From the castle walls of Leoch to the haunted moor at Culloden, Scotland lets you step straight into the world of Outlander, and most of its finest locations lie within easy reach of Edinburgh.
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Why Follow the Outlander Trail Now?
Few television series have done more to send travellers to Scotland. Over eight seasons, the Starz drama turned medieval tower houses, Fife villages and quiet country kirks into places of pilgrimage. The story of Claire and Jamie came to a close with the final episode of season eight in May 2026, and the prequel, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, which follows Jamie’s parents, has run for two seasons on Starz. Interest in the locations has rarely been higher.
The good news is that the trail is wonderfully compact. Most of the key sites sit in West Lothian, Fife and the Stirling area, so you can see them without long drives, then head north through Perthshire to the real Culloden. Many are cared for by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) or the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), while others are private estates with their own rules, which we note below.
The Key Filming Locations
Doune Castle: Castle Leoch
The fourteenth-century courtyard castle near Stirling is Outlander’s Castle Leoch, home of Colum MacKenzie, and it returned as Leoch for the second season of Blood of My Blood. Its great hall, kitchen and towering gatehouse are instantly recognisable, and fans of a certain comedy film will know it from Monty Python and the Holy Grail too. Run by: Historic Environment Scotland. Book timed tickets in advance in busy months.
Midhope Castle: Lallybroch
The roofless sixteenth-century tower house on the Hopetoun Estate is Lallybroch, the Fraser family home, and for many fans it is the emotional heart of the trail. Access is to the exterior only, as the interior is derelict and closed. The castle sits within a working farm, and the estate says access can be refused on some days for filming, farming operations, estate activities or large events. Grounds access tickets are sold separately from standard Hopetoun admission. Run by: the private Hopetoun Estate. Always check the estate’s Midhope access page before you set out.
Tip: Midhope is reached along an estate drive, and access arrangements change. Confirm the current ticket and vehicle pass system with Hopetoun before travelling, or join a guided tour that has access arranged for you.
Hopetoun House: the Duke of Sandringham’s Residence
Just along the estate from Midhope, this grand Adam-style mansion overlooking the Firth of Forth was used as the Duke of Sandringham’s home and appears in several other scenes. Inside, the state rooms are among the most opulent in Scotland. Run by: the Hopetoun House Preservation Trust. The house opens seasonally, usually from early April to late September, Thursday to Monday; check dates before you go.
Blackness Castle: Fort William
Nicknamed “the ship that never sailed” for its prow-like shape jutting into the Forth, Blackness Castle played Fort William, Black Jack Randall’s headquarters, where Jamie is flogged in season one. It also returned for Blood of My Blood. Run by: Historic Environment Scotland.
Linlithgow Palace: Wentworth Prison
The roofless royal palace beside Linlithgow Loch, birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots, provided the interiors and corridors of Wentworth Prison, scene of some of the series’ darkest moments. Run by: Historic Environment Scotland. Like several older HES sites, it can close at short notice for weather or safety, so check before visiting.
Culross: Cranesmuir
The cobbled lanes and ochre-harled houses of this seventeenth-century Fife burgh became Cranesmuir, the village where Geillis Duncan lives. The garden behind Culross Palace doubled as Claire’s herb garden at Castle Leoch. Run by: the National Trust for Scotland cares for the palace and several historic buildings. The palace is seasonal, so check the NTS website for opening dates.
Falkland: 1940s Inverness
In the very first episode, Falkland stands in for Inverness, where Claire and Frank take their second honeymoon in 1945. The exterior of the Covenanter Hotel plays Mrs Baird’s guesthouse, and the Bruce Fountain in the square is where Jamie’s ghost gazes up at Claire’s window. Falkland Palace, a Renaissance royal palace run by the National Trust for Scotland, makes a fine addition.
Glencorse Old Kirk: the Wedding
Jamie and Claire’s wedding in season one was filmed at this ruined kirk in the grounds of Glencorse House, south of Edinburgh near Penicuik. It is privately owned and visits are by appointment only through Glencorse House, so do not turn up unannounced.
Craigh na Dun: Kinloch Rannoch
The stones themselves are fictional: the circle on screen was a set of props placed on a hill on private farmland near Kinloch Rannoch in Perthshire. There is nothing to see on the hill today and it is not a visitor attraction, but the drive along Loch Rannoch is beautiful in its own right. If the wild country beyond appeals, our guide to Rannoch Moor and the West Highland Line explores the moor by train.
