*
* * *
**Cairngorms National Park, Highland** → **Outlander** **film settings**
“Cairngorms” rather loosely translated means “pile of blue rocks,” or “blue stone heap.” The Gaelic for this mountain range sounds much better, and Gaelic is often helpfully descriptive. There is also a single mountain called Cairngorm. Covering a vast area of natural beauty, rare wildlife (wildcats, capercaillies, and mountain hares in winter, red squirrels, red deer, and others), scenic vistas, castle ruins, pine forests, lochs, burns, and
[waterfalls](http://www.touristlink.com/scotland/cairngorms-national-park/cat/waterfalls/map.html), nature-loving visitors can spend substantial time in the Cairngorms National Park year round and not be disappointed.
If you were traveling from Rannoch, you would enter the park from the south, taking the A9 which starts in Stirling and flows through Inverness all the way to the far northwest Highland ferry port of Scrabster. The River Spey chases the A9 along the western boundary of the Cairngorms, and soon both find the small town of Newtonmore, just north of which is the Highland Folk Museum.
**Highland Folk Museum**, Newtonmore, Cairngorms National Park, Highland. Almost due north of the village of Kinloch Rannoch, this historical outdoor museum recreates 18th-century Highland life every day and aids in *Outlander* storytelling in a few ways → in ep101 for the **shelter** where Murtagh first takes Claire to meet the other Highlanders, the scenes of village folk around the **Castle Leoch area** in season 1, and during ep105 for **rent collections** and ** wool waulking** when the ladies sing “Mo Nighean Donn.”
From their website under the auspices of stewards
[Highlife Highland](https://www.highlifehighland.com/), “The Highland Folk Museum sits at the east edge of the village of Newtonmore less than two miles from the town of Kingussie. It lies just off the A9 at the west side of the Cairngorms National Park.”
As a preserved 18th-century village, the attraction has a total of 30 time-period furnished buildings, including a 1700s township of six buildings and a section featured as a working 1930s croft. The whole property, fully active up until the 1960s, spans one mile in length and also contains the Shelter, “Am Fasgadh,” housing 10,000 artifacts, plus a research library, conservation lab, offices, meeting rooms, and more.
Source:
[https://www.highlifehighland.com/highlandfolkmuseum/](https://www.highlifehighland.com/highlandfolkmuseum/)
The address is Aultlarie Croft, Kingussie Road, Newtonmore, Inverness-shire, PH20 1AY. Currently in winter closure, the site will reopen in April 2017. Visit the official
[website](https://www.highlifehighland.com/highlandfolkmuseum/) for more pictures and information. **Tulloch Ghru**, Rothiemurchus Forest, near Aviemore and Inverdruie, Cairngorms National Park, Highland, is an area of hilly woodlands spreading north of, but not far from, the Highland Folk Museum. → Featured in the opening credits of each episode and in scenes where Claire and the Highlanders **travel from Craigh na Dun to Castle Leoch** in ep101, “Sassenach,” it is peppered like Rannoch with ancient Caledonian pines along a western stretch of Cairngorms National Park.
Tulloch Ghru may also serve in parts of ep108, “Both Sides Now,” such as the woods where Claire and Willie wait while Jamie and the others meet Horrocks. (Not sure about this; I cannot find my original source for that idea.) But you won’t find it mentioned on standard tourist websites.
Tulloch Ghru, maybe –> Claire, Jamie & Dougal talk British ambush risk. Image by STARZ & Sony Pictures Television, via
*Outlander-Online.com*
The
*Outlander* filming sweet spot is somewhere between Aviemore and Inverdruie, southeast of both and not far south of the [Cairngorms Reindeer Centre](http://visitcairngorms.com/dbactivities-The_Cairngorm_Reindeer_Centre/215.html). To start the hunt, follow the sleuthing, with information distinguishing place names in the area (Tulloch to the north vs. “Tullochghru” to the south), diligently pursued and shared at [Wizzley.com](https://wizzley.com/starz-outlander-scottish-filming-locations/). An old map of the area appears on that site.
Anyway, such pine forests in Scotland, though few compared to their ubiquity in times past, provide similar atmosphere as each other, and wee Tulloch Ghru may not stand out visually to the
*Outlander* tourist. Generally, woodland film locations are notoriously difficult for the mere mortal to pinpoint once the crew cleans up, though some visitors may prevail. Interested in plant succession and vegetation change in the park since the last Ice Age? Knock yourself out at [Cairngorms Learning Zone](http://cairngormslearningzone.co.uk/landscape-geology/cairngorms-national-park-today/plant-succession-and-vegetation-change).
