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Princes Street Gardens - ©Visitscotland - Paul Tomkins

The Outlander Trail

(7 days / 6 nights)

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Follow in the Steps of Jamie & Claire

Bring the stories of Outlander to life with a self-drive road trip through the famous landscapes, ancient ruins and old settlements you may recognise from the TV series. This independent journey will take you along the Outlander Trail, from the historical capital Edinburgh into the Highlands, seeing along the way many of the locations that inspired Diana Gabaldon in writing the book series. Immerse yourself in the real life locations that brought you Castle Leoch, Craig Na Dun, Fort William, Inverness, Jamaica, Paris and even Boston and Harvard.

7 days / 6 nights

Price p.p. from

The amount will be charged in GBP

Approx 1212 GBP

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— Why book with Nordic Visitor

  • Hassle-free & seamless travel experience
  • Flexible & customisable tour options
  • Quality & value for your money
  • Trusted local experts in Scotland
  • Great customer reviews

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— Book With Confidence

  • Optional cancellation insurance
  • Affordable deposits from 10%

Terms and conditions apply

Tour Highlights

  • Drive along the Outlander Trail to experience and explore many of the filming locations
  • Walk through the Clava Cairns, one of the inspirations for the Craig Na Dun standing stones
  • Retrace the steps of the Highlanders at the Culloden Battelfield
  • Wander around the conservation village of Culross in Fife, a perfect peak into 17th-century life
  • Explore Doune Castle, the ruins that pass for Castle Leoch
  • Visit the village of Falkland, the setting for the 1940s Inverness honeymoon
  • Experience MacKenzie village life at the Highland Folk Museum
  • See the splendid Hopetoun House, a stately home used in several episodes
  • Explore the striking Blackness Castle, standing as Fort William during the series
  • Follow along Jamie and Claire's adventures by visiting historic sites

Travel style

Self-Drive i

Interest

Countryside and natural scenery i, Heritage i, Highlands i, Honeymoon & Romance i, Outlander i

Season

Apr - Oct

Departure

Daily

Interest

Countryside and natural scenery i, Heritage i, Highlands i, Honeymoon & Romance i, Outlander i

Driving distance

658/409 km/mi

Itinerary

A day-by-day plan to guide your journey.

  • Day 1: Arrival in Edinburgh

    Make your way into Edinburgh city centre where your hotel will be located. Many travellers opt to take a taxi or use public transport, but for a more direct and comfortable ride, we will be happy to organise a private airport transfer for you. For those arriving early in the day, we recommend spending the day walking through the city, strolling along the Royal Mile and exploring the Old Town and New Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are also plenty of museums and landmarks to visit within the city centre, including the beautiful St Giles Cathedral and the majestic Edinburgh Castle.

    Spend the night in Edinburgh. 

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions See Activities for this day
  • Day 2: Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old Town

    You have the full day to explore Edinburgh‘s Old Town and discover the many Outlander filming locations hidden here. Keen fans will recognise Holyroodhouse Palace as the location where Claire and Jamie beseeched Bonnie Prince Charlie to abandon his hopeless cause. Along the Royal Mile you may recognise the World‘s End Pub where Jamie and Claire pop in for a visit. For those who love a good afternoon tea, try the Signet Library, which you may recognise as the Governor‘s mansion in Jamaica. You also have the option to pop over to Glasgow for the day to visit many of Season 3‘s location for Boston and Harvard.

    Spend the night in Edinburgh. 

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions See Activities for this day
  • Day 3: The Historic Kingdom of Fife

    Today you will take the scenic route to Fife. Your first stop will be Hopetoun House, the stately home that stands for the residence of the Duke of Sandringham in season 1 and many other locations along the years. You can then stop at the boat-shaped fortress Blackness Castle, which stands in for Fort William in the TV show. Once you cross to Fife, you have many possible stops. This includes the picturesque village of Culross and the beautiful village of Falkland, which you will definitely recognise as 1940s Inverness where Claire and Frank have their honeymoon.

    Spend the night in Fife.

