Outlander, Royal Palaces & Historic Film Locations Day Tour

8:00 AM

Hotel Pickup, Edinburgh

Your driver-guide collects you and your group directly from your Edinburgh accommodation, then heads west into West Lothian.

Midhope Castle (Lallybroch)

Tucked away in the woodlands of the Hopetoun Estate, this 16th-century tower house is instantly recognisable as Lallybroch, the ancestral home of Jamie Fraser in Outlander. The interior remains a closed, unrenovated shell, but the exterior is beautifully preserved — walk the tree-lined driveway and stand in the courtyard where some of the show's most memorable scenes were filmed. Arriving early means quiet, crowd-free photographs before the coach traffic from the city arrives.

Blackness Castle (The Ship That Never Sailed)

Standing on a rocky promontory in the Firth of Forth, Blackness Castle's tapered stone walls resemble a great stone warship grounded on the rocks — earning it the nickname "The Ship That Never Sailed." Built in the 15th century, it played Fort William in Outlander and doubled for Linlithgow Palace in Outlaw King. Walk the perimeter walls and headland for panoramic views of the Fife coast and the three Forth bridges, with the option to climb inside for sweeping views from the ramparts.

Linlithgow Palace & St Michael's Parish Church

The favoured countryside retreat of the Stuart monarchs and birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots, Linlithgow Palace sits on the edge of a tranquil loch. Its corridors and courtyard doubled as the grim Wentworth Prison in Outlander. Stroll the elevated grounds of the Royal Peel, look out over the resident swans on Linlithgow Loch, and admire the crown-of-thorns spire of neighbouring St Michael's Parish Church.

Culross (Cranesmuir)

Crossing the Firth of Forth into the Kingdom of Fife, Culross is Scotland's most complete surviving example of a late-medieval burgh, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. It served as Cranesmuir in Outlander — home to Geillis Duncan, and the setting for Claire's herb garden at Castle Leoch. Walk the steep, cobbled "wee steps," admire the pantile roofs and crow-stepped gables, and pause for lunch at a traditional village inn or café.

Falkland Village & Falkland Palace

Nestled beneath the Lomond Hills, the conservation village of Falkland doubled as post-war Inverness in Outlander — the setting for Claire and Frank's second honeymoon. Stand by the ornate Bruce Fountain, where the ghostly figure of Jamie watches Claire in the real-life Covenanter Hotel, and browse the village shops before crossing to Falkland Palace, a masterpiece of French-influenced Renaissance architecture built for the Stuart kings and once a royal retreat for falconry, hunting and tennis.

The Three Forth Bridges & South Queensferry

A relaxed stop on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry, where three bridges spanning three centuries stand side by side — the red cantilever Forth Bridge (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Forth Road Bridge, and the cable-stayed Queensferry Crossing. A final photo opportunity across the water before the short drive back into Edinburgh.

5:15 PM

Return Journey to Edinburgh

A relaxed drive back into Edinburgh, dropping you at your accommodation in time for evening dinner plans.