Note: Cocknammon Rock, also featured in this portion of ep101, is a fictional rock formation invented by Diana Gabaldon and created by the show with special effects.
The Cairngorms National Park itself boasts several helpful tourist resources at
[visitcairngorms.com](http://visitcairngorms.com/) (supported by VisitScotland.com, the official tourist board of Scotland) and [cairngorms.co.uk](http://cairngorms.co.uk/), among other sites. For an outline map of the Rothiemurchus Forest of the filming site, go to the latter website’s [Landscape Areas page](http://cairngorms.co.uk/caring-future/cairngorms-landscapes/landscape-areas/?rothiemurchus-forest) and select “Rothiemurchus Forest.” Rothiemurchus is also a woodland estate with an island castle. For a beautiful map of the whole park, see the [Cairngorms National Park Map](https://i1.wp.com/blog.visitcairngorms.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Cairngorms-National-Park-Map.jpg).
* * *
**Ross and Cromarty → Outlander book and historical settings**
To start farther north and work your way southward back to Inverness for the train to Edinburgh or Glasgow and a flight back home, head for Ross & Cromarty. There you’ll encounter the real Mackenzie lands and their seat of power, Castle Leod.
**Castle Leod**, near Strathpeffer–Easter Ross or “in the east of Ross-shire” (county of Ross) or in the regional district of [Ross & Cromarty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_and_Cromarty), i.e., something to do with “Ross”–seat of Clan Mackenzie. → Inspiration for **Castle Leoch** in the book. The name from the book was then continued by the show. However, shared in Part 1 of my *Outlander* tourism series, the historical castle itself is played by Doune Castle in Stirling. Castle Leod is a private estate accessed only by prior permission. However, it has been a stop on at least one *Outlander* tour out of Inverness.
For pictures and official information, see the
[gallery page](http://www.castleleod.org.uk/gallery-2/) at [Castleleod.org.uk](http://www.castleleod.org.uk/). This well-preserved Highland castle, billed as one of the most picturesque and romantic by its stewards, can be booked for special events including weddings. [The Clan Mackenzie Society of Scotland and the UK](http://clanmackenziesociety.co.uk/castles/) was very helpful with information about access and tours involving Castle Leod. The associated [Clan Mackenzie Routes](http://www.clanmackenzieroutes.com/) also offers tour package options.
Castle Leod. Image credit: Clan Mackenzie Society at
[clanmackenziesociety.co.uk/castles](http://clanmackenziesociety.co.uk/castles)
Castle Leod, “east view.” Image by coltarbt at
[Tripadvisor.com](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g551820-d7927568-Reviews-Castle_Leod-Strathpeffer_Ross_and_Cromarty_Scottish_Highlands_Scotland.html)
Castle Leod will have select open summer days in 2017 in May, June, July, and August, and the grounds also open to the public on August 12th for the Strathpeffer Highland Games, held annually.
In a valley alongside the Peffery Burn, the castle property is NNE of Strathpeffer off the A834, and the closest town immediately northeast is Auchterneed. Bottacks is also nearby. The address of Castle Leod is Strathpeffer IV14 9AA, UK.
**Loch Garve**, west of Castle Leod, Strathpeffer, Easter Ross → The loch mentioned as the home of the water kelpie (water horse; no, not the same species as Nessie) in the fireside tale Rupert tells before the rent party is attacked by members of Clan Grant in ep 108, “Both Sides Now.”
My online search for “Loch Garve” one day brought up
[the legend of the water kelpie](http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/scotland/ross-and-cromarty/folklore/the-kelpie-of-loch-garve.html); the story is indeed a long-held Scottish fixture.
Falls of Rogie. Image by EvaMarina2015 at
[Tripadvisor.com](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g551816-d519813-Reviews-Falls_of_Rogie-Contin_Ross_and_Cromarty_Scottish_Highlands_Scotland.html)
Between
[Loch Garve](http://www.welcometoscotland.com/things-to-do/activities/fishing/north-highland/loch-garve) and Castle Leod are the [Falls of Rogie](http://www.welcometoscotland.com/things-to-do/attractions/nature-reserves/north-highland/rogie-falls), a series of sought-after waterfalls on the Black Water River, where salmon can be seen jumping the “ladder” and where you can walk across the river on a suspended bridge. Also within this area is the Strathpeffer Heritage Village and Victorian spa resort.
