Outlander Tours Scotland Review For 2025

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Get transported to your favourite Outlander locations! Outlander tours (Scotland) will whisk you away to walk in the footsteps of Jamie and Claire at the grand entrance of Castle Leoch, maybe pick herbs in Claire’s herb garden, and stroll the cobbled streets of Cranesmuir.

Our guide to Outlander tours in Scotland includes day trips, multi-day tours from Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a popular Edinburgh walking tour.

Outlander, originally a series of books by author Diana Gabaldon, has taken the world by storm since being made into a British-American hit TV show.

International Outlander fans flock to Scotland to tour the sites used during filming. Starting in 1945 Scotland, Claire, played by Catriona Balfe, is a wartime nurse who returns to her husband Frank (Tobias Menzies), who whisks her away to ‘Inverness’ for a second honeymoon.

After finding a collection of standing stones, Claire is hurtled back in time to Jacobite Scotland, where she meets Highlander Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).

The Outlander filming locations, mainly in Scotland, have seen their visitor numbers double, even triple, and you too can see the sights of this hit show with Outlander tours from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

But aren’t some seasons set in the US? Don’t be fooled by Jamie and Claire’s immigration to North Carolina; Scotland’s locations were still used for filming!

Planning a trip to Caledonia? Join my free Scotland Facebook group and ask fellow visitors for advice.

Best Outlander Tours Scotland

Why should you book a tour of Scotland’s Outlander sites? There are a couple of reasons why visiting the hotspots as part of a tour is better than doing it alone.

Transport in Scotland

Although Scotland’s cities are well connected by train lines, many of the Outlander filming locations are not in the city.

For example, the stunning Hopetoun House’s (season one, two, three, and four) closest train station is Dalmeny (South Queensferry), but it takes at least one hour to walk from Dalmeny to Hopetoun House.

The further north you go, the more challenging it gets.

Our single-track roads in the Highlands are not for everyone; cautious drivers may not enjoy the experience.

The Outlander Effect

The Outlander Effect is real; most locations have seen an increase in footfall (more people visiting = busy), and Doune Castle enjoyed a 91% increase in customers!

Tours often have pre-arranged time slots, so you don’t have to fight through the crowds.

Expert Guides

Outlander tours offer more bang for your buck, as they include transport, knowledgeable and passionate guides, and often entry fees.

Local History

Tour guides will give you more than just Outlander information; you can spend time with a local. One of my favourite things about tours is being able to ask questions about real-life topics!

Outlander Community

Bonus reason: You get to spend the duration of the trip with fans; I’m sure you can find at least one thing in common (Jamie?).

Quick Look – Outlander Tours

• From Edinburgh: 1-Day Outlander Explorer Tour (I did this, awesome)
• From Edinburgh: 2-Day Outlander tour (new tour)
• From Edinburgh: Outlander, Palaces and Jacobites Tour
• From Edinburgh: Outlander Private Tour
• Edinburgh City: Outlander Walking Tour
• From Glasgow: 1-Day Outlander Tour
• From Inverness: Full Day Outlander

Outlander Tour Edinburgh 

Tours from Scotland’s capital leave daily, so visitors do not need to attempt to tackle our infamous single-track roads or drive on the left.

There are a few options for Outlander day tours from Edinburgh, so you can prioritise what you want to see.

Affordable Outlander Day Tours from Edinburgh

This full-day tour by a very respectable tour company in Scotland is not private but kinder on the purse strings and touches base at the following Outlander scenes:

• Visit Doune Castle, aka Castle Leoch.
• Culross starring as Cranesmuir.
• Falkland – Inverness 1940s (see me doing the Jamie pose below!)
• Blackness Castle headquarters of Black Jack Randall.
• Meeting point: Edinburgh Bus Station
• Price £59 per person.

It’s not just an Outlander tour but also a Scottish history tour. You hear about the wars and celebrities that inspired Diana Gabaldon in her writing.

You can read about my tour experience here.

» » This tour sells out – Book your spot now « « 

Outlander Edinburgh Tour (In The City)

Short on time, but still want some Outlander fun?

This Edinburgh Outlander walking tour might just scratch that itch.

Although there is no substitute for seeing real filming sites, they are still popular with our readers.

• Starting at Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, your guide will take you through the Old Town, telling tales of the Jacobite Rebellion.
• See the famous Tolbooth Jail and Canongate Kirkyard.
• Price £16.

