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Outlander, a British-American television drama series based on the historical time travel Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, has sought out some of the most beautiful places in Scotland to shoot its episodes. We’re sharing a sample of those locales with you as part of our Most Beautiful Scotland series.

The show stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married World War II nurse who is transported back in time to 1743 in Scotland, where she encounters the handsome Highland warrior Jamie Frase, played by Sam Heughan, and gets caught up in the Jacobite risings.

As the show is now in its ….. Season, stories have played out across Scotland’s ancient landscapes. From ancient monuments to romantic castles, from breathtaking landscapes to stately mansions, we time travel the same routes to get a taste of the beauty.

LINLITHGOW PALACE

Linlithgow Palace, in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, 15 miles (24 km) west of Edinburgh, was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its ruins, now in the care of Historic Scotland, have been conserved since the early 19th century. Check it out together with the adjacent 15th-century parish church of St Michael -- these are two of Scotland's finest surviving medieval buildings.

The Palace is said to be haunted by the spectre of Mary of Guise, mother to Mary, Queen of Scots.

In more recent times, besides Outlander filming, Karl Lagerfeld has staged fashion shows here, and the Party at the Palace, an annual music festival has been operating here since 2014.

DOUNE CASTLE

Doune Castle, a foreboding medieval stronghold near the village of Doune, in the Stirling district of central Scotland, inspires tall tales. The site hosted a Roman fort in the 1st century AD. The castle was built in the mid 13th century.  It lies at the edge of the Trossachs, on the fringe of the Scottish Highlands.

Beyond serving as a stand-in for the fictional “Castle Leoch,” in Outlander, Doune Castle has featured in several literary works, including Sir Walter Scott's first novel, Waverley (1814). It was used as a location in the 1952 historical film Ivanhoe starring Elizabeth Taylor. And the castle was used as the set for Winterfell in the TV series Game of Thrones and was featured in the British comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail — a parody of the legends of King Arthur.

LOCH & KINLOCH RANNOCH

Loch Rannoch is a loch in Perthshire that stretches 10 miles long, from the village of Kinloch Rannoch to Bridge of Gaur. Because major road construction in the 19th century bypassed the area, much of it is unspoiled and unchanged. 

Cycle the 22 mile (35 km) flat road circuit around the loch. Stop for a picnic at the sandy beaches on the north shore while you ogle the breathtaking views. Walk through the Rannoch Forest and the Great Moor of Rannoch. However you ramble, time travel Outlander style, beautifully.

BLACKNESS CASTLE

Blackness Castle is a 15th-century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth. While its history isn’t pretty, serving as a military fort, a prison and an ammunition depot over the centuries, its architecture and setting are remarkable.

The Castle juts into the Forth, with its long, narrow shape, inspiring moniker as "the ship that never sailed.”

Besides Outlander, the castle has been used as a filming location in several productions, including Franco Zeffirelli's Hamlet, and the science-fiction film Doomsday, and the television miniseries of Ivanhoe.

HOPETOUN HOUSE

Check out Hopetoun House, Scotland's finest stately home, in South Queensferry, just outside Edinburgh. Home of the Marquess of Linlithgow, Hopetoun was designed by Scottish architects Sir William Bruce (1699-1701) and William Adam (1721-1748).

The south wing of the house is occupied by the family of The 4th Marquess of Linlithgow as their family home.

The house sits within an English garden style landscape. The walled garden dates from the late 18th century. Excavations in 1963 revealed the remains of the earlier manor house, Abercorn Castle, dating from the 15th century.

CULROSS

Culross is considered by many to be one of Scotland's most picturesque towns. Overlooking the Firth of Forth, southwest of Fife, this 16th century enclave is a cluster of well preserved whitewashed, red-tile roofed buildings, including the Town House, where witches were tried and held while awaiting execution.

Culross Palace, built by wealthy coal merchant George Bruce in the late 16th century, is magnificent, with its painted ceilings, pine panelling, and ochre colored façade. The entire area has been used for numerous Outlander location shoots.

DRUMLANRIG CASTLE

Dive deep into history, exploring beautiful countryside, mountain bike on breathtaking trails, and fish salmon from crystalline streams at Drumlanrig Castle, on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. 