Down from the Northwest, we reach the Great Glen and Scotland’s most famous loch.
* * *
**Inverness-shire → Outlander book, film, historical, and inspirational settings** **Inverness** is an interesting case for its lack of interest, perhaps. At least that’s what my friend who recommended I read *Outlander* said about their Outlander tour with [Inverness Tours](http://www.invernesstours.com/). I’m not sure if it was the pedestrian passerby on the highway shouting up to their double-decker tour bus “Inverness is sh*te!” that influenced her thoughts on this, but she basically told me there isn’t much besides the river views worth seeing in Inverness itself.
To say Inverness has little tourist value is not strictly true, but as a fellow
*Outlander* fan with other priorities, I decided to follow my friend’s lead on this one. As a result, my personal experience of Inverness is limited to navigating traffic, scenes of the River Ness (mainly in pouring rain) and Moray Firth, parking beneath the Inverness Castle hilltop, and eating at two fine city restaurants.
Known as the capital of the Highlands, there are indeed attractions worth visiting in the city. I’ll tell you about a less beaten path we took for ourselves, along with other charms Inverness afforded us, when I share our full itinerary in a future post. Incidentally, my first pick of an
*Outlander* tour was through [Inverness Tours](http://www.invernesstours.com/), but they were booked for our time frame when I finally made my decision, so plan many, many months ahead! We took instead [Slainte Scotland](http://slaintescotland.com/)‘s Firth of Forth and Fife area *Outlander* day tour, which was wonderful.
When you focus on the book and TV show, it is equally true that nothing in particular makes Inverness an
*Outlander* tourism city. Rather, its proximity to sites of story interest is what really recommends it. You may decide it’s a nice central location for lodging. Below are some of those story-related sites around Inverness that complement those in Ross & Cromarty.
**Loch Ness** (and Urquhart Castle), south of Inverness, connected by the River Ness, extends on a roughly north-south line for more than 20 miles. Featured in the book but not in the STARZ series, Gabaldon uses Loch Ness to bolster the mysterious, supernatural element of encountering a mythic beast, presumably either “Nessie” or one of her ancestors, collectively known as the Loch Ness Monster.
North of Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle and west of Inverness is the town of Beauly, seat of the Fraser clan of Lovat, kin of our story’s hero Jamie Fraser. A distinctive treasure awaits in the heart of town.
**Beauly Priory**, a truly “beau lieu” (French) or “beautiful place,” presents its ruined self in full splendor and grace. The names Fraser and Mackenzie appear frequently on the tombstones within and around the priory. **→** In the book, this holy place is **where Claire meets Maisri**, the seer who works for Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, infamously known as “the Old Fox.” Both the clan chief and his wise woman appear in ep208, “The Fox’s Lair.”
Technically not in Inverness-shire but also not far from Inverness to the west, Beauly Priory is free to enter and open 1 April – 30 September. Check for closures at all Historic Environment Scotland sites:
[https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/check-for-closures/](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/check-for-closures/). The address is Beauly IV4 7DY, UK.
After Beauly Priory’s enchantment (all above images by C. L. Tangenberg), last and perhaps best are two very important sites just a short trip east of Inverness.
**Culloden Battlefield**, aka Culloden Moor, Inverness-shire. ** → **“The *Outlander* action is all leading up to the bloody Battle of Culloden in 1746. More than 1,200 men were killed in the defeat of the Jacobite clans.” Source: photo caption excerpt [http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/photos/get-inside-outlander-on-a-tour-through-scotland/page/14](http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/photos/get-inside-outlander-on-a-tour-through-scotland/page/14). This final battle, while not depicted in the book, will be portrayed in the STARZ show during series 3, which is based on the third book *Voyager*. Culloden visitor centre stewards, battle and Jacobite scholars, descendants of Scotch soldiers and their families, British historians, *Outlander* fans, *Outlander* STARZ cast and crew, and Scots citizens–in short, many, many people no doubt all eagerly anticipate this unique project coming to fruition.
I know it will be unforgettable, and I hope it will bring even more people to this historic site that has long been at the center of Scottish cultural identity and its dramatic transformation.
