Outlander Immersion Tour - 8 nights, 7 passengers max
Exciting Announcement! New Hotels have been added for Edinburgh and Glasgow!! In 2023, we switched to the centrally located Ibis Styles St Andrew Square in Edinburgh. Situated in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town, this Ibis Styles Hotel boasts rooms that blend style and affordability. These contemporary accommodations bristle with charming Scottish character. Guests can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and the convenience of air-conditioning during their stay.
In 2024, we will be moving to a centrally located 4* hotel in Glasgow. Details will be coming as soon as it is finalized.
These immersive Outlander Tours of Scotland are small group, 7 passenger 8 night (including hotels, entrance fees and 5* Scottish guides) total immersions into the spectacular sights & scenery of the Outlander TV Series and of Diana Gabaldon's original Outlander book series. This tour also includes a performance by "The Bard" from Castle Leoch and then period costumes on the final day. This is one of the few tours that actually visits the filming site of Craigh na Dun!
Why this tour? Longevity! We have been running these Outlander tours of Scotland since 2015, and for years before that Inverness Tours was taking people on day tours of the sites from the Outlander books. (Hugh Allison even took Diana Gabaldon on a tour - she has a picture on her website.) Hugh and I combined forces to create an 8 night tour and have gotten rave reviews. See our testimonials here. Here are some more reasons this tour is the best:
The size: with only 7 people maximum, you get to interact with the other members of the tour and the wonderful guide. It also means that you won't have a multitude of people pouring out of a bus at Craigh na Dun or Clava Cairns where it is nice to have a bit of peace when you're trying to go back through the stones or see if you can spot Jamie and Claire in the woods. (But watch out for Black Jack - you would not want him coming up behind you!)
Scottish to the core makes this the perfect choice: You'll be staying in authentic Scottish accommodations and your tour guides know Scotland and Scottish history so they'll be telling you tales and stopping along the way. This is not just an Outlander tour. You'll love Scotland like they do by the end of your tour.
Inverness Tours: Diana Gabaldon (Herself) recommends Hugh Allison of Inverness Tours (5* on Trip Advisor). They have the most amazing guides and Hugh Allison, Dave Fyfe, Ian Deveney, Laura Moon and Scott Guthrie have been expertly guiding Outlander tours for years and they are also familiar with the TV series. They are knowledgeable, charming and entertaining. This is not a boring bus ride from one spot to the next - you will leave feeling like you had the best trip ever.
We are one of the few tours to visit the site of Craigh na Dun! Hugh and I found "the hill" - the place where they do the filming for Craigh na Dun. The stones may or may not be there when you're there. Our October 2015 tour was actually able to see the Standing Stones on the hill!
On the final day in Edinburgh, we will have period costumes to wear around the city for the walking tour of the Royal Mile (if you choose). Please see photos on the following link: Pictures from Previous Outlander Tours
Having a small group means you can have delicious breakfasts and lunches at places that large groups don't have access to. And no "bags out at 7am." You'll have a leisurely morning to enjoy your lovely breakfast.
Gwyllyn the Bard who performed at Castle Leoch makes a special appearance in Glasgow for these tours. He gives you a fun performance with songs, stories about Jacobites, Scottish history and his work on the Outlander set.
And finally, me: I run a travel agency located in Colorado and I do all of the long distance calling to Scotland so you don't have to and I am on Mountain Time which makes it convenient for you to call me if you're in the US. I am an IATAN Accredited full service Travel Agent and I created these tours in conjunction with Inverness Tours (in Scotland). I also create individual blogs for each of the tours so you can chat with the other members on your tour before you go to Scotland. And I have traveled - a lot - to Scotland and Ireland from the US. So I can help you with questions about international travel as well as any questions you have about Scotland specifically.
SeeTestimonials from previous Outlander ImmersionTravelers.
