VisitScotland 'excited and saddened' by last series of Outlander after show's 'huge impact' on tourism

Now tourist board VisitScotland has said it is “excited and saddened” by the launch of the eighth and final series of hit TV show Outlander, which premieres today.

Dubbed the Outlander Effect, the time-travelling romantic TV series has fuelled a surge in interest and trips from the North American and French and German visitor markets to Scotland.

First shown in 2014, it follows the life of Claire Beauchamp, played by Caitriona Balfe, who is a nurse visiting Inverness on her honeymoon, as she is thrown into the past to the time of the Jacobite uprisings.

Doune Castle, which features as Leoch Castle in the show, has experienced a 200 to 300 per cent increase in tourism since the launch of Outlander. Meanwhile, Blackness Castle in Fort William has also experienced a large rise in visitors after character Jamie Fraser, played by Scottish actor Sam Heughan, was incarcerated there in series one, while Newhailes House, near Edinburgh, which featured in Season 4 of Outlander as Governor Tryon's North Carolina residence, reported a 6,000 per cent rise in popularity.

The recent travel trends report for 2026 published by VisitScotland highlighted screen tourism as an enduring trend. Dubbed “set-jetting plus”, the trend has been repositioned to reflect the added value and benefits that screen tourism has in Scotland, due to the most popular productions, like Outlander, being intrinsically Scottish through their story or setting.

Jenni Steele, film and creative industries manager at VisitScotland, said: “We’re both excited and saddened to see the return of Outlander to our screens for the eighth and final season. It has been an amazing journey on-screen and off. We’ve enjoyed seeing fans flock to Scotland to create their own Outlander-inspired story, providing a huge boost to Scottish tourism and our wonderful sector.

“From season one, fans have had a hunger for our history, culture and, of course, our beautiful landscapes, and we know that desire to visit will last long after the conclusion of the series. The breadth of the filming locations and Scotland’s place in the storyline has helped support our work to spread visitors and the benefits of the visitor economy across the regions and seasons.”

She added: “Our own research shows that screen tourism is a long-term trend with one in five travellers, known as set-jetters, visiting locations and destinations many years after their screen appearance. This is particularly beneficial for Scottish tourism.

“Many of our most popular screen tourism productions are intrinsically Scottish and so fans get more out of their trip to Scotland by exploring our history, heritage and culture. These productions provide a platform for us and businesses to engage with captive audiences in those important North American and European markets.

“And while Outlander is coming to an end we still have season two of prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood to look forward to, offering further opportunities to capture the hearts of fans and travellers.”

The popularity of the series has also seen fans visit Scotland to catch a glimpse of actors from the show, such as Mr Heughan. Last year, a sell-out event hosted by the actor at Edinburgh International Book Festival attracted Outlander enthusiasts from all over the world who travelled to Scotland in hope of securing a ticket.

Season eight of Outlander premieres on Starz and tomorrow in the UK on MGM+ via Prime Video.