The most prominent inclusion of Jacobite Rising history in the
*Outlander* series comes in the form of weaving its facts throughout the story. To her fans, Diana Gabaldon’s research prowess is legendary, and the show has followed her lead with excellent historical accuracy and detail, in everything from herbs to weapons to period architecture to literal embroidery on costumes (with a few intentional nods to the 1940s in Claire’s 1740s French dresses) and furnishings.
Plot elements such as an inside look at the rebel cause in series 1, discussions and decisions by Clans Mackenzie and Fraser in both series about political loyalties, mention and depiction of the battles of Prestonpans and Falkirk, and Claire and Frank’s talk of Jacobite history both on and off the battlefield in the 1940s all merge into that complex tapestry.
In 1743, smiling after Claire’s joke, Jamie casually mentions the Mackenzie rent party’s approach to Culloden Moor. Triggered by this, Claire suddenly recalls her sad visit there with Frank, circa 1945. “What of these Mackenzie men? How many [would] die on that bloody moor?” Having begun to bond with them over the past few weeks, she now fears for their lives, with a growing sense of helplessness.
The must-see visitor centre combines access to the field with a state-of-the-art, immersion museum experience, complete with dozens upon dozens of primary accounts conveyed in both textual and audio commentary and a four-wall motion picture re-enactment of the battle itself. The museum is designed for the visitor to receive and absorb a robust before, during, and after depiction of Scotland’s last war for freedom, before stepping outside for the most fundamental evidence of its high costs.
Inside, you learn about the Jacobite Rising of 1745 from its inception, with dual-corridor pathways providing both the government and Jacobite perspectives leading up to the war, along with intricate Battle of Culloden statistical and social details, and a comprehensive portrayal of the prolonged aftermath. This is one of the best places to learn a substantial amount about Bonnie Prince Charlie in particular. The centre has also taken pains to ensure Gaelic language representation throughout the museum and on field kiosks.
A dark hallway allows you to hear what each side had to say about the failed Night March before the battle. After viewing the graphic re-enactment film complete with sound effects (think 3D
*Saving Private Ryan* cinematography), don’t miss the excellent aerial-view digital model of troop movements with audio narration. The same room displays artifacts that were found on the battlefield and examples of swords, pistols, rifles, dirks, mortars, and cannons used in the fight.
Next, you can walk the moor, view the memorial cairn, grave stones, flags, and other battlefield features, and better imagine what it must really have been like. Pay your respects at the Clan Fraser memorial stone, which resides directly opposite the memorial cairn, among a series of clan memorial stones. More often than not, many of these will be graced with flowers and other tokens of remembrance.
The land is relatively flat but expansive, so budget your time for the trek. Go early if you intend to add another attraction on the same day, but I recommend light, short, and upbeat follow-up–something purely entertaining and relaxing or mostly physical, such as a beach picnic, river cruise, whisky tasting, tea time, train ride, horseback ride, or bagpipe show.
Actually, you might want to make a firm plan for the whisky. The Culloden historical experience, though fascinating and engaging, is a top-notch example of the ultimate sobering agent. However, despite one myth, birds do indeed sing on the moor–I made a point of listening for them after reading that somewhere. Our visit also featured two beautiful horses grazing the moor and watching over the fallen.
In getting there, keep in mind that several places in the area bear the name “Culloden”: the town of Culloden, Culloden Moor, and Culloden Battlefield, which is technically on Drumossie Moor, as well as the Culloden Inn. The town named Culloden is a bit removed to the northwest, and the namesake moor is immediately northeast of the battlefield. Culloden Inn restaurant is very close to the visitor centre, between Drumossie and Culloden Moors.
Murtagh mentions Kildrummie Moss in ep212, “The Hail Mary,” as well. This is actually farther northeast in Nairn-shire, closer to Nairn, where the British General Cumberland’s camp celebrated his birthday on the eve of their march to Culloden.
Regardless of your degree of interest in
*Outlander*, war, or formal museums, no first visit to Scotland would be complete without at least half a day at Culloden. Be sure to include it.
Address: Culloden Battlefield visitor centre, Culloden Moor, Inverness, Highland IV2 5EU. Tel: 0844 493 2159. Visitor Centre, Restaurant, Shop: open 1 Sept – 31 Oct, daily 9 – 5.30. Battlefield open daily, all year. Price: Adult £11.00. Hire of battlefield tour PDA is included in admission price. NTS members in free.
