With season 4 of the award winning tv series Outlander about to hit our screens, we thought that there was never a better time than now to release posts covering all of Outlander’s top Scottish Filming Locations.
This post covers all the top filming locations from season 2 of Outlander- so note that there may be spoilers if you haven’t watched all of season 2 yet, as we will detail where to find each location and what exactly was filmed there.
Outlander tv series is inspired by the books written by Diana Gabaldon. Outlander is set in the 20th century after World War 2 when nurse Claire and her husband Frank go on their second honeymoon to Scotland. Claire however, falls through time though and lands in the 18th century during the time of Jacobite’s and Culloden. The story of Claire and her highlander Jamie Fraser takes them all over the world, but most of the scenes are set on location in Scotland.
OUTLANDER GLASGOW
Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral is one of only a few Medieval churches in Scotland dating from the late 12th Century, it has stunning Gothic architecture, which allegedly is where the patron saint of Glasgow, St Mungo built his church. On a low hill behind the Cathedral you will find one of the most striking cemeteries, iand remains one of the most significant cemeteries in Europe, the Glasgow Necropolis. The crypt inside the Cathedral was used as L'Hopital des Anges in season 2 of Outlander, where Claire helped as a nurse, and ended up being a patient herself, in one of the most harrowing of all Outlander storylines- when she gave birth to her stillborn baby girl and almost died herself.
Price: Free
Location: Google maps
In any other seasons? No
Pollok Country Park
In this season Glasgow's largest park- Pollok Country Park (which surrounds Pollok House) stands in for the French countryside as the characters travel between Le Havre and Paris.
Price: Pollok Country Park is free / £7.50 to go inside Pollok House
Location: Google maps
In any other seasons? Yes, in season 1
OUTLANDER EDINBURGH
Hopetoun House
Hopetoun House in South Queensferry is one of Britain’s best stately homes. In season 2 there are several bedrooms used as Claire and Jamie’s Parisian apartment, including the room where Mary Hawkins recuperates after her rape. Once again, we see the Red Room which this time doubles as the room where Sandringham meets Claire in Versailles. Outside the courtyard and stables make way for the backdrop of Parisian streets.
Price: £10.50 for House and Grounds / £4.75 Grounds only
Location: Google maps
In any other seasons? Yes, in season 1 and 3
Midhope Castle
Midhope Castle is a 16th century tower house. You can visit the outside of this castle, although the inside is now derelict and unsafe to enter. Midhope is better known as Lallybroch, or Broch Tuarach in Outlander- as Jamie Frasers ancestral home. In this season we see Claire and Jamie return here after France.
Price: £10 for small car permit and £40 for large car/ motor home
Location: Google maps Head to Hopetoun House for ticket and directions.
In any other seasons? Yes, in season 1 and 3 and in future season too
Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle in Linlithgow on the banks of the Firth of Forth was built in 15th century and strengthened in the 16th century as an artillery fortress. In season 2 we see Brianna and Roger visit ‘Fort William’ where Brianna feels like the place gives her the chills- thus being as we know from season 1 this was Black Jack Randall’s Fort William headquarters, where we saw Jamie at the hands of Jack Randall during his flogging.
Price: £6 *
Location: Google maps
In any other seasons? Yes season 2
OUTLANDER INVERNESS
Beauly Priory
Beauly Priory doubles up as Beaufort Castle the seat of Clan Fraser of Lovat with from whom Jamie descends, this is featured in the episode when Claire meets Maisri the seer. (The other part of Beaufort Castle is at Dean Castle in Kilmarnock) Beauly Priory is a gorgeous tranquil ruin and worth a stop off on the way to Culloden.
Price: Free (Managed by Historic Scotland)
Location: Google maps
In any other seasons? No
Culloden Battlefield
Here we see the tearful goodbyes of Claire and Jamie, presuming Jamie will not survive Culloden and Claire pregnant and deciding to return back to the 20th century. This sadly is all too true; Culloden Battlefield is where on 16 April 1746, the final Jacobite Rising came to a brutal head in one of the most harrowing battles in British history. Jacobite supporters, seeking to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British thrones, gathered to fight the Duke of Cumberland’s government troops. It was the last pitched battle on British soil and, in less than an hour, around 1,600 men were slain – 1,500 of them Jacobite’s. The Culloden Battlefield visitor centre is very informative and laid out telling the story of the rebellion campaign from both the Jacobite and the Government (English) perspectives - on opposing walls. There is also an audio guide which takes you through the windswept moor and gives and in-depth perspective of what happened where.
Price: £11 **
Location: Google maps
In any other seasons? Yes, in season 3
Clava Cairns
Seeing as the standing stones that Claire falls through at Craigh na Dun unfortunately do not actually exist, the Clava Cairns are the next best thing in wrapping your mind around the concept of time travelling into Claire and Jamie’s world. The Clava Cairns are a well-preserved cemetery complex of passage graves, ring cairns, kerb cairns and standing stones, from the Bronze Age.
Price: Free (Managed by Historic Scotland)
Location: Google maps
In any other seasons? In the opening credits of each season
OUTLANDER HIGHLANDS
Glen Coe
Rich in Jacobite history Glen Coe features in Outlander’s opening credits, a drive along the deep-carved glen is rather magical.
Price: free
Location: Google maps
In any other seasons? All opening credits
OUTLANDER FIFE
Falkland
Falkland is a small town in Fife and is once again used in Outlander, this time we see Falkland Palace as an apothecary where Claire is buying medicine for those about to head to Culloden, when she once again meets Mary and finds out Alex Randall is ill. We see scenes of Claire and Murtaugh walking down streets. This is real life is not far from the Covenanter Hotel as seen in season 1 but the locations are meant to be different.
Price: Free
Location: Google maps
In any other seasons? Yes, in season 1
Other places that we will be adding to our list in time which were featured in season 2:
Kinloch Rannoch / hill of which Craig na Dun stands
Dean Castle/ Beaufort Castle
Callendar House/ Sandringham’s kitchen
* Historic Scotland membership pass £86.40 for a joint membership
** National Trust for Scotland pass £96 per year for a joint membership
All images our own or starz/ sony pictures
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