Outlander Filming Locations in Scotland

On October 16th 2013, Twitter erupted with Outlander hashtags.

It seemed that the entire population of Falkland, in Fife, had their camera phones out to capture the excitement in the heart of their town.

Let's face it, we all wished we were there too. I know I looked it up on a map and calculated the distance!

This picturesque location features in the very earliest scenes from Starz's Outlander. This was where Frank and Claire Randall lodged in Mrs Baird's Guesthouse, using it as a base to explore the rest of the Scottish Highlands. (Yes, we know that Fife is in the Lowlands, but Falkland was here pretending to be Inverness.)

The entire center of the town, particularly the area surrounding the Bruce Fountain, was stripped of all traces of the 21st century. For one day, it was Inverness in 1947.

Falkland Parish Church was renamed Dalneigh Parish Church (the real one is still in Inverness).

Across the road, The Covenanter Hotel became practically unrecognizable. The pillars outside its door, plus all of the window and door-frames, were repainted. This included the dining area alongside it, which was cunningly re-imagined as garages, with the help of fake frontages.

The hotel's own signage was removed and its menu boards taken in. In their place was inserted a hanging sign reading Mrs Baird's Guesthouse, est. 1865.

Further along the road, Greenhouse Chinese Restaurant became Farrell's Hardware and Furniture Store. Internal boards concealed the real interior, while its windows were stocked with authentic period merchandise.

Lomond Pharmacy was transformed into Campbell's Cafe. Bizarrely, this appears to have become a permanent fixture. A real life Campbells Coffee House and Eatery opened in the same building, as soon as the Outlander film crew left! Now that's what I call opportunism.

Meanwhile, next door, Violin Shop Falkland was changed into H Allingham's Music Shop. The owner must have been gutted. His name is Bob Beveridge. That could have been the advertising of the century!

As the day drew on, further touches were needed in order to shoot more scenes. There was blood added to the door-jamb over the guesthouse.

By night, the weather had to take a turn for the worse. Unusually for Britain in October, it wasn't actually raining, but since when did that stop a film company?  Huge cranes held the sprinklers and lighting rigs necessary to recreate a storm.

Poor Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) and her husband Frank (Tobias Menzies) got very wet; and it was a wrap.

Want to be there?  Don't we all!  If only to try our luck with our hands on the stones, in order to nip through into the 18th century and find Jamie.

Hopefully before he meets Claire, so... erm, maybe that's just me. It would ruin a fabulous tale, if Jamie Fraser never bumped into Claire Beauchamp Randall. It wouldn't merely be their lives ruined, but our literary world of imagination too. Not that I'd care, if I was there!

Moving swiftly on, you can actually visit the Scottish landscape where Craigh na Dun's scenes were filmed. The mountains in the background of the picture above were not created by CGI. They are right there in Scotland awaiting your dreamy gaze in wonder, or your hiking boots on their trails.

The stone circle scenes in Outlander were filmed on the banks of Loch Rannoch in Perth and Kinross. The actual aspect viewed is across Loch Rannoch, looking towards Black Mount, Lochan na h-Achlaise, Stob Ghabhar and Clach Leathad on Rannoch Moor.

That said, you can't go far wrong hunting for Outlander film sites along the banks of Loch Rannoch. Many random scenic shots, dotted throughout the show, came from there too.

However, you'll be sorely disappointed if you go there expecting to find Craigh na Dun stone circle itself. That was filmed somewhere we'll never be able to visit - *sob* - as revealed in the Outlander film guide segment below.

For many years, the Isola Werke UK factory was a sizable employer in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire. Based in the Ward Park area of the commuter town, a workforce of about 550 people manufactured circuit boards.

Then the recession hit and the factory was closed down. For eight years, the industrial complex sat there, slowly becoming derelict.

Entrepreneur Terry Thomson bought the site in 2013. He is the chairman of an engineering company, Thomson Pettie Group, but his vision was firmly attuned to the bright lights of the entertainment business.

He transformed 130,000 square feet of buildings and warehouses into a professional film studio. Then went after his first big contract - the US Starz adaption of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. Against the odds, he secured it too!

The Scottish government, and its arts subsidiary Creative Scotland, immediately took notice. Perhaps not quite believing their luck, permission was granted for Ronald D Moore's crew to film wherever appropriate within Scotland's historic heritage buildings.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond allocated a budget of £640,000 to further facilitate the development of the former Isola-Werke factory into a credible film studio. Down in Westminster, Chancellor George Osbourne announced that there would be substantial tax breaks, as a further incentive for filming high-end, high-budget shows in Britain, instead of, say, Ireland. (Everyone was very bitter about missing out on Game of Thrones.)