Built between 1679 - 1689, from pink sandstone, the castle is known as the Pink Palace. It boasts 120 rooms, 17 turrets, and 4 towers. You’ll see it in Outlander’s second series, where it served as the Duke of Sandringham's Estate. 

The 90,000 acre estate offers incredible walks through moors, woodland and gardens. It is the Dumfriesshire seat of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry.

On the cultural side, check out the incredible art collection here, which includes Rembrandt’s Old Lady Reading, Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna of the Yarnwinder, and landscapes by Dutch masters.

LOCH KATRINE

Loch Katrine, from the gaelic for “highland thief or robber”, is a magnificent body of water surrounded by hills, mountains, and woodlands in the glorious Trossachs Forest

This freshwater loch is about 9 miles long. In addition to being used as a location for Outlander series 2, it is the fictional setting of Sir Walter Scott's poem The Lady of the Lake.

GLASGOW CATHEDRAL

Glasgow Cathedral, built before the Reformation, in the late 12th century, has since served as the seat of the Bishop and later the Archbishop of Glasgow. The beautiful example of Scottish Gothic architecture is one of the few remaining Scottish medieval churches. Today, the Cathedral serves as a gathering of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow.

The Cathedral was transformed into L'Hôpital des Anges for Outlander in Season 2.

GOSFORD HOUSE

Gosford House is situated near Longniddry in East Lothian, Scotland. On a clear day, you can see the estate from Edinburgh.

It is the family seat of the Charteris family. It was built by the 7th Earl of Wemyss between 1790 and 1800.

Doubling as the stable house at Versailles, in Outlander, Gosford house appears in the second series.

DRUMMOND CASTLE GARDENS

Outlander took good advantage of Drummond Castle Gardens, one of Europe’s and Scotland’s most important and impressive formal gardens. Located in Perthshire near Crieff, it dates back to the 17th Century, although it was redesigned in the 19th Century and replanted in the 1950s.

Many of the original features remain, however, including the ancient yew hedges and beech trees planted by Queen Victoria, commemorating her visit in 1842.

Read more about Beautiful Scotland in A Most Beautiful Train Ride Across a Most Beautiful Scotland, Bag a Beautiful Munro! Here’s How!, Outer Hebrides: Scotland’s Wild, Pristine. Prehistoric Bucket List Must, Most Beautiful Country Autumn and  The Deep beauty of Scotch.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by junaidrao. “#Earth Another world perhaps? This place was featured in the movie Prometheus; Old man of Storr, Scotland.” Isle of Skye, Scotland.
2. Image: by Hamish Irvine. “Linlithgow Palace and St Michael's Parish Church.” Linlithgow, Scotland.
3. Image: by Dixon+. “Linlithgow Palace.” Linlithgow, Scotland.
4. Image: by Dave Appleby. “I shall taunt you a second time Doune Castle.” Doune, Scotland.
5. Image: by Bethany Weeks. Rannoch Moor. Highlands, Scotland.
6. Image: by 4652 Paces. “Blackness Castle.” Firth of Forth, Scotland.
7. Image: by Gary Henderson. “Reflecting.” Hopetoun House. South Queensferry, Scotland.
8. Image: by David Farrer. “Culross.” Fife, Scotland.
9. Image: by Patrick Down. “Culross Palace.” Fife, Scotland.
10. Image: by Mark Gregory. “Drumlanrig Castle.” Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland.
11. Image: by Andy Belshaw. “Glorious Golden Glows.” Loch Katrine, Scotland.
12. Image: by Guillaume Capron. “Glasgow Cathedral.” Glasgow, Scotland.
13. Image: by Ronan. “Gosford House.” East Lothian, Scotland.
14. Image: by Tom Parnell. “Drummond Castle.” Perthshire, Scotland.
15. Image: by Martin Addison. “Drummond Castle Gardens.” Perthshire, Scotland.
16. Image: by grassrootsgroundswell Near Kinloch Rannoch Lochan an Daim Dunalastair, Scotland.
17. Image: by BN App - Download now!
18. Image: Courtesy of Starz. “Outlander.” Sam Heughan stars as Jamie and Caitriona Balfe as Claire.