**Clava Cairns**, Inverness-shire, is a set of circular piles of stones (chambered and kerb cairns), and standing stone circles (monoliths) around those cairns, along the River Nairn, near Inverness. Perhaps sharing features of the stone circle Gabaldon pictured as Craigh na Dun for her story, “the 3 cairns were burial sites about 4,000 years ago, although the remains have long since been removed. Standing stones surround the cairns, but they haven’t seen any mysterious disappearances or reappearances lately—that we know of, anyway.” Source: photo caption [http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/photos/get-inside-outlander-on-a-tour-through-scotland/page/5](http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/photos/get-inside-outlander-on-a-tour-through-scotland/page/5)
As part of her answer to the question “Are all the locations used in the books real?”, Diana notes in her website’s FAQs section that she had not been to Scotland when she wrote
*Outlander* but would not be surprised if a place like the one she describes for Craigh na Dun actually existed. She found the standing stones at Castlerigg, Lake District, England, to be “very like” her imagined site once she finally did travel to Britain.
She mentions Clava Cairns and Tomnahurich Cemetery Hill as possibly being similar, but she states she had not been to Tomnahurich, which is supposed to be a “fairy’s hill.” It was not clear whether she had visited Clava Cairns by the time of her answer’s posting on that particular page, but I am fairly certain she has been there since, and I know she has visited Culloden as well.
Source:
[http://www.dianagabaldon.com/resources/faq/faq-about-the-books/#locations](http://www.dianagabaldon.com/resources/faq/faq-about-the-books/#locations)
Remember: Numerous examples of cairns, standing stones, stone circles, brochs, volcanic plugs, glacier-carved valleys, caves, and other spectacular rock formations define the landscape of Scotland’s mainland and islands. You’re likely to find one example to be as interesting as the next. This one is special in part for its very close proximity to Culloden Moor and its being part of Inverness-shire.
Just across the River Nairn to the southeast of Culloden Battlefield and visitor centre, the address of Balnuaran of Clava, or the Clava Cairns, is Inverness IV2 5EU, UK. It is free and open to the public.
* * *
As you have seen through descriptive detail and vivid images,
*Outlander* highlights abound in the Highlands as much as in central and southern Scotland. As I hope you have also seen, Scotland deserves exploring in its own right. Its beauty, culture, history, and adventure are matched by impressive hospitality.
Now that I have oriented you–in
[part 1](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/12/01/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-1/), [part 2](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2016/12/23/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-2/), and part 3 of this series–to the places throughout the land of Scots that can fascinate and delight the *Outlander* tourist, [part 4](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-4/) will present my specific model for putting it all together. I’ll show you how I approached planning our trip as a do-it-yourself traveler, our full bespoke (that is, “custom-made” for you non-UK folks) itinerary, and how we adjusted it along the way. I’ll also provide further guidance about dedicated *Outlander* tour options, more filming locations and book story sites, as well as general travel tips and recommended resources.
Footnotes and a list of sources mentioned in this post can be found in the sections below. While I’m on that subject, remember: The information presented in these posts is not exhaustive, errors are possible, and facts change, so be sure to do your own checking when you’re ready to set a Scottish excursion in stone.
I am delighted that you’ve followed me on the journey thus far. Return
[next time](https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/an-outlander-tourist-in-scotland-part-4/), when I’ll help with some tough choices and prepare you to book transport and more for that Scotland trip you’ve been dreaming about. . . .
*Tìoraidh an-dràsta!* (CHEER-ee ehn DRAH-steh) Ta-ta for now!
**Notes on Area Names**
* Go to
[Council Areas Since 1996](http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usfeatures/areas/index1996on.html) for a numbered map and linked list of all 30 council areas, such as Clackmannanshire, Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire, and Perth and Kinross. The island chains of Orkney and Shetland are listed and linked separately as not shown on the map. Subdivisions into [registration counties](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registration_county), used for land registration in Scotland, have persisted since the 1990s.
Regional divisions are a little more complicated and involve subdivision into districts between 1975 and 1996. For that fascinating history, see
[Regions and Districts of Scotland from 1975 to 1996](http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usfeatures/areas/index1975-1996.html), the names of which are relevant for the tourist mainly because areas are often still described in these terms.
Finally, counties go back even farther in time and were replaced by the two-tier region-district system.
[Scottish Counties from 1890 to 1975](http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usfeatures/areas/index1890-1975.html), like much of Scottish history, retain their footprint on the land.