Clava Cairns: the Inspiration
Just east of Inverness, these Bronze Age burial cairns and standing stones, around 4,000 years old, are widely seen as a real-world echo of Craigh na Dun. They were not used for filming, but standing among the stones in the early morning, it is easy to see why fans make the journey. Run by: Historic Environment Scotland, free to visit.
Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre
Culloden is where the story’s great tragedy unfolds, and the real moor, where the Jacobite rising ended in April 1746, is profoundly moving. Out of respect for a site with war graves, the battle scenes themselves were filmed elsewhere, but nothing replaces walking among the clan markers here. The excellent visitor centre includes an immersive battle film. Run by: the National Trust for Scotland. The battlefield is open year round; NTS advises pre-booking the visitor centre.
A Three-Day Outlander Route from Edinburgh
Day 1: Lallybroch and the Forth
Leave Edinburgh for the Hopetoun Estate, touring the state rooms of Hopetoun House and walking up to Midhope Castle (access permitting). After lunch, continue west to Blackness Castle on the shore, then on to Linlithgow Palace for Wentworth’s shadowy corridors. If you have arranged a visit to Glencorse Old Kirk, it fits neatly into an arrival day or an extra morning south of the city. Return to Edinburgh for the night.
Day 2: Fife Villages and Castle Leoch
Cross the Forth to Culross for the Cranesmuir lanes and the palace garden, then drive on to Falkland for 1940s Inverness, the Bruce Fountain and Falkland Palace. In the afternoon, head west to Doune Castle and wander the great hall of Castle Leoch. Spend the night at a country house near Stirling or in Perthshire.
Day 3: North to Culloden
Take the A9 north into the Highlands. Allow time for a scenic detour along Loch Rannoch from Pitlochry if you want to see Craigh na Dun country, then continue to Inverness. Visit Clava Cairns in the late afternoon light and Culloden Battlefield before checking in for a final night in Inverness.
Tip: Many sites are seasonal, and Hopetoun opens Thursday to Monday only. For the full trail with the houses and palaces open, plan your trip between April and September.
Guided Outlander Tours
If you would rather not drive, several operators run small-group and private Outlander tours from Edinburgh, many with Midhope access included. We recommend browsing Outlander filming location day tours from Edinburgh or, for a longer journey, multi-day Outlander tours from Edinburgh to the Highlands. In the north, a Culloden and Clava Cairns tour from Inverness pairs neatly with a Loch Ness cruise.
Affiliate-ready: Browse all Outlander tours in Scotland →
Before you go, reread the novel that started it all: Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander makes the perfect companion for the journey.
Where to Stay
Edinburgh: Prestonfield House
Theatrical, candlelit and wonderfully romantic, Prestonfield House is a seventeenth-century mansion set in parkland beneath Arthur’s Seat, with peacocks on the lawns and rich, jewel-coloured interiors. Jamie and Claire would feel quite at home.
Edinburgh: The Balmoral
For classic grandeur at the top of Princes Street, The Balmoral is Edinburgh’s landmark five-star hotel, with a spa and views over the Old Town and castle.
Near Stirling: Cromlix or Gleneagles
Close to Doune, Cromlix is an intimate Victorian country house hotel near Dunblane, owned by Sir Andy Murray, with its own chapel and lovely grounds. A little further north in Perthshire, The Gleneagles Hotel offers the full country estate experience, with golf, falconry, a spa and outstanding dining. For more grand stays, see our guide to castle stays in Scotland.
Inverness: Rocpool Reserve
Ending in the Highland capital, Rocpool Reserve is a stylish boutique hotel above the River Ness, a short drive from Culloden and Clava Cairns.
Affiliate-ready: Compare luxury hotels in and around Inverness →
FAQs
Can you go inside Lallybroch?
No. Midhope Castle’s interior is derelict and closed. Visitors can see the exterior and courtyard when the Hopetoun Estate allows access, which can be restricted on some days.
Are the Craigh na Dun standing stones real?
No. The stones on screen were props placed on private farmland near Kinloch Rannoch. For real ancient stones, visit Clava Cairns near Inverness, which inspired many fans but was not a filming location.
Was the Battle of Culloden filmed at Culloden?
The battle scenes were filmed elsewhere, but the real battlefield and its visitor centre, run by the National Trust for Scotland, are an essential stop for anyone following the story.
When is the best time to visit Outlander locations?
April to September, when seasonal sites such as Hopetoun House and Culross Palace are open. HES castles such as Doune and Blackness open year round but with shorter winter hours, so check before you go.
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