It was a sound investment. It's expected that Outlander will boost the Scottish economy by £20 million!

Unfortunately for the prying public and rabid fans (myself included), the studio is off limits. High walls and tight security kept us from getting a glimpse of what's going on inside.

However, this is where all of the interiors for Outlander were filmed. Craigh na Dun exists only on a sound stage within that complex. Though whether they'd nailed the whole time passage aspect of it remains to be seen.

Check out another view of Reverend Wakefield's house, plus comments, on Imgur.

I have many plans to visit Ayrshire - not only because of Outlander, but my family history trails too. I've traveled through the area before. I can attest to the serene beauty of the county, in addition to the rich history embedded into its very landscape.

Travel guides naturally help locate all, as my own well thumbed Ayrshire tourist guide proves.

There are authentic 18th century, turf-roofed crofts in Badenoch's Highland Folk Museum. Reconstructed buildings, they are historically accurate in every detail. Which made them perfect as Outlander film sets.

Located in the village of Newtonmore, the living history museum was the brainchild of Dr. Isobel F. Grant, who traveled around the Highlands collecting and preserving cultural materials. The crofts and other buildings were taken down, brick by brick, from their original locations, then carefully reassembled at the site near Aviemore, Badenoch.

The ready-made backdrop of an 18th century township meant that the Highland Folk Museum could be used whenever an Outlander scene called for ordinary houses. The cast and crew were there for much of late March/early April 2014.

It doubled as the crofter's house in episode one, plus a MacKenzie village later on. It turned up again in episode five, where authentic houses were needed over and over again while Dougal collected the rent.

Tulloch Ghru is part of the Cairngorms National Park, just outside Aviemore, where some filming took place. 

Unfortunately I'm struggling to locate it on a map (though Larig Ghru is right there). Hence if you visit, it might be best to nip into Aviemore and ask somebody for directions. The location can be seen on the map above.

However, there is a Tulloch just to the north-east of Aviemore, as you can see from the old map reproduced left. No Ghru, but it may be the same one.

As far as I can currently ascertain, the first episode scenes - where Claire rides with Jamie and the Highlanders - were largely filmed there. There is plenty of woodland around. The ancient remnants of the Caledonian Forest run parallel to the area, from Abernathy Forest in the north to Rothiemurchus in the south-west.

A further hint might be in the translation from the Gaelic of Tulloch Ghru itself. It means 'wooded hill alongside the (River) Druie'.

UPDATE!  Highland Nick has come to our rescue, leaving this comment:

'Tullochghru, Aviemore is about 2 miles south east of Aviemore (and one mile south-east of Inverdruie).  Tulloch - a different place altogether, is north east of Aviemore and is on the edge of the Abernethy Forest near Nethy Bridge.'

Thank you very much!

That blind-sided everybody, who'd naturally assumed that Castle Leod - the real life seat of Clan MacKenzie and Diana Gabaldon's inspiration for Castle Leoch - would be the filming location.

But Castle Leod is the private residence of the Earl of Cromartie, and it was completely renovated in the late 19th century. It simply doesn't look the part anymore. While Doune Castle most certainly does!

Doune is seen in both the 18th and 20th century portions of Outlander. In the latter, Frank and Claire visited the castle in ruins. Digital manipulation was used to create that illusion.

Back in 1743, the Great Hall and other interiors were reproduced back in Cumbernauld. Great care was taken to ensure that all of the measurements were exact, to produce as perfect a replica as possible. They even went as far as to make castings of the stonework, so that the sets would match back in the studio!

This might seem like a lot of work, when there's a perfectly serviceable Great Hall right there, not to mention the rest of the castle's extremely solid rooms.

But Doune Castle is a historical monument. Permission could not be granted to change any aspect of it, which was a necessity when a film crew had to fix equipment to the walls and change the furnishings to make it all seem authentically 18th century.

Plus the sound stage versions could lose a wall or two, if needful for lighting purposes.  It was safer all round just to do it there.

Incidentally, if Doune Castle looks familiar, you may have seen it before. Scotland might have lost out to Ireland, as the filming location for Game of Thrones, but it did have one stake in the show. Doune Castle was Winterfell, the home of the Stark family!

Those of us with even longer memories will recall another of Doune's glory days. It was where Monty Python and the Holy Grail was filmed!

On November 14th 2013, Caitriona Balfe and a gaggle of child actors descended upon Pollok Country Park in Glasgow. Naturally they took the film crew with them.

Three miles away from the city center, this is the only country park within Glasgow. But parts of its 146 hectares were closed to the public, while Outlander filming took place there.

The park will double as the grounds of Castle Leoch, when we see it on-screen. It's here that Claire interacts with Hamish MacKenzie and friends, while keeping a sharp eye out for a glimpse of Jamie.

