First ever guide to Scotland’s Outlander filming locations published

Fans of Outlander will be able to tick off the hit show’s Scottish filming locations thanks to the first ever dedicated Outlander guidebook.Scotland: The Home of Outlander details 48 Scottish filming locations from the fantasy romantic drama series, based on the books by Diana Gabaldon, which concluded in May this year.The 40-page guide is part of a campaign by VisitScotland, in association with Sony Pictures Television, to mark the conclusion of a series that has had an “extraordinary” impact on Scottish tourism.As well as information about filming locations from across all eight seasons, the guide includes a timeline on prominent moments in Scotland’s history related to the show, as well as features on Gaelic, tartan and clans.It also contains a section on Scottish food and drink by medical herbalist Claire Mackay, who was a herbal consultant on the series.Since it began airing in 2014, Outlander’s popularity across international markets including: France, Germany and North America, has coincided with an increase in visits from those markets to Scotland, particularly from the US.Jenni Steele, film and creative industries manager at VisitScotland, said: “It is our history, heritage, culture and landscapes that have transfixed fans since the Diana Gabaldon books hit the small screen more than 10 years ago.“Scotland is a big part of the Outlander story, so it feels right to call it the Home of Outlander.Sam Heughan unveils the Caledonian Sleeper’s Outlander full train wrap in London’s Euston station (David Parry Media Assignments/PA)PA Wire“In collaboration with Sony Pictures Television, we are using imagery from the series mixed with real-life locations as part of a major drive to celebrate the final season and inspire fans to plan a trip to the many regions of Scotland.”The body’s promotional campaign saw a £160,000 Home of Outlander digital US campaign launched in the spring, which VisitScotland said had generated an estimated £790,000 in hotel bookings and 8,500 flight searches to Scotland.Four carriages on the Caledonian Sleeper train have also been “wrapped” with images from the show – including of its central couple, Claire Randall (played by Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan).Read MoreVisitScotland credited the show with making a “major” contribution to screen tourism activity in Scotland, which is worth £161.4 million to Scotland’s economy according to Screen Scotland.The body pointed to figures from the Moffat Centre showing the total number of visitors to all Outlander attractions rose by 41% between 2014 and 2025 – from 2,138,398 in 2014 to 3,016,291 in 2025.The tourism and travel researchers also found huge jumps in visitor figures at some attractions as a result of the “Outlander effect”.Doune Castle in Stirling, which starred as the fictional Castle Leoch, has seen a 168% rise since 2014, while Blackness Castle in Falkirk, which starred as the Fort William headquarters of Black Jack Randall, has seen a 363% rise since 2014.Meanwhile, Newhailes House in East Lothian, which doubled as Governor Tryon’s home in North Carolina, has seen a massive 8,000% increase in visits since 2014.Ms Steele added: “There’s no doubt that Outlander has had an extraordinary impact on Scottish tourism on the global stage and is a clear example of the power of screen tourism.“It has provided an important platform to tell Scotland’s story to our key international markets and continues to support our work to grow the value of the visitor economy across Scotland.”Duncarron Medieval Village in Falkirk, which is owned by the Clanranald Trust for Scotland, has served as a filming location for a number of productions, including Outlander, Netflix’s Norsemen and BBC docudramas Rise of the Clans and Blood of the Clans.The village’s director, Chara H Gallos-Allan, said being part of Outlander since day one has been a “tremendous privilege” for the trust.“Outlander has inspired audiences worldwide to discover Scotland’s landscapes, stories and heritage,” she said.“We hope the Outlander effect will encourage visitors not only to step into the world of the series, but also to explore the real history, traditional skills and people behind it and, hopefully, to experience some of that for themselves at Duncarron.”The guide will be available to download from visitscotland.com, with a limited run of print copies exclusively available to travellers on the Caledonian Sleeper’s Outlander-wrapped trains.Steven Marshall, head of sales and marketing at Caledonian Sleeper, said: “Our Outlander-wrapped trains have captured the imagination of guests travelling between London and Scotland, creating a memorable start to their journey before they’ve even arrived.“We’re delighted to offer guests exclusive printed copies of the Scotland: The Home of Outlander guide, helping them explore the remarkable filming locations and destinations that have made the series such a global phenomenon.”