Outlander Classic 1-Day Tour

Tours depart from Linlithgow Train Station, Station Road, Linlithgow EH49 7DH
20 minutes by train from Edinburgh
30 minutes by train from Glasgow

Doune Castle was built in the 14th century to seat Scotland’s uncrowned King Regent Albany, and the medieval courtyards of the castle showcase the king’s rich tastes. The castle has one of Scotland’s best-preserved great halls and a stunning 100ft (30m) gatehouse.

Doune Castle served as the setting for Outlander’s Castle Leoch and is highlighted in several key scenes across the first season of the show. In the 18th century episodes, Castle Leoch is the home of Calum Mackenzie and his clan. At the beginning of the series, Claire and Frank pay a visit to Castle Leoch on a day trip, only to discover the castle is in ruins. Doune Castle also hosted the scene where Claire, Jamie and Dougal’s party approach the castle courtyard.

Doune Castle is more than just the home of Castle Leoch, as it was also the backdrop of Winterfell in the GOT TV series and was also seen in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Blackness Castle is a 15th century-old fortress built by the Crichton family. It has been used as a royal residence, a prison and a weapons store. Due to its unusual shape, it is often referred to as ‘the ship that never sailed’.

When selecting a filming location for Outlander’s Fort William, Blackness Castle was chosen as the ideal setting for Black Jack Randall’s stronghold. For viewers, the scene where Jamie was whipped and tortured during his incarceration was filmed here, filling fans with genuine compassion for Jamie.

This is also where Jamie’s father passed away after watching his son facing punishment. During the mid-season finale of series one, Blackness Castle was used when Claire was held captive by Black Jack before Jamie breaks into Fort William to rescue her.

Not only did Blackness Castle showcase the backdrop of Fort William, but also captured scenes from 1990’s Hamlet and 2019’s Mary Queen of Scots.

The breathtaking Midhope castle dates back to the 16th Century. The castle exterior Castle remains intact however the interior of the structure has been neglected and has decayed extensively. The centuries-old castle was the most fitting for the home of Jamie Fraser known as Lallybroch. Jamie’s parents left him ownership of Lallybroch, but the castle was also home to Jamie’s sister Jenny, her husband and their children.

Lallybroch is first introduced in a flashback scene in season 1 episode 2, which is when Jamie attempts to save Jenny from the clutches of the Redcoats but instead gets captured and taken to Fort William. We then see Lallybroch further in episode 12 when Jamie and Claire return to the castle, at which point a disagreement erupts with Jenny before settling in for the following few episodes.

Some episodes later an encounter with ‘The Watch’ sees the characters having to leave Lallybroch.

Hopetoun House is a country home in Scotland built in the 16th century for the use of the Hope family, located on the Hopetoun estate which covers an area of 6.500 acres. Outlander followers will recognise the country home as the Duke of Sandringham’s residence.

Hopetoun House was used to shoot the red drawing-room scene in episode ten of season one when Claire blackmails the Duke of Sandringham to ensure Jamie is pardoned. During Season 2 of the show, viewership was taken from Scotland to a Paris setting, although none of the footage was ever captured in France! The alleyway behind Hopetoun House was in fact set along the Paris backstreets.

Finally, in episode four of Season three Jamie and the Dunsany family arrive by carriage to visit Lady Geneva at the home of the Earl of Ellesmere. The exterior of the Earl’s home was one more of many other filming locations at Hopetoun House.

The picturesque village of Culross has been around since the 17th century, featuring a mustard yellow palace, rustic village homes and is lined with idyllic cobbled streets. Culross is known for being the setting for the fictional location of Cranesmuir used in many scenes of the Outlander series.

Outlander fans will best remember Cranesmuir when it first appeared in season one, as a dull and grey looking town which it was painted for during filming. After filming stopped, the village was painted back to its original white colour.

In the centre of Culross, we find the location of Mercat Cross shown in fictional Cranesmuir. It was this location that we find the town square and the home of Geillis Duncan. The square was the filming location where Duncan was sentenced to burn after being discovered as a witch. The same area is where Jamie and Claire rescued Tammas the thief when his ear is pinned to a post.

The impressive Scottish Linlithgow Palace dates back to the 12th century and is the birthplace of the Scottish Monarchs Mary Queen of Scots and James V. Due to its eerie exterior Linlithgow Palace was chosen as the ideal home to represent Outlander’s Wentworth Prison.

For viewers, Wentworth Prison is recognised as the heart-wrenching place where Black Jack Randall captures, rapes and tortures Jamie during his incarceration.

Lithgow Palace is further identified during series one when Claire pretends to be a relative to convince the jailer to allow her to visit Jamie, this is promptly declines before Claire leaves and throws up before Murtagh swiftly picks her up. This was captured at the entrance to Linlithgow Palace.

The spiral staircase that Claire descends trying to avoid the redcoats to free Jamie was also shot at Linlithgow, as was the moment further along where Claire searches the prison cells.