    Driving distance: 98 miles / 157 km

    Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 4: Highlands, Culloden and Standing Stones

    Today you head into the Highlands to follow in Jamie and Claire‘s footsteps. We recommend a stop at the lovely village of Dunkeld and at the 13th-century Blair Castle. Travelling through the Cairngorms National Park, another ideal stop is the Highland Folk Museum, which was used as a Mackenzie village in the television series. Arriving near Inverness, make the detour to Culloden Moor, a must-stop for any Outlander fan, as this is where Jamie fights for Scotland. Nearby you can also visit Clava Cairns, a series of Bronze Age tombs and standing stones, an inspiration for the Craigh na Dun stones.

    Spend the night in the Inverness area.

    Driving distance: 93 miles / 150 km 

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 5: Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle

    Spend the morning exploring the surroundings of Inverness, “the Capital of the Highlands.” Visit the nearby ruins of Beauly Priory, where Claire meets Maisri the Seer. Later, drive south to Loch Ness, where you can visit the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition to learn more about the lake and its notorious monster, or visit the Urquhart Castle ruins on the shores. You can also opt to take a detour to visit the picturesque Glen Affric, which is reminiscent of the many scenes of season 1 when Jamie and Claire are journeying across the Highlands.

    Spend the night in the Fort William area.

    Driving distance: 125km / 78 miles

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions See Activities for this day
  • Day 6: Through Famous Glens and Loch Lomond

    Today you drive through the Trossachs and Loch Lomond area before returning to Edinburgh. This journey takes you past Scotland’s scenic and historical Glen Coe valley, where some of the very first scenes of the tv series were shot. Later in the day, we can recommend taking a nature walk to spot wildlife, enjoy a boat tour on Loch Katrine, or taste the flavour of the country at Deanston Whisky Distillery. A great stop on the way is Doune Castle, which you will immediately recognise as Castle Leoch, featured prominently in season 1.

    Spend the night in Edinburgh. 

    Driving distance: 140 miles / 225 km

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions See Activities for this day
  • Day 7: Departure from Scotland

    On your day of departure, we recommend taking the Airlink bus or a taxi directly from your hotel to reach the airport. If you would like to add any additional nights to your trip or to arrange a private transfer, you can do so during the booking process. If your flight is in the afternoon, you may have time for some last-minute shopping, to visit one of Edinburgh’s museums, or take one last stroll through the charming city centre.

    See Activities for this day

Optional extras

Customise your adventure with these Optional Extras.

We recommend adding your extra activities to the tour now for the best booking experience and to secure your spot, as activities are likely to sell out.

Map

Here’s a map of your travel route, to help put things in perspective.

Reviews

We don’t like to brag, so we’ll let our happy customers do it for us.

Nordic Visitor made the experience so much better!

I am so happy we went through Nordic Visitor. The trip was so well planned and prepared that it made this travel experience so much better! I will definitely be using them again.

Accommodation

Sleep soundly, in the accommodation type of your choice, and wake up ready to enjoy another day of exploration.

Comfort Plus

Standard rooms in good quality and comfortable three-star hotels in combination with well-appointed guesthouses or country hotels.

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Superior

Standard rooms in four-star hotels or boutique guesthouses in combination with Superior rooms in premium three-star hotels.

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Rental car

Enjoy your road trip with a free GPS and Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) to reduce liability.

Toyota Yaris (manual)
or similar

  • x4
  • x3
  • x1
  • M

Toyota Yaris (manual)
or similar

  • Description: Economy
  • Passengers: 4
  • Luggage: 1
  • Doors: 3
  • Transmission: Manual

Vauxhall Astra (manual)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x2
  • M

Vauxhall Astra (manual)
or similar

  • Description: Compact
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 2
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Manual

Toyota Auris (automatic)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x3
  • A

Toyota Auris (automatic)
or similar

  • Description: Economy
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 3
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Ford Mondeo (automatic)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x4
  • A

Ford Mondeo (automatic)
or similar

  • Description: Standard
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 4
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

BMW 520 (automatic)
or similar
limited availability

  • x5
  • x5
  • x4
  • A

BMW 520 (automatic)
or similar
limited availability

  • Description: Premium
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 4
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Kia Sportage (automatic)
or similar
limited availability