Beyond these official, politico-historical categories, there appears to be a common understanding among UK and Scottish tourist service organizations and tour guidebook publishers as to which labels are most helpful to tourists. VisitScotland.com, Fodors, DK, Scotland.com, and Scotland.org are among those that blend variations of regions, council areas, and descriptive phrasing to focus tourists on optimal zones for their adventures. Examples include “Aberdeen and Grampian,” “Hebrides” (islands), and “Glasgow and the Clyde Valley.”
*The Highlands, broadly considered, are perhaps a mythical, amorphous landscape in some respects, for a few reasons. For one, this northerly expanse hardly has a monopoly on height and also seems to be synonymous with “the North.” Even the Lowlands are bordered to the south by “Southern Uplands” (Dumfries & Galloway area), and Europe and other continents boast far larger mountains. ** *
Second, culturally and politically, the Highlands were long considered a region of backwardness, even barbarity, by their southern neighbors the English, and sometimes by Lowland or city Scots. The region could in that way be thought of as anything north, island or inland, a certain distance from Edinburgh.
Third, the geological
[Highland Boundary Fault](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Boundary_Fault) line has set in stone (sorry) that once vague sense of division, officially distinguishing “up there” from “down here.” This fault zone runs from the isle of Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast, west-northwest of Glasgow, through Loch Lomond and Crieff to the northeast, parallel to the east coast on the North Sea, terminating immediately north of Stonehaven, at Garron Point, just south of Aberdeen. Visual learners, consult the map. 😉
As the line climbs to the northeast, it traverses Stirlingshire, Perthshire, and Angus, southeast of the Cairngorms. To see the topography and current place names, visit Gazetteer for Scotland and zoom out on the
[map](http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featuremap7728.html). For geology lovers, here’s George Barrow’s [sketch map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/BarrowHighlandBoundaryFault.png/1024px-BarrowHighlandBoundaryFault.png) from 1912.
[Scottish Nat](http://www.snh.gov.uk/about-scotlands-nature/rocks-soils-and-landforms/rocks-and-minerals/geological-foundations/) [ur](http://www.snh.gov.uk/about-scotlands-nature/rocks-soils-and-landforms/rocks-and-minerals/geological-foundations/) [al Heritage](http://www.snh.gov.uk/about-scotlands-nature/rocks-soils-and-landforms/rocks-and-minerals/geological-foundations/) further explores “the five distinct foundation blocks which make up Scotland” geology; examples are Southern Uplands, Northwest sea-board, and Northern Highlands. **Key Sources (in order of presentation in this post)
**
Highland Boundary Fault information was drawn from Wikipedia and Gazetteer for Scotland.
Gazetteer:
[http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst7728.html](http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst7728.html)
Wikipedia:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Boundary_Fault](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Boundary_Fault) *Travel+Leisure* magazine’s article about Outlander cast/crew’s favorite filming locations: [http://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/tv-movies/outlander-cast-and-crew-favorite-locations](http://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/tv-movies/outlander-cast-and-crew-favorite-locations)
Dunalastair Estate:
[http://www.dunalastair.com/Dunalastair-Estate](http://www.dunalastair.com/Dunalastair-Estate) *VisitCairngorms.com*: [http://visitcairngorms.com/](http://visitcairngorms.com/)
Highland Folk Museum:
[https://www.highlifehighland.com/highlandfolkmuseum/](https://www.highlifehighland.com/highlandfolkmuseum/)
About Tulloch Ghru at
*Wizzley.com*: [STARZ Outlander Scottish Filming Locations](https://wizzley.com/starz-outlander-scottish-filming-locations/)
Castle Leod:
[Castleleod.org.uk](http://Castleleod.org.uk) * provided information about Loch Garve and the Falls of Rogie in Ross & Cromarty: WelcometoScotland.com*
Loch Garve:
[http://www.welcometoscotland.com/things-to-do/activities/fishing/north-highland/loch-garve](http://www.welcometoscotland.com/things-to-do/activities/fishing/north-highland/loch-garve)
Falls of Rogie:
[http://www.welcometoscotland.com/things-to-do/attractions/nature-reserves/north-highland/rogie-falls](http://www.welcometoscotland.com/things-to-do/attractions/nature-reserves/north-highland/rogie-falls)
Learn more about Historic Environment Scotland sites including Beauly Priory:
[https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/check-for-closures/](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/check-for-closures/). *TravelChannel.com*‘s *Outlander* sites photo gallery
Culloden Battlefield: Source: photo caption excerpt
[http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/photos/get-inside-outlander-on-a-tour-through-scotland/page/14](http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/photos/get-inside-outlander-on-a-tour-through-scotland/page/14).