» » This tour sells out – Book your spot now « « 

Private Tour Guided – Good for Small Groups

Enjoy this eight-hour small bus tour of Scotland’s Outlander literary locations.

Highlights include:

• Castle Leoch, home to Colum MacKenzie.
• Captain Jack Randall’s Stronghold.
• The train station is where Claire and Frank say their goodbyes.
• Price: £935 for a six-member group.

» » Check the availability of this intimate tour « 

Outlander Tours Glasgow

This Outlander day tour leaves Scotland’s biggest (and best?!) city, Glasgow, and focuses not only on the show locations but also the Jacobite story.

The 4th oldest university in the English-speaking languages is used as the show’s Harvard University, where Frank teaches.

You will find Kelvingrove Park near the University, aka Outlander’s Boston Park.

Head to the Glasgow Cathedral in the city centre to see where Claire volunteers as a nurse at L’Hospital Des Anges in Paris.

Highlights include:

• Doune Castle – home to the Clan MacKenzie and Deanstoun Distillery, Jamie’s cousin’s warehouse.
• Culross (Claire’s Garden) and Falkland (Inverness) in the Kingdom of Fife.
• Blackness Castle headquarters of Black Jack Randall.
• Meeting point: Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station
• Notes: refreshment stops along the way, including at Deanston Distillery.
• Price £70 per person.

» » Popular Glasgow tour check availability and book here « « 

Inverness Outlander

So you’ve made it to Scotland’s real Inverness and are now looking for an Outlander tour.

There is a one-day tour that shows you where Outlander got its influence.

This Full-Day Outlander features the real Culloden (the filming location was Glen Affric), where Claire and Jamie said their tearful goodbyes. 

It is also where the Jacobites, who were supporters of the Roman Catholic James VII of Scotland and II of England, took their last breath as they fought for their country on 16th April 1746.

The tour includes a stop at Clava Cairns, a Loch Ness cruise (optional), lunch at Beauly, and a dram at a Highland whisky distillery.

10 Outlander Filming Locations – Where is Outlander Filmed?

1. Clava Cairns/Culloden

Although Culloden wasn’t officially used for filming, the event is a major part of the series, so visiting the battlefield is an emotional and sad experience.

The award-winning visitor centre has brilliant exhibitions, and a 360-degree immersion theatre puts you right in the centre of the battle.

There is an audio guide to listen to while you walk the battleground.

You can listen to Gaelic songs and tales and immerse yourself in the story of this momentous battle.

Nearby are the amazing Clava Cairns standing stones, including a majestic cairn with an atmospheric split.

However, it must have lost its magical power as there have been no reports of transportation, only visitors staying firmly in this century, disappointingly.

You may also like our Scotland-inspired gifts, including Outlander ideas!

2. Highland Folk Museum

The Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore is a favourite location used by the Outlander production team.

With the mighty Cairngorm mountains set as a backdrop, the 17th-century township really makes you feel like you are in the heart of the gritty Jacobite Highlands and lucky for us, it is live all year around.

You can witness how people used to live.

The township was used in the rent episode where Claire helped Dougal collect the rent.

Every year the museum holds an Outlander day where you can “waulk the wool”, sing traditional songs and meet traditional crafters, Highland cows and fellow fans.

3. Doune Castle, Outlander 

Another of the most popular locations, Doune Castle in Perthshire, was the setting for Outlander Castle Leoch, home to Colum MacKenzie and his Clan.

This 14th-century courtyard castle was also used for Monty Python and the Holy Grail (this is a lesser-known). It was Winterfell in the pilot of Game of Thrones.

A castle of many talents! Update 2018: Netflix Outlaw King also used Doune Castle as Black Douglas’s home.

4. Falkland Outlander

Falkland, in the Kingdom of Fife, starred as Outlander’s Inverness.

The original thatched roof houses, cobbled streets, and pretty square made it the ideal location.

Here, you’ll find:

• Mrs Baird’s B&B – which is functioning accommodation; check out availability at The Covenanter Hotel.
• Bruce Fountain, where Jamie watches Claire in the window.
• Campbell’s Coffee Shop (same name in real life).
• Farrell & Sons Hardware store [Fayre Earth shop – repainted] is where Claire sees the blue vase.

Pre-Outlander effect, Falkland was a lovely village to visit.