Day 1 & 2 - Glasgow Arrive Glasgow and transfer to your pre-booked accommodations. Like most Scottish towns, Glasgow is a friendly city with a good selection of traditional music at pubs around town and very good shopping choices. Using the included 2 day hop-on hop-off bus pass, see the sights of Glasgow and familiarize yourself with the layout of the town. You can also see some of the many sites used for filming the Outlander TV series. See my blog about Things to do in Glasgow for more information. On the second day in Glasgow, we'll have special entertainment provided by 'Gwyllyn the Bard' who played for Jamie and Claire in Castle Leoch in the Outlander TV show. Gwyllyn will entertain you with songs, stories about Scottish history, plus his work on the Outlander set. (The performance may be another night of the tour or a different performer depending on availability.) Overnight in Glasgow. Hotel: New 4* Hotel Coming Soon
Day 3 - Journey begins - Film locations for Cranesmuir, Inverness, Sainte Anne de Beaupré’s, and Castle Leoch After a good nights sleep and a nice breakfast, travel to Doune Castle, the film location for Castle Leoch with plenty of time to see the courtyard where Dougal and Hamish were mock dueling and the catwalk that Claire walked across. The next stop will be the charming Royal Burgh of Culross. This was the film location for Gellis Duncan's Cranesmuir in the TV version of Outlander. Culross is a fascinating example of a town that time has forgotten. This worked well for filming the herb garden where Claire met Gellis and the pillary where Jamie's strong fingers helped the young boy free his ear. Next we will see Aberdour Castle where the Old Kitchen and Long Gallery were used for the filming of Sainte Anne de Beaupré’s monastery which Jamie flees to, after Wentworth. Then continue on to Falkland, the village that was used for Inverness in the Starz TV Series. Stop at the Covenanter Hotel and recall the hanging sign for "Mrs Baird's Guesthouse, est. 1865". Walk around the town and see the Falkland Parish Church and the Bruce Fountain where Frank saw "the ghost". Overnight in Aberfeldy. B&B: Townhouse Aberfeldy (or similar)
Day 4 - One of the only tours that visits Craigh na Dun hill where the standing stones were filmed, 'Rent', Culloden Battlefield, and Clava Cairns Standing Stones Today we will journey to most scenic parts of Highland Perthshire and this tour is one of the few that actually visits the hill of Craigh na Dun where the filming of the standing stones occurred. The stones were made in the production studio and will probably not be on the hill when you visit, but you can see where they were and the beautiful views from the hill where Claire met her destiny. Next you'll travel on to the the 18th century village where 'Rent' was filmed and you'll be able to go into the hut where Dougal ripped Jamie's shirt down the back in the TV episode of Outlander. Next stop is the terribly serene Culloden Battlefield for a walk around the (paved) moors to see the Fraser clan stone and the memorial for all clans as well as an exploration of the new visitor's center. The final stop is Clava Cairns. Stand in the split stone like Diana Gabaldon on the back of her 'Outlandish Companion' book. Clava also has a large single stone like the one that Claire put her hands on in the TV series. Overnight in Inverness (the city that Clarie couldn't see the lights of which convinced her she really was in in a different time). Hotel: Ballifeary Guest House (or similar)
Day 5 - Loch Ness, Glen Affric, Beauly & Beauly Priory, and 'Lallybroch' (from the book) Travel through the scenic highlands stopping at Urquhart Castle for a photo stop and continue down the shores of Loch Ness (where in the book Claire saw the Water Creature) before winding over verdant hills and valleys to Glen Affric. A walk through this glen will take you into the remains of the Great Caledonian Pine Forest like where Jamie and Claire wandered after their wedding. Lunch will be at the Storehouse of Foulis (a fully restored 18th century storehouse). Next visit Beauly, the seat of Clan Fraser, and Beauly Priory where Claire liked to go for solitude. We'll finish the day at 'Lallybroch' (a house that looks like the book version of Lallybroch) for a bit of tea and cake and a fun and informative weapons presentation by your guide. Back to Inverness for the night. Hotel: Ballifeary Guest House (or similar)
