Before You Begin… Scotland’s extraordinary landscapes have always had a way of making history feel immediate — and no screen adaptation has captured that quite like Outlander. Over eight series, the Highlands, Lowlands, historic burghs, and ancient castles have shared the screen with Jamie and Claire Fraser, bringing the Jacobite world vividly to life.
Seven Days · Ten Filming Locations · One Unforgettable Journey Edinburgh · Fife · Stirling · West Lothian · The Highlands · Inverness
This seven-day road trip strings together ten of the most significant and visitor-friendly filming locations into a single, logical route — beginning in Edinburgh, sweeping north through Fife and Stirlingshire, looping through the Trossachs, and culminating on the dramatic Highland moorlands near Inverness. Allow the journey to unfold at its own pace. Some days are full and purposeful; others leave room for wandering.
At a Glance
- Total driving distance: approximately 500 miles (Edinburgh return loop)
- Best months to visit: May to September for long daylight hours; October for dramatic autumn colour
- Car hire recommended — many locations are not served by public transport
- Book Doune Castle, Blackness Castle, and Culloden tickets in advance, especially in summer
- Download the VisitScotland Outlander audio guide (free) before you leave
DAY 1 — Arrive in Edinburgh Location 1: Edinburgh Old Town — The Royal Mile & Bakehouse Close
Arrive in Edinburgh and spend the afternoon on foot. The city’s Old Town plays a quiet but essential role in Outlander’s later seasons, and the atmospheric closes and cobblestoned wynds of the Royal Mile need very little imagination to carry you back two centuries.
- Walk the Royal Mile from the Castle Esplanade down to Holyrood — Claire and Jamie reunite in these very streets
- Find Bakehouse Close (off Canongate) — used as the exterior of Jamie’s print shop in Season 3
- Tweeddale Court, just off the High Street, also features as the print shop entrance
- End the evening with dinner in Grassmarket — one of Edinburgh’s most atmospheric historic quarters
Insider tip: Bakehouse Close is easy to miss — look for the narrow arched entrance just past the Museum of Edinburgh on Canongate.
DAY 2 — The Coast Road to Fife Location 2: Culross · Location 3: Falkland Palace
Collect your hire car and head north across the Forth. Today takes you into the Kingdom of Fife, where two beautifully preserved historic towns double as Outlander’s fictional Cranesmuir. Both sites are compact and walkable — plan on roughly two hours at each.
- Culross (pronounced ‘Coo-ross’): the whitewashed 16th-century village served as Cranesmuir, home of Geillis Duncan
- Wander the cobbled Mercat Cross, the ochre-painted Palace, and the narrow Back Causeway
- Falkland Palace (30 minutes east): its East Range and courtyard served multiple roles across several seasons
- The apothecary scene where Claire meets Mary Hawkins was filmed in the palace’s cellar
- Falkland village itself is charming — the High Street doubled as 1940s Inverness in the opening episode
Insider tip: Culross is managed by the National Trust for Scotland — NTS members enter the Palace free. The village itself is always open and wonderfully photogenic at any hour.
DAY 3 — Stirling & the Lowlands Location 4: Doune Castle · Location 5: Blackness Castle
Today is perhaps the single most iconic day of the trip. Doune Castle is the most recognisable Outlander filming location, and Blackness, brooding on the Firth of Forth, is one of the country’s most atmospheric medieval fortresses.
- Doune Castle (8 miles north of Stirling): the 14th-century fortress served as Castle Leoch, seat of Clan MacKenzie
- Take the Outlander audio tour narrated by Sam Heughan — available on-site via Historyphone
- Explore the Great Hall, the Lord’s Hall, and the battlements where Dougal held court
- Drive 40 minutes east to Blackness Castle on the Firth of Forth — this 15th-century sea fortress stood in for Fort William in Season 1 & Season 2
- The castle’s brooding silhouette and waterfront position make it unmistakably Outlanderesque
- Stay overnight in Stirling or Linlithgow
Insider tip: Doune is managed by Historic Environment Scotland — combined ticket passes are available if you plan to visit multiple HES properties on the trip.
