Travel: Follow the ‘Outlander’ trail across Scotland

I found Outlander by chance one evening when channel-surfing turned into staying put. The dashing, modern-day braveheart with his quiet strength, fierce loyalty and love for a time-travelling “sassenach” created a pull for Scotland, which emerged as a character in the show with its castles, glens and villages.

That ability to turn place into presence has made Outlander one of the most influential chapters in modern screen tourism. When the series ends this year, it will close a remarkable eight-season run that didn’t merely use Scotland as a backdrop, but reshaped how audiences around the world imagined the country.

Scotland’s cinematic pedigree predates Outlander, which came to screens in 2014, but few productions have left such an imprint. Adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling novels, the series follows Claire Randall, a 20th-century nurse hurled back to 1743, and her epic love story with Highland warrior Jamie Fraser, set against Jacobite uprisings, clan politics and a fiercely imagined past. The romance, rebellion and rugged landscapes proved irresistible, and the impact has been measurable.

According to VisitScotland, nearly one in five visitors (19%) say their trip was inspired by TV, film or literature, a number that rises to more than a third (37%) among long-haul travellers. Looking specifically at television, 22% of long-haul visitors cite small-screen inspiration, with Outlander consistently emerging as the most frequently mentioned title. In total, screen tourism linked to film and TV productions across Scotland is now valued at £161.4 million in visitor expenditure.

“Outlander has been the biggest gamechanger for Scottish tourism since Braveheart,” says Jenni Steele, film and creative industries manager at VisitScotland. She is referring to the 1995 historical war drama starring Mel Gibson, who plays Scottish hero William Wallace. Then there is the Harry Potter series of books and films, which have drawn inspiration from as well as been set in locations across Scotland, from the streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town to the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Western Highlands. Apart from the store said to have inspired Flourish and Blotts in the books, tourists also line up at the café where J.K. Rowling wrote the series. The dramatic scenery of the Highlands has also had a cameo in various James Bond films, including Skyfall (Glencoe and Glen Etive) and No Time to Die (Aviemore).

Outlander’s filming map is like a cross-section of Scotland itself: Glencoe’s cinematic valley opening the credits; Falkland standing in for 1940s Inverness; the imagined Craigh na Dun drawing inspiration from ancient stone circles; Doune Castle as Castle Leoch; Midhope Castle as Lallybroch; Culross as Cranesmuir; Blackness Castle and Linlithgow Palace doubling as prisons and fortresses; Culloden Battlefield anchoring the Jacobite tragedy; and Edinburgh’s Royal Mile reuniting lovers across centuries.

For many travellers, Outlander has acted as an emotional entry point to the country. “I watched the show during the pandemic and felt like Scotland became a place I already knew,” says Mumbai-based marketing professional and fan of the show Shruti Mehta. “I want to see the castles, yes, but also walk the landscapes, hear the music, and understand the history beyond the romance. Outlander made me curious, not just obsessed.”

Several Scottish companies, such as Scottish Clans and Castles, Haggis Adventures, Plews Tours, Inverness Tours and Celtic Journeys, now offer tours designed for fans. Hugh Allison of Inverness Tours believes that every tour is different because each guest brings their own relationship to different books, shows and films. “That shared sense of discovery is what makes these journeys so special,” he says.

The shows and films have also gone beyond Scottish scenery, opening a door into the country’s living heritage. On the tours, this translates into ceilidh dances where locals happily teach visitors the steps, or late-night pubs where fiddles, pipes and Gaelic songs take over. Clan gatherings and Highland games showcase tartan histories and friendly rivalries, while everyday crafts, from kilt-making and whisky distilling to creating old herbal remedies, reveal the practical skills woven through the series.

Tours typically spotlight living Highland traditions with demonstrations by local groups such as the Badenoch Waulking Group. Founded 30 years ago in the heart of the Highlands to revive the practice of waulking—beating newly woven tweed to soften and make it waterproof while singing particular songs—the group now routinely showcases the traditional hand-finishing process. “The cloth was soaked and washed, then beaten in rhythm on a table, passed clockwise from woman to woman as Gaelic songs set the pace. The group has over the years collected more than a 100 such songs, performing them during demonstrations,” says Brody Stewart, a tour guide. Immersive experiences like these turn the on-screen drama into lasting memories for fans.

Alastair Cunningham, founder of Scottish Clans and Castles, which has been offering Outlander tours for a decade, notes that the tours have “gradually adapted to reflect the priorities of Outlander tourists over the years”. New places are added as they make an appearance on the TV series production schedules, he says.

For me, having visited Scotland both before and after watching the show, it comes a full circle. I’m waiting to see what happens when Jamie and Claire finally decide to go home—and the new places that they’ll introduce me to.