In season one, Falkland features as the 1940s location and is revisited in season two when we skip to the 1960s Inverness.

5. The Reaper Tall Ship

Sailing off into the distance on the Cristabel might not be possible, but you can see the two-masted ship itself in the harbour of the fishing village of Anstruther in Fife.

Anstruther is a popular summer village in its own right, famous for its fish and chips!

Le Harve Port is actually located at Dysart Harbour near Kirkcaldy.

It is also worth a visit to see where Claire and Jamie escaped to France.

Heading to Fife? Don’t miss our ultimate guide on what to do there.

6. Culross

If you want to see first-hand what Scottish villages were like in the 17th century, visit Culross in the Kingdom of Fife.

This time warp is often said to be one of the most picturesque villages in the UK.

Culross was often used during filming as Cranesmuir.

The ochre (yellow) palace was used in filming, and Claire’s herb garden is, in fact, the palace’s gardens, which you can explore.

The Mercat Cross was where the little boy had his ear nailed to the post, and Geillis Duncan’s house is behind it.

There is a lot of Outlander action for such a small (but cute) village.

Dunfermline, next to Culross, made it into the best places to visit in Scotland this year.

Find out more here.

7. Bo’ness Railway               

If you fancy a steam train trip while in Scotland, why not visit Bo’ness Railway Station and take a journey on the same train Claire waved from?

You can even have afternoon tea on board!

8. Blackness Castle

The formidable Outlander Blackness Castle, overlooking the Firth of Forth, was the perfect choice as the show’s version of Fort William.

The castle was once used as a prison and a military fort and was built purely for defence.

The courtyard was the setting for the horrific scene of Jamie’s whipping, where Claire and Jamie ran along the walls to escape.

9. Midhope Castle aka Lallybroch

Yes, you can visit Jamie’s home at Lallyborch and see where he was flayed (whipped) at the archway.

This spot is usually very busy with tourists, so you have to be patient!

Like many of the locations on the Outlander tours, the building cannot be accessed; only the exterior was used in filming Outlander.

10. Outlander Standing Stones 

So where is Craigh na Dun? Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist, but you can see where it was filmed if you look hard enough.

On the long, winding road between Queens View, near Pitlochry, and the village of Kinloch Rannoch, you may spot the hill with the trees.

The producers added the stones.

I have travelled this road at least ten times since I learned of the filming, and I’ve yet to find it, but I know others have.

I know it’s on the left-hand side; that’s about it, so if you happen to spot it, let me know.

Bonus: Glencoe

Glencoe is beautifully showcased in the opening credits, and it’s the perfect place to see what truly makes Scotland so special.

If you ask any Scottish travel lover what their favourite place is in Scotland, most will say Glencoe.

As you travel through, huge, majestic mountains tower above you, and the scenery around you is truly stunning.

Are you looking to meet a man in a kilt?

Read this guide next.

Frequently Asked Outlander Questions

• When will the next Outlander season be aired? It is now live.
• Where is the Outlander studio? Outlander was filmed at Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld, near Glasgow.
• Outlander Craigh na Dun—is it real? Unfortunately, not. You would have to use your imagination near Kinloch Rannoch to find the location.
• Where are the standing stones used in Outlander? Like many good things in life, the standing stones are fiction, but you can see similar standing stones around the UK.

» » Not found what you are looking for? Here are all of the Outlander tours in Scotland  « « 

Final Thoughts

This guide was first published with just a few Outlander seasons under its belt; it has been incredible to document its journey and speak with fans worldwide who want to tour filming locations.

You can download an Outlander locations map from Visit Scotland, and why not consider an Outlander-style wedding?!

Save for later and share with others.
Outlander map of Scotland.

Are you an Outlander fan?

Tell us more in the comments below.

This Outlander tour review is a collaboration between Gemma (Two Scots Abroad) and Nicola (Bonnie Wee Scotland Box). Nicola is a Scottish Travel blogger from, you guessed it, Scotland. She likes to inspire people to visit with epic tales from around the country. Nicola explores with her daughter and pup and loves nothing better than a forest walk, a castle ruin or a beautiful beach. She loves the outdoors, colourful villages, quirky places to stay and good food to eat. A little Outlander obsessed and thrilled that it’s being filmed in Scotland so she can visit the filming locations. She’s also over the moon that it’s promoting Scotland’s stunning scenery.