Clava Cairns: Source: photo caption
[http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/photos/get-inside-outlander-on-a-tour-through-scotland/page/5](http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/photos/get-inside-outlander-on-a-tour-through-scotland/page/5)
Diana Gabaldon’s website FAQs:
[http://www.dianagabaldon.com/resources/faq/faq-about-the-books/#locations](http://www.dianagabaldon.com/resources/faq/faq-about-the-books/#locations)
From my trip photo collection, sample the colors and textures of Scotland.
Stirling Castle and environs is one of the most colorful places on Scottish soil. From the castle’s view of varied shades of green hills and darker trees, to rows of gray houses below and its flagged, green terraces above flower gardens, to the sumptuous tapestries, royal bedroom furniture, majestic banners, interactive kids’ exhibits, period re-enactors, to paintings and fabrics on wall, floor, and ceiling, this historic seat of power is well worth more than one visit. And don’t forget the Wallace National Monument on the next tree-covered hill to the northeast.
Besides being uniquely spectacular in mountain majesty, Glencoe is Glen Colorful. Most striking to me in contrast to shorter deciduous-covered hills of the Ohio Valley and the sharper, starker, browner Rocky Mountains in the States are the blankets of green that cover the slopes of many of these ancient peaks in the Scottish Highlands. It’s my kind of green mountain.
Some leafy trees sprinkle about them, creep up their sedimentary seams where the water rushes to the bottom. But some later-installed conifers in Argyll, the Cairngorms, and periodically up the Great Glen impose themselves like patches of black-on-black tartan made too small for its wearer. Forestry efforts compete with natural beauty. The most prized evergreens are the Caledonian forests of Scots pine, now mere remnants in the country.
All over Scotland, with a high average rainfall, green is the go-to background color. Lichens, mosses, grasses and ferns are just a few of the non-arboreal results of this pervasive canvas. Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh and the plethora of green spaces in Glasgow, which means
~~“dear green place” from the~~ (correction) “green hollow” in Gaelic, attest to green’s primacy in Scotland.
Red is another dominant hue in both wild and domestic Scotland. Red deer, red squirrels, Highland cows, some spray-painted sheep, and various burgundy, rust, and orange and yellow flora mingle with the greens. Ferns fade into bracken with the fall, and heather pops magenta-purple and then fizzles grey into autumn across the country’s vast moors and storied glens. Sandstone is the other big red. The Beauly Priory is a breathtaking example of ruins made largely of red sandstone.
Lilac purples add magic to the greens and reds in both sun and shade, not just with the plentiful heather but with foxgloves, gems in cultivated gardens, and of course, the national flower, the thistle. But many flowers and plants retain their bright colors well into winter, re-blooming periodically, and the typical temperate-zone transition from green summer into red, yellow, orange, and brown fall happens in Scotland, too.
Sheep are everywhere, like the grass they munch, and you probably know what that looks like. The flocks power the long-standing textile industry of wool and tweed in Scotland. Tartan long ago sported muted tones that blended with the natural landscape. After having been banned by the Crown following the Jacobites’ defeat at the 1746 Battle of Culloden, tartan’s revival in the late 1800s brought with it a flashier spectrum. Today, even women and girls can benefit from the plentiful choices in feminine shades among the clan-based plaids available at tourist shopping hot spots.
The waters of life in the land of Scots range from root-beer rapids of brown and foam along the walking paths at Carie Forest near Loch Rannoch, Perthshire, to the golden gamut of whiskies forged in distilleries from the islands to the northern Highlands, to the deep-sea and turquoise blues of clear-sky-reflecting burns, rivers, firths, bays, and lochs. Modern Scotland has done its best with drinking water bottled from mountain sources, and then its worst in the hopelessly sugary, bubble-gum-flavored orange soda that is the national drink, Irn Bru.
The British tea tradition also persists, alive and well in both city and countryside. A venture to Glasgow’s Willow Tea Room, designed by the celebrated Charles Rennie Mackintosh, gave my husband good Kenyan black tea and me some aromatic Jasmine green tea, neatly cut finger sandwiches, and a gluten-free chocolate brownie topped with clotted cream. I finished all of my teapot’s worth with pleasure, and I’m not even much of a tea drinker.