  • x5
  • x5
  • x3
  • A

Kia Sportage (automatic)
or similar
limited availability

  • Description: Intermediate SUV
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 3
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Mercedes Vito (automatic)
or similar
limited availability

  • x8
  • x3
  • x5
  • A

Mercedes Vito (automatic)
or similar
limited availability

  • Not available between 28 April - 2 May
  • and 12 May - 12 August
  • Description: Premium Passenger Van
  • Passengers: 8
  • Luggage: 5
  • Doors: 3
  • Transmission: Automatic*
  • *manual option available upon request

Price per person from

The amount will be charged in GBP

Approx 1212 GBP

Book with confidence

Monthly price comparison

Our best price per person when booking for two.

2023
2024

Tour Information

We recommend that all our travellers read through the following information about driving in Scotland, what the tour includes, the itinerary, accommodation, and other useful information for your travels.

ABOUT OUR SELF-DRIVE TOURS
This is a self-drive tour, which means you will follow a detailed and personalised itinerary during your road trip in Scotland. No dedicated driver or tour guide is included. All accommodation, rental vehicle, and other planned activities or added services will be pre-booked by Nordic Visitor (as specified in the itinerary). As this is a self-drive tour, you are welcome to stop when and where you wish on your drive. Except for accommodation and booked activities, other highlights we’ve listed in the itinerary are suggestions based on Nordic Visitor favourites.

TRAVEL SEASONS IN SCOTLAND
Scotland is beautiful all year long, but we want travellers to be aware that the summer is the high travelling season, with July and August being the peak months. Due to this fact, many of the highlights, such as Isle of Skye and Edinburgh, will be extremely popular and offer limited availability, for attractions, accommodations, restaurants and tours alike.

For a more relaxing experience, we recommend booking well in advance or arriving during the shoulder season, from April to June or September and October. However, if you wish to travel in July or August, we will endeavour to make this a great adventure.

ACCOMMODATION
Our team of local travel experts carefully selects hotels, B&Bs, and guesthouses around the country based on excellent ratings, personal experience and comfort. Generally, in Scotland, whilst room sizes may vary, our room types are based on European standard sizes. Please note that twin rooms, triple and family rooms are not commonly available in Scotland, so please contact us for booking assistance if that is something you would like. Please also be aware that, due to the historic nature of the properties we usually select, most of the rooms are only accessible by going up stairs, as there are often no lifts available. Please contact us if you are not able to walk up stairs.

DRIVING IN SCOTLAND
The roads in Scotland are usually in good conditions all year long and are renowned for their road trip worthiness. Please be aware that in the UK motorists drive on the left side of the road (and on the right side of the car). If you are not used to driving on the left, we highly recommend choosing a vehicle with automatic transmission for your self-drive tour. If you want a manual transmission vehicle, keep in mind that you will need to shift gears with your left hand (floor pedals are the same). Drivers will also have to get used to the narrower roads of the UK as well as the rural single-track roads with passing places, and be careful of animals on the road.

For inexperienced drivers who still want to explore and discover Scotland, we recommend one of our guided small group tour or our privately guided tours, where you will have a local, experienced guide at the wheel.

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE FROM GLASGOW
If you are planning on arriving in Glasgow, you could book a private transfer from Glasgow Airport to your accommodation in Edinburgh to start the journey in a comfortable way. During certain tours, you will have the options to end your trip in Glasgow, rather than Edinburgh, as well if that is more convenient for you.

SAFETY & WEATHER CONDITIONS
Please note that sightseeing and transport is dependent on weather and road conditions and might need to be altered if conditions are not favourable. This includes ferries and drives. If something unexpected occurs, you can call our 24-hour helpline to speak directly with a Nordic Visitor staff member.

CURRENCY RATE
All bookings are charged in British Pounds (£, GBP). Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. Therefore, conversions from GBP to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.

AFTER BOOKING WITH NORDIC VISITOR
After booking your package with Nordic Visitor, you will be contacted within two business days by one of our travel consultants who will serve as your dedicated contact person for all your travel needs before, during and even after your holiday. Your travel consultant will provide you with details about your booking and your remaining payment (if not paid in full). You will also receive more information about what to expect during your holiday.

 

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