Day 6 - Dundreggan, 'St Kilda', 2 Brochs, Ferry to Sky and Loch Garve Begin with a drive west through Dundreggan, where in the book, the story is told of the Farmer whose wife is stolen by the Fairies. As we reach the West Coast, we step lightly around the grave stones and look through the ruined chapel that Diana used as her inspiration for the Church of St Kilda. Driving over Mam Ratagan Pass will take us to see two of the best-preserved Brochs on the Scottish mainland. From Glenelg we will take the charming community ferry (if available) to the mystical Isle of Skye, and will hear some of the tales of the fairies that are said to inhabit that island. Returning to the mainland by bridge and traveling toward Inverness will take us along the shores of Loch Garve known from Outlander as the home of the water kelpie. Back to Inverness for the night. Hotel: Ballifeary Guest House (or similar)
Day 7 - 'Lallybroch' (from the TV Series), two filming sites that were used for Fort William En route back to Edinburgh we'll visit Midhope Castle, the site used for Lallybroch in the TV series (if it is available this day). Next stop will be Blackness Castle which stands in for Fort William where Jamie was flogged in the TV version of Outlander. You'll be able to walk on the actual wall that Jamie and Claire ran along before they escaped Fort William. This castle is often called the 'ship that never sailed' because of it's prow shape that seems to be heading out to sea. The final stop will be the "majestic ruins of Linlithgow Palace, once a favoured royal residence of the Stewart kings and queens and the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots" which was used for Wentworth prison entrance and corridors in the Outlander TV series. Overnight in Edinburgh. B&B: Ibis Styles St Andrew Square (or similar)
Day 8 - Edinburgh - Costume Shop, Walking Tour of the Royal Mile In the morning we will be going to a costume shop to be outfitted with our period costumes for wearing on a guided walking tour of the Royal Mile. Our Outlander enthused tour guide will lead the tour down the Royal Mile pointing out all the places from the series including the World's End, White Horse Close and Holyrood. We'll end the day with a festive dinner wearing the clothes Jamie and Claire might have worn. Overnight in Edinburgh. B&B: Ibis Styles St Andrew Square (or similar)
Day 9 - Edinburgh - End of Tour Breakfast is included on this final day but the tour is over after breakfast. You may schedule your flight home for this day (or you may choose to extend your stay and see more of Scotland).
An Outlander expert tour guide from Inverness Tours.
All Accommodations are included plus a full Scottish Breakfast each day except the first day. Accommodations are ensuite, include hairdryer and an iron and ironing board are available.
Three dinners including the final one with entertainment.
Glasgow City Sightseeing, 2 day hop on hop off pass.
Entertainment by Gwyllyn the Bard (or another suitable entertainer if he is not available).
6 day driver-guide tour with Inverness Tours in 8 passenger van.
Includes the Lallybroch tea, entrance to the Highland Folk Museum, and passage on the Glenelg Ferry when available.
On the final day in Edinburgh, we will have period costumes to wear around the city for the walking tour of the Royal Mile as well as Traditional Scottish Evening entertainment (except for October when it is not available).
Arrival or departure transfers (but these can be added for an additional charge)
Lunches and Dinners except the 3 dinners included in your itinerary
Porterage of suitcases at hotels, airports, bus or rail stations
Luggage allowance is one medium sized suitcase and one tote or daypack per person. Additional luggage should be arranged in advance.
Tips for guides and other services
Edinburgh Castle is not included in the tour. You would need to stay an extra day at the end to see it. Tickets need to be purchased ahead of time and should be purchased here
Price:
The price for each tour is on the main Outlander Tours page at the bottom where all of the tours are listed.
There are a limited number of single rooms so there will be an extra charge if we have to book a double to be used as a single room. Prices are subject to change until final payment is made.
There is a $500 non-refundable deposit per person due when the tour is booked.
Incremental Payments Accepted. Please Inquire when booking.
Hugh Allison and I have worked together to design this tour and we will strive to see all of the places in the list above but they are subject to change dependent on weather and availability and what we may see in upcoming episodes. Here is a Sample of the Outlander Immersion Itinerary.