Culross is such a tiny, rural village, nestled in the heartland of West Fife.  But it was decidedly busier between November 19th-21st 2013.

That's when the Mercat area was transformed into the fictional village of Cranesmuir.

The beautiful disruption of an Outlander crew descending spread further than that. In the run up to filming, residents were warned that several streets would be closed to traffic. They were West Green, Lower East Sandhaven, Back Causeway, Mid Causeway, Wee Causeway and Tanhouse Brae.

No modern vehicles could be parked in Sandhaven or Low Causewayside, suggesting that these streets would feature prominently in the shoot.

Cranesmuir is the village closest to Castle Leoch. It's where Claire visits for medicinal supplies, treats one or two residents (more as news like her gets round) and has a fateful meeting with the fiscal's wife, Geillis Duncan.

I can't tell you how many hours I've spent trying to find these ruins. The Black Kirk featured in an early episode of Outlander and I've been hunting for its real world location ever since.

You really don't realize quite how many derelict kirks there are dotted around the Scottish landscape, until you've flicked through hundreds of them one by one.

Therefore, on a very personal level, I'd like to repeat that huge thanks to Cherish for pinpointing it on a map. 

It's in Culross. Why didn't I think to look there first? So many scenes were filmed for Outlander in the vicinity of that tiny Fife village. The whole place is practically Outlander central!

Culross West Church doubles as the dreaded Cranesmuir Black Kirk, where children dare themselves to venture, and some come out poisoned. Claire, of course, wishes to check it out too, finding the culprit plants almost immediately.

The ruined old parish church of Culross was built circa 1500-1560. It didn't have a very long tenancy as the village's spiritual center, as an Act of Parliament switched those duties over to the Abbey Parish Church in 1633. Nevertheless, people continued to be buried in its hallowed grounds right up until the 18th and 19th centuries.

Most notably, there's the big mausoleum belonging to the Dalgeish family, which can be glimpsed in aerial shots from Outlander.

Finnich Glen is also known as The Devil's Pulpit. Personally count me in to hear the sermon!  And by 'hear', I mean wonder off exploring the pretties, as soon as I get there.

This picturesque 100ft deep gorge was the film setting for when Dougal relied on the truth-inducing waters to discover if he might trust Claire's word. She passed with flying colors. 

In Outlander, the gorge looked like it was quickly accessible from the trackway running alongside. Finnich Glen is that, but only for those able to descend through a narrow passage on steep Victorian stone steps.

It may be found just off the A809, a mile out of Killearn, on the road to Drymen.  However, there's no parking there, if you're approaching via car. Instead you'll have to take the turning onto the B8054, and pull into a lay-by. Then traverse the neighboring field towards the stream, and over to the western edge to find the rough hewn stairway down.

That might seem like a great deal of hassle, but I'm still in. It's the prettiest Outlander location yet!

WARNING! Finnich Glen can be unsafe to approach, if you don't know the area. There are sheer drops and areas which are quite slippery.  See Gilldingwall's comment for more details.

Outlander isn't the first time that Blackness Castle has been used as a film set.  It popped up as the backdrop in Hamlet (1990), The Bruce (1996), Ivanhoe (1997), MacBeth (1997) and Doomsday (2008).  (I recently watched that latter film. I will never get back that hour and half of my life. I do NOT recommend it. Unless you have guests whom you want to prompt into leaving. Baaaadddd film.)

However, it's worth noting that Graham McTavish - Dougal in Outlander - played Banquo in this production of MacBeth.

Glencorse Old Kirk is the film location for Jamie and Claire's impromptu wedding, which saved her from the clutches of Black Jack Randall. 

Let's face it, we were all clued to the screen, awwwing and wiping little tears away, for that one. Even those of us who claim not to have a romantic bone in our bodies!

Better yet, it turns out that this is a venue for real world marriages too. Not merely in the fact of it being a kirk, but complete with the whole reception package next door at Glencorse House too. If you want to totally fan geek out on this, you could also request a brochure.

Glencorse Old Kirk would certainly have been around in Jamie Fraser's day, though quite new.

It was built in 1665, originally as a big rectangle in shape.  It was aligned in the usual way, east to west. Then in 1699, the north and south aisles were added to create a cruciform. The Old Kirk at Glencorse was used for worship right up until the 19th century, when it was superseded by a larger kirk nearby.

Old Kirk only fits 130 people into its pews, most of them shivering, as the roof was also removed in the 1800s. Though restoration work is continuing apace, and unless that Outlander scene involved some CGI, then it certainly seemed to me like Glencorse Old Kirk had a roof!

