Outlander Filming Locations in Scotland

Inverness - roam the streets of Inverness, where Claire's adventure begins.

Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and Beauly - enjoy a day trip to Loch Ness and keep an eye out for the Loch Ness Monster, referred to as the water horse in the novel. 

The Great Glen Way - journey along the Caledonian Canal and Great Glen Way towards Fort William for a romantic mix of pine forests, glistening lochs and enchanting moorlands. 

Glenfinnan Monument - this monument marks the spot where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard, starting the 1745 Jacobite Rising. 

Who were the Jacobites?

Sometimes romanticised, the Jacobite Risings were marked by divisive battles where many lives were lost. Despite the bloodshed, inspiring tales and characters have endured, such as Bonnie Prince Charlie, who also appears in Outlander. 

Outlander begins around the time of the Jacobite Rising of 1745. We follow the plight of Claire Randall, a nurse who is mysteriously swept back in time from 1946 to 1743. Seemingly stuck in the past, she meets the handsome Highlander Jamie Fraser. He is a brave soldier and Scottish landowner with Jacobite sympathies, educated in France and handy with a sword. But who were the Jacobites?

Jacobite simply means, in Latin, ‘supporter of James’. The James this refers to is James the VII of Scotland, the last Roman Catholic monarch to reign over the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland. Invaded by his Protestant son-in-law in 1688 and subsequently overthrown, James was forced into exile in France. Still following?! Over the next sixty years James’ supporters would stage a series of rebellions with the aim of restoring James and his heirs to the throne.

What happened at the Battle of Culloden?

Visiting Culloden is a moving experience. Headstones mark the graves of hundreds of clansmen who gave their lives and an eerie silence often falls across Drumossie Moor.

The Battle of Culloden was fought just east of Inverness on the 16 April 1746. With an army of 5,000 Jacobites, Bonnie Prince Charlie fought against a Government army of 8,000 led by the Duke of Cumberland. The battle was the culmination of years of upheaval and political turmoil – the throne of Great Britain was at stake. Who fought, and why they fought, is complicated – a vast web of allegiances and loyalties.

One thing we can be certain of is that Culloden was a resounding defeat for the Jacobites. In less than an hour, around 1,500 men were slain – more than 1,000 of them Jacobites. It was the last pitched battle on British soil and influenced the course of history for decades to come. The aftermath of the battle saw many people arrested for treason and eventually the dissolution of the clan system in Scotland.