I guess it was the blend of artistic atmosphere, my first real experience of tea time, and a well-chosen tea. Making it more memorable was an inchworm Jason discovered on his jacket from recent outdoor adventures. In and out of sight, we kept him alive till I dropped him accidentally on the stairway as we left. His ultimate fate is a mystery.
It was also in Glasgow that we learned about the Glasgow Boys group of artists and the Scottish colourists featured in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Influences from French Impressionists to “Whistler’s Mother,” and of course Scottish landscapes, informed their work over the years. There are life waters, watercolours, and water horses in Scotland. Modern architecture like the Kelpies, at the Helix car park and recreation center near Falkirk, celebrates the country’s artistic and industrial traditions, while one white and one black horse graze at the site of the Culloden Battlefield.
Wild bird coloring is not all that different from home. The British robin redbreast is a distinctly different species from our American robin, a rounder, more petite orange-breasted songbird with a song that sounds prettier to my untrained ear than that of the omnipresent States-side version. I knew about that difference before landing in Scotland, but I was surprised to see the dapper-looking pheasant hanging around the farm bird feeders at the breakfast windows of our luxury B&B near Inverness.
Not quite ring-necked, this male turns out to be the common pheasant of the UK, introduced to Roman Britain as a game bird from Asia. His aristocratic associations befitted our romantic, up-scale portion of the trip, evidenced by the rich red and white furnishings amidst the dark four posts of the bed and the crystalline bed-side dimmer lamps. They even gave us complimentary Ferrero Rocher truffles and a crystal of sherry and two champagne glasses.
There’s a variety of local color in soccer jerseys on display at the National Museum of Scottish Football at Hampden Park, Glasgow, home of the Queen’s Park Rangers and the Scottish National Team. But some of the most colorful parts of Scotland are still its people. The dialects, sensibilities, hotel and B&B personnel, street performers, musicians including guitarists, accordianists, bagpipers, and fiddlers, cab drivers, store cashiers, theatre players, tourism workers from receptionists to historical figure actors, mostly courteous drivers we encountered, and everyday people were always, for better or worse, innocuous, pleasant, and helpful. Good for us tourists, certainly.
Whites, blacks, and greys in the buildings, ruins, and stone monuments pulled us back in time to the mysteries of archaeological evolution. That is, the presence alone of chambered cairns and standing stone circles fascinates, but it’s even more interesting to learn of the layers of change their shapes represent, the multiple peoples and purposes that swept through a given place, obscuring the earlier inhabitants and users, muddling the picture of a Pict or a Scot or an Angle or a Roman. The clues keep bubbling to the surface in diverse ways, and their hunt can become an obsession, and a literary inspiration in the cases of authors such as Diana Gabaldon of the
*Outlander* series.
Whether you’re one for science or for literature, which Gabaldon and I both are, the romance of the past is real, palpable, just as the puzzles, if not the ghosts, left by the remnants beckon the solvers forward. Ruins, especially religious ones even to this agnostic, possess the most affecting beauty of all historic buildings, and the monoliths are at least figuratively magnetic. Ruins speak in a steady voice of struggle, violence, survival, and death. They show the creativity, innovation, reverence, passions, sorrows, and daily subsistence of peoples long gone, and sometimes they demonstrate long periods of thriving, the revival of resilient groups, and the diligence of those dedicated to preserving history and memory.
At the Clava Cairns, I touched some of the piled stones as I walked into the center of one chambered cairn, but semi-unconsciously, I avoided touching the split standing stones. The stones at this site are said to have inspired Gabaldon’s invention of Craigh na Dun, the central plot mechanism–strange and terrifying–of the entire
*Outlander* saga. The ubiquitous nature of stone and stonework in Scotland adds an indescribable charm to visiting this old country when one’s own is so young by contrast, but the stories they inspired are what sent me there.
The Writers’ Museum, Edinburgh
There’s no generalizing Scotland, and yet the tourist tends heavily toward equating places with their people. In the end, they are inextricable, multi-dimensional, many-layered and intriguing enough to merit repeat exploration.
Besides, I just love to hear Scots speak, even if I don’t understand them the first time, or, in the case of Glaswegians, the second or third. Although I’ve seen a lot, I hope I’ll get another chance to practice listening in Scotland.
*All photos copyright C.L. Tangenberg*

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