DAY 4 — West Lothian & Hopetoun Location 6: Midhope Castle (Lallybroch) · Location 7: Hopetoun House
Today is the emotional heart of the itinerary for many fans. Midhope Castle in West Lothian served as the exterior of Lallybroch (Broch Tuarach), the Fraser family estate.
- Midhope Castle sits on the Hopetoun Estate and is accessible to visitors — the exterior and grounds are the draw
- The distinctive round tower, arched gate, and courtyard are instantly recognisable as Lallybroch’s exterior
- The castle interior is not open, but the approach lane and facade are exactly as seen on screen
- Hopetoun House, an elegant Georgian mansion located near Edinburgh, plays the lavish home of the Duke of Sandringham in the series, used across multiple seasons
- The house is one of Scotland’s finest stately homes — guided tours reveal magnificent state rooms
- Allow the afternoon to wander the Hopetoun grounds along the Firth of Forth
Insider tip: Midhope is accessed via the Hopetoun Estate. Check current visitor access arrangements before you travel, as opening times can vary seasonally.
DAY 5 — Into the Highlands Location 8: Kinloch Rannoch (Craigh na Dun) · En route to Inverness
Pull on your walking boots. Today’s drive north via Perthshire delivers you to the wild moorland around Kinloch Rannoch — the mystical standing stones of Craigh na Dun were filmed at Kinloch Rannoch in Perthshire, and the landscape there perfectly captures the wild Highland atmosphere of the show.
- Drive north via the A9, turning off through Pitlochry into Perthshire for Kinloch Rannoch
- The Craigh na Dun stones were a set built specifically for filming on the moorland near the village — the surrounding landscape is the thing
- Walk out onto Rannoch Moor itself: one of Europe’s last true wildernesses
- Continue north through the Pass of Drumochter and along the Spey Valley to Inverness
- Arrive in Inverness by evening — the Highland capital makes an excellent base for Days 6 and 7
Insider tip: Stop at the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre (near Pitlochry) en route — the gorge has strong Jacobite historical resonance that deepens the Outlander experience.
DAY 6 — Culloden & Clava Cairns Location 9: Culloden Battlefield · The Clava Cairns
No Outlander pilgrimage is complete without Culloden. The real battle was fought here on 16 April 1746. Walk the battlefield, and you’ll feel the weight of history. The visitor centre offers detailed exhibits and a powerful 360-degree immersive film that brings the events of the battle to life.
- Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre (5 miles east of Inverness): the 360-degree battle immersion theatre is unmissable
- Walk the battlefield with the audio guide — nine languages available
- Find the Fraser Clan Memorial Stone — Claire visits this stone in the Season 2 finale
- Clava Cairns (1 mile from Culloden): three prehistoric burial cairns surrounded by standing stones, dating to around 2000 BC
- These cairns were the direct inspiration for the Craigh na Dun stones — Diana Gabaldon visited them while researching the books
- Free to visit and open at all times
Insider tip: Arrive at Culloden early. Summer queues for the theatre can be significant by midday. The battlefield walk takes about an hour at a contemplative pace.
DAY 7 — The Highland Folk Museum & South Location 10: Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore
Your final day brings the journey full circle — south through Strathspey to the Highland Folk Museum. The museum’s 18th-century reconstructed township served as the Fraser’s Ridge settlement in Season 4. It is the closest thing on this earth to stepping directly into Outlander.
- Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore (1 hour south of Inverness via A9): free entry
- The reconstructed 18th-century township was used extensively for the North Carolina scenes in Season 4
- Explore the turf-roofed longhouse, the working corn mill, and the period-costumed interpreters
- The museum covers 80 acres — allow at least three hours to do it justice
- Drive south via the Cairngorms National Park to Pitlochry or Perth, returning to Edinburgh the following morning
Insider tip: The Highland Folk Museum is one of Scotland’s most underrated attractions. Entry is completely free.
Practical Notes
A hire car is essential — most locations are rural. Scotland’s roads are generally excellent even on single-track stretches, but allow extra time for scenic diversions.
Consider the Historic Environment Scotland Explorer Pass (covers Doune, Blackness, and dozens more) and the National Trust for Scotland Touring Pass (covers Culloden, Falkland, Culross, and 300+ UK properties) for significant savings.