Before the cast and crew of Outlander turned up, the Old Kirk's main claim to fame was that Robert Louis Stephenson belonged to its congregation. In fact, he reputedly quipped that should he ever return as a ghost, it will be to Glencorse Woods or the bridge close to the kirk. So watch out for him there then.

* My great thanks to Dingbat, who not only found this Outlander film location for us, but came back to double check that I'd added it here. Very fortunately for you all, as it turned out that I'd been distracted by real life and it was still outstanding!  Thank you, Dingbat.

We don't get to see much of Claire's first wedding day, when Frank spontaneously proposed to her in the street. Right in front of the registry office door too, so she couldn't get cold feet by thinking about it for too long!

Not that she appeared to be having much trouble there. Her eyes shone at the prospect.

The Outlander film location for Frank's proposal is just off George Square in Glasgow. I warrant it's not usually full of 1940s era vehicles and trench-coat wearing men. Though if anyone goes to check it out, please do report back on that score.

Filming for these flashback scenes took place on May 18th and 19th 2014

UPDATE:  Angela and James left a comment here explaining where Lallybroch is in reality. It's Midhope Castle, which is on the Hopetoun Estate, near to Edinburgh.

However, it IS unsafe and it's also on private property, so no-one go rushing there uninvited!  Go and read the comments for more information.

ORIGINAL POST:

I really wish that I could tell you the Outlander filming location of Lallybroch.  So far this one has me stumped!

We know what it looks like.  The concept art was revealed at the Outlander Fan Event Panel in New York, early in October 2013.

We also have some details about the property. The real life location of Lallybroch is actually a ruin. Behind that lovely exterior, the building is a shell.

The secrecy surrounding where it is may be due to the fact that it's dangerous inside. Fans rushing to have their picture taken there could get smacked by a bit of falling masonry.

Other clues to finding Lallybroch include the modern building, which sits just to the side of the property and has been air-brushed out of the images. We also know that it was chosen because the exterior is authentically 18th century.  Remember that this was a home constructed by Brian and Ellen Fraser, in order to raise Jamie and his siblings.

Because the interior is so wrecked - and it only appears once in flashback in the first season of Outlander - those scenes have been moved outside. We will see Jenny Fraser fight off Black Jack Randall in the courtyard, while Jamie's arrest takes place outside the archway on the road itself.

If anyone out there does know where this building can be found, please do leave a comment. I'd be thrilled to update this, with all due credit to yourself.

• Tibbermore Church in Perth.  My best guess was that this is the chapel used for the wedding scene in Outlander. But the current word on the street is that it'll be the place where Gellis and Claire's witch trial is held. I guess we'll wait and see.
• Barskimming Estate near Mauchline. This related to filming on August 4th 2014, so may well feature in season two, not one.  There were outdoor scenes involved.
• The Study (and Three Sisters) in Glencoe.  This mountain range is seen in long shots of Scotland.
• Lochan na h-Earba on the Ardverikie Estate near Loch Laggan, Badenoch.  Filming took place on the north side of the loch in scenery shots for the very first episode.
• Glenn Kinglass, Arrochar Alps, near to the Firth of the Forth.
• Limekilns, Fife. Fishing village on the Firth of the Forth.  Strong rumor that this was the location where Claire was married in Outlander, and that filming also took place at the harbor itself. The latter may be a long shot taking in the location of Outlander's Wentworth Prison.
• Aberdour Castle, Fife.  The castle and gardens were closed between September 4th and 19th 2014 to allow the Outlander crew to film.
• Dumbarton Castle. Sam was photographed there on set by Just Jared magazine, published on August 5th 2014.
• Cumbernauld Glen - vicinity of Doo Cot and Millennium Stone - filming on February 14th 2014.  With thanks to Dingbat for the heads up.
• Balgonie Castle near Glenrothes, Fife.  Found by Dingbat.
• 'Preston Mill was used for an obvious scene :) It was also used for part of the Witch Trial. It's an NTS. I'd send you a photo but I don't know how.
  Balgonie Castle was used for the MacRannoch scene they focus on weddings so you may not always be able to visit.' SamTourGuide

I will update them with their own sections, as I know more about their place in the show.

The real life settings in Diana Gabaldon's work may not match those used in the television adaptation. The fictional ones unfortunately remain in the ether, to be imagined afresh by all who read those epic stories.

If you would like to track down the Scottish locations in Outlander, then may I recommend the Outlandish Companion as your guide? 

I've owned this volume for years. It's fascinating and wonderful, great to just dip in and out of as a coffee table book. Or you can do as I did, when I first held it in my sweaty hands, which was to lie on a settee and devour every word until it was read.

Through the Stones is a new one on me, though a comment on the Amazon page informs us that it's merely an over-priced, European copy of the Outlandish Companion.  I'd stick with the original, if I were you.