Outlander Scotland 5 Day Immersion Tour Day 3

We began the morning with a moment of silence for all those who gave so much on 9/11. Afterwards, we departed from the Eden 1 Cottage.

BP Food and Service Center

30-minute drive

Craigs Roundabout, Stirling FK7 7NU, UK

We stopped at a local BP Food and Service center to purchase sandwiches and snacks for a ‘while traveling lunch‘ later today. Our journey on this cool Scottish morning is taking us north of Edinburgh to the Highland Folk Museum.

Highland Folk Museum (18th-century village)

2-hour drive || 1-hour visit

Highland Folk Museum, Aultlarie Croft, Kingussie Rd, Newtonmore PH20 1AY, UK

We learned from the on-site reenactment team that the Outlander Series filming took place over a ten-day span. The scenes filmed were all from Season 1 (Series EP: 105). The filming featured the arrival of Dougal McKenzie and the Frasier Clan at a local village, Claire helping the ladies to set the dye or ‘waulk the wool‘, and extra tax collection at Eagle Tavern.

*Bairn’s Barn – A focal point throughout the episode*

*Kiln Barn – Claire drank with the ladies of the village*

*Tacksman’s House – largest building on the property was the site of the Eagle Tavern*

*The inside of theTacksman’s House was the gathering spot for the villagers and Dougal McKenzie*

The whole Museum is a wonder to visit, Outlander Series filming location or not. It reminded me of our visit to the Norsk Folke Museum, Oslo, Norway.

*The Stockman’s House – Another large outbuilding featured*

*Weaver’s House – not used in the filming but a great example*

Once we were back on the road, everyone dug into their purchased lunches.

Clava Cairns

1-hour drive || 30-minute visit

Clava Cairns, Inverness IV2 5EU, UK

Clava Cairns is a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age burial site. The old stone circles or Cairns mark a passage to inter important members of a society long since forgotten.

The standing stones here provide no significance to the Outlander fan other than a mere suggestion that these stone outcroppings may have been an inspiration for Diana Gabaldon’s Craigh na Dun. We took a few moments to take in the atmosphere and try our hand at time-travel through the standing stones.

A quick jaunt up the road, and within earshot of the Nairn Viaduct, we arrived at Culloden Battlefield.

Culloden Battlefield

5-minute drive || 2-hour, 40-minute visit

Culloden Battlefield, Culloden Moor, Inverness IV2 5EU, UK

Although no actual filming took place at this site, the battlefield represented a vast centerpiece around the historical significance of the Outlander Series. The actual Culloden Battlefield scenes depicted in the series were reenacted at Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire.

We began in the Culloden Visitor’s Center and Museum following a timeline of information that lead us to a battlefield reenactment video.

*The Culloden Visitor’s Center with a red flag representing where the Government troops stood on the battlefield*

Afterwards, we headed out to the battlefield, where we walked the long and short trails through the Jacobite regiments and around clan memorial stones. We located the stone of the Frasier clan stone in both instances.

*Regiment marker showing the location of the Fraser Clan on the battlefield*

Returning to the Visitors Center we took in the view of Culloden Moor from the upper viewing platform.

The field opposite the moor was home to some Highland Cattle, which offered the opportunity to get some great cattle shots.

After surveying the battlefield, we took a short walk to Leanach Cottage which many historians believe to be the only remaining structure from the battle. Historic battle maps list a structure here most likely surrounded by two other small buildings. Possibly these were a barn and stable much like the one that Jamie found himself held up in after the battle.

After a day filled with a great deal of emotion and connection to the Scottish past, we were back on the road and headed for dinner.

Port Na Craig Restaurant

1-hour, 40-minute drive || 1-hour, 30-minute dinner

Port-na-Craig Inn & Restaurant, Port-Na-Craig Rd, Port na Craig, Pitlochry PH16 5ND, UK

Finding ourselves on the banks of the river Tummel in Pitlochry, we sat down for our pre-ordered dinner of a hamburger, chips and dessert.

*The back of the restaurant and the Tummel River*

The restaurant was in a restored historic building and fashionable, with an appropriately photogenic appearance.

The Kelpies

1-hour, 20-minute drive || 30-minute visit

The Kelpies, The Helix, Falkirk FK2 7ZT, UK

From the carpark entrance we walked along the Forth and Clyde Canal to gaze upon the amazing 98ft structures of the Kelpies, shape-shifting water spirits in Falkirk.

*A close up shot of one of the Kelpies shows its unique construction*

These contemporary sculptural monuments are color changing due to well-placed and managed lighting and provide a material centerpiece to the park.

*The lights change often so you can see a variety in a short time*

*The Helix Park receives over 1 million visitors a year*

During operating hours, you can experience the Kelpie Tour which gives you the unique perspective of an inside visit of a Kelpie to better understand its complex engineering and design.