The 4-Day Outlander Experience

We head north today and soon arrive at the beautiful village of Culross, which was the perfect setting for the fictional village of Cranesmuir in Outlander. Explore the cobbled stone streets, which were home to Geillis Duncan and her ill-fated husband, Arthur. We then head towards Doune Castle, which was the site for Castle Leoch, home to Colum MacKenzie and his clan in the 18th-century episodes in season 1. This impressive 14th-century building is heaped with history and is one of Scotland’s most famous film locations. Free audio guides are also available to tell you how the castle was used in Outlander narrated by Sam Heughan. We continue our drive north towards the beautiful Drummond Castle, which is famous for its 17th-century Scottish Renaissance gardens. These gardens were the perfect setting for the gardens of Versailles in season 2, where Claire and Jamie unexpectedly come across “Black Jack” Randall. We then travel the Hermitage for stunning views of the Black Lynn Falls. The woods near to the village of Dunkeld, were used in season 4 and 5 where we see Claire and Jamie walk through the woodlands of Carolina. We can then travel to the charming little village of Pitlochry to walk through the shops before travelling north towards Inverness where we will drop you off at your accommodation.

Our first stop of the day is at the Highland Folk Museum, which was used in the episode ‘Rent’ in season 1. The buildings have been authentically built using 18th-century methods and were used for the scenes when Jamie and Claire were accompanied by Colum MacKenzie to collect the taxes. We then take the drive up to the Clava cairn, which was the inspiration for Craigh Na Dun in Outlander. These stones are believed to be over 4000 years old and were once used as an ancient burial ground. The cemetery remained a sacred place in the landscape for over a millennium and provides many clues to the beliefs of Bronze Age society. We then travel to the Culloden battlefield. This is a powerfully moving site of the final Jacobite Rising, the last and most harrowing pitched battle to be fought on British soil. Headstones mark the graves of hundreds of clansmen who gave their lives for the Jacobite cause. There is no escaping the eerie emotions Culloden evokes. Explore the interactive visitor centre and battlefield, view fascinating artifacts from both sides of the confrontation, and experience the battle in the immersive surround sound cinema. The formidable Fort George is our final location for the day. It was built in the wake of the Battle of Culloden (1746) as a secure base for King George II’s army. Fort George took 22 years to complete, by which time the Jacobite threat had subsided, but it has served the British Army for almost 250 years since. Walk around the main ramparts and discover the barrack rooms where soldiers used to live. You can also explore the history of the Highlander war museum, which is the largest regimental museum outside Edinburgh. We then drive you back to your accommodation.

The final day of our 4-Day Outlander Experience starts at the stunning Urquhart Castle, which sits by the shores of Loch Ness. Discover more than 1000 years of history, as the castle has been home to some of the most historic chapters of Scotland’s story. Urquhart Castle was a government stronghold during the Jacobite risings and was blown up when Clan Grant decided to leave the castle for good, stopping the enemy from taking it for themselves. We continue our drive south towards the magnificent Glencoe. Feel history come alive when we tell the tales of the massacre of the Macdonald clan, which took place in 1692 when Scottish soldiers led by Captain Robert Campbell led their sinister assault and killed 38 men, women, and children. The Scottish Highlands would never be the same again. From here, we drive you back to your accommodation of choice.