Outlander Private Tour

It was used in Outlander to represent Fort William, where Jamie received lashes from Captain Randall. It is also where Jamie’s father died, having to endure watching his son being punished. Later, in the season 1 mid-season finale, Jamie breaks into the castle, rescuing Claire from the hands of Black Jack, jumping into the water below.

It is here that Jamie is tortured and raped by Captain ‘Black Jack’ Randall. The Jamie torture and rape scenes were primarily shot at the Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld, however some parts of the palace were used for filming and include a staircase and some “basement” rooms. In Episode 1.15, we see Claire scurrying about trying to remain undetected while she searches for Jamie in some of the dungeon “prison cells.” A short scene was also filmed at the entrance/gatehouse of the palace, where Claire emerges and meets Murtagh who catches her as she faints from illness.

It is here that we are introduced to many important characters, including Murtagh, Mrs Fitz and Laoghaire MacKenzie as well as Colum MacKenzie, Laird of the Clan, his wife Letitia and their son Hamish. Much of the castle was used in filming. The huge courtyard, and great hall were used to great effect, as well as the surrounding grounds. One interesting exception was the Doune Castle kitchen. A set was built to exactly replicate the castle’s kitchen, to help make filming easier. Outlander fans first see Doune Castle when Frank and Claire visit the ruins of Castle Leoch. The next time we see the MacKenzine fortress, is when Claire is taken there by Dougal and after being rescued from “Black Jack” and helping Jamie with his injury.

The Mercat Cross square, the Study House, the gardens of the palace and the West Kirk outside the village were all used for outlander filming locations. The square at the Mercat Cross was used in many scenes, including to hang Gellis (and nearly Clare) as witches and a squeamish scene involving an ear and a pillory! The buildings around the Mercat Cross square were painted blue for filming and ‘The Study’ house, (built in 1610 for a wealthy Culross merchant) became home to Gellis Duncan. The garden at Culross Palace also stood in for the herb gardens of Castle Leoch, and palace’s Withdrawing Room as Gellis’s parlour. Nearby, Culross West Kirk is the creepy Black Kirk.  The town is best remembered as being used as Cranesmuir in season 1.

In the second novel ‘Dragonfly in Amber’ Jamie is taken to the Abbey St Anne de Beaupré in France.  However, in series one, episode 16 ‘To ransom a man’s soul’, once Jamie is rescued from Wentworth, he is taken to an Abbey in Scotland to recover from his injuries. It’s here that Claire fixes Jamie’s hand and confesses her time travel to the priest.  Aberdour Castle grounds and the castle itself plays the Abbey in Scotland.

Previously, they rescued Jamie from Wentworth Prison after he was at the hands of Black Jack Randall and they escaped to Paris. Le Havre is where Jamie and Claire discuss changing the future and Claire sees some of the Sainte German’s men with the smallpox being taken into a warehouse on the port. This warehouse happens to be Jamie’s cousin Jared’s storehouse.  The Harbourmasters house and the West side of Dysart Harbour were used to represent the port of Le Havre.

Claire and Frank arrive there on their second honeymoon and meet Mrs Baird, the somewhat mysterious owner of their bed and breakfast, as well as the local minister, Reverend Wakefield. Like Frank and Claire, you can drive into town and park on High Street across from Mrs Baird’s B & B, the real life Covenanter Hotel.