Outlander Locations Private Tour from Edinburgh
Whether you’re a Highlander or a Sassenach, this tour has something for every fan of the show and books. Your guide cannot wait to show you the locations and inspiration for the Outlander world that Diana Gabaldon created.
On your travels you will take in the Duke of Sandringham’s home, the French home that Claire and Jamie occupied. You will visit Castle Leoch, the Grand Palace of Versailles, the train station where Claire and Frank said their goodbyes and the prison headquarters of Captain “Black Jack” Randal. In addition to all of this you can enjoy breathtaking landscapes as you travel from site to site. This will be an adventure you will never forget as you too will be transported back to the 1740s just as Claire was. You may even be lucky enough to actually watch the Outlander show being filmed.
The Outlander Tour contains filming locations from season 1, 2, and 3, and also from the books Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager. This is a full day tour and will last up to 8 hours depending on traffic. You will have plenty of time for photographs and to visit the filming locations (where access is permitted).
From €952 per vehicle
Tour map
- Pick-up area: Edinburgh city centre
- Hopetoun House / Duke of Sandringham's Residence
- Midhope Castle / Lallybroch (Apr - Oct)
- Blackness Castle / Fort William
- Linlithgow Palace / Wentworth Prison
- Doune Castle / Castle Leoch
- Deanston Distillery / Uncle Jared’s warehouse
- Drummond Castle Gardens / Versailles
Tour details
Meeting point
Edinburgh city centre hotel pick-up
Tour departs
Daily between 7:00 am and 9:30 am by arrangement (Jan – Dec)
Tour ends
Edinburgh city centre hotel drop-off
Duration
Where
Live guide speaks
Travel by
Tour type
Max group size
7 persons
Tour operator
Cancellation policy
48 hours or more before start: full refund less 5% booking fees.
After that time or no-show: no refund.Exclusions
Food & Drink
Entry fees
Gratuities (optional)Extras
Entry to Hopetoun House (adult): £10.50 pp
Entry to Midhope Castle: £3.50 pp
Entry to Blackness Castle (adult): £6.00 pp
Entry to Linlithgow Palace (adult): £9.00 pp
Entry to Doune Castle (adult): £9.00 pp
Entry to Drummond Gardens (adult): £10 ppThings to bring
Appropriate clothing
Comfortable shoes
Light raincoatTV series
Locations (8)
2. Hopetoun House / Duke of Sandringham's Residence
Hopetoun House is a country home in Scotland built in the 16th century for 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 10 of season 1 when Claire blackmails the Duke of Sandringham to ensure Jamie is pardoned. During season 2, we were 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 featured as Paris backstreets. Finally, in episode 4 of season 3 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 of many other filming locations at Hopetoun House.
3. Midhope Castle / Lallybroch (Apr - Oct)
The breathtaking Midhope Castle dates back to the 16th Century. The castle exterior remains intact however the interior of the structure has been neglected and has decayed extensively. The centuries-old castle was 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, 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 and 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.
Please note that Midhope Castle is occasionally subject to closures for estate activity.
4. Blackness Castle / Fort William
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 is the setting for Black Jack Randall’s stronghold. This is 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.
5. Linlithgow Palace / Wentworth Prison
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 serves as Outlander’s Wentworth Prison where Black Jack Randall captures, rapes and tortures Jamie during his incarceration.
This is also where Claire pretends to be a relative to convince the jailer to let her visit Jamie. The jailer promptly declines before Claire leaves and throws up before Murtagh swiftly picks her up. The spiral staircase that Claire descends trying to avoid the redcoats was also shot at Linlithgow, as was a later scene where Claire searches the prison cells.
6. Doune Castle / Castle Leoch
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 regent’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 Colum 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.
7. Deanston Distillery / Uncle Jared’s warehouse
8. Drummond Castle Gardens / Versailles
The centuries-old Drummond Castle Gardens is one of Scotland’s most prestigious formal gardens. Since its initial development, the site has undergone a series of redesigns with the most recent in the 19th century. Queen Victoria planted a beech tree and yew hedges during her visit in 1842. The Gardens still retains the French style and extravagant feel today as portrayed in the Outlander series.
Drummond Castle Gardens serve as the Gardens of Versailles in Outlander. The first notable episode featuring this location is during Untimely Resurrection in season 2, when Claire and Jamie arrive at King Louis’ Court. You will recall Jamie assisting the Duke of Sandringham to select a horse before Jamie has an encounter with Black Jack Randall. This, of course, results in the two challenging each other to a duel.
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