Castle Leoch, Fort William, and Lallybroch from Outlander

Have you been watching Outlander and wonder if you can actually visit Lallybroch, Castle Leoch, or even Fort William? The answer is yes! Well, sort of. Here are the real locations used as inspiration and for filming some of the scenes for these places in Outlander.

Castle Leoch - Castle Leod

Castle Leoch, the seat of Clan MacKenzie, is first introduced in the first episode when Claire and Frank explore the worn down structure in the 1940s. We see it again later in the same episode but this time in its full glory when Claire is taken there on horseback by some of the members of the MacKenzie clan and Jamie Fraser after she goes through the stones and finds herself in the 1740s.

Castle Leod is the real seat of Clan MacKenzie, and it’s reportedly been one of Outlander author’s Diana Gabaldon’s inspirations for Castle Leoch. Castle Leod is located near  Strathpeffer in the Scottish Highlands, just about 20 miles northwest of Inverness. This makes it about a six-hour ride on horseback for Claire. You can visit Castle Leod during one of its public open days, take a private tour, and even hold your wedding there!

www.castleleod.org.uk 

Castle Leoch - Castle Doune

While Castle Leod may be the inspiration for Castle Leoch, the actual filming location is Castle Doune, which is north of Stirling in an area where Scottish Lowlands and Highlands shake hands. Castle Doune also happens to be one of the filming sets for Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and it is also featured in the pilot episode of Game of Thrones. For less than ten pounds, you can tour Castle Doune year-round.

Fort William

Fort William, where Jamie is held captive by Captain Black Jack Randall in the first season of Outlander, is actually located near the west coast of Scotland in a town modernly called  Fort William , nearly two hours’ drive south and west of Inverness. Fort William was a rebuilt version of a Cromwellian fort called the Garrison of Inverlochy, rechristened “Fort William” after William of Orange in the late 1600s following William’s and his wife Mary Stuart’s success in the overthrowing of the Catholic James VII.

The fort remained a stronghold for the English as the Scottish Highlanders fought to maintain the rights to keep a Catholic monarchy. Fort William withstood attacks for five weeks by the Jacobites in 1745. Today, the fort, known as the Old Fort of Fort William, is little more than a few walls and some interpretive signs. Some of the artifacts from the fort reside at the West Highland Museum, which is nearby - about a ten-minute walk down the bank of Loch Eil.

Blackness Castle

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/blackness-castle/

If you’re looking to visit the filming location for Fort William, you’ll want to visit Blackness Castle , located just outside  Edinburgh . This castle that is described as “ship-shaped” (but not necessarily in ship-shape) has served as a royal castle, garrison, and prison, as well as an ammunition depot. A small entry fee will let you explore this mighty fortress year-round, and you can easily visit the nearby Midhope Castle, as well.

https://hopetoun.co.uk/estate/outlander-at-hopetoun/

Lallybroch

Speaking of Midhope Castle, it was the filming location for Lallybroch, Jamie Fraser’s home. Its formal name in the series, “Broch Tuarach” means “north-facing tower” in Gaelic, while “Lallybroch” means “lazy tower.” Midhope Castle was originally built in the 1500s for the Martin family, but today it’s privately owned and operated by the Hopetoun House Estate, which is also used in a variety of Outlander scenes. You can visit Hopetoun House from April through September, and you can even stay in their bed and breakfast, purchase a Christmas tree grown on their farms, or celebrate your wedding there. Midhope Castle is “not a visitor attraction,” but for five quid you can view the exterior of the property and pretend for a minute that you’re a part of the Fraser family.