The Outlander TV series has had an “astonishing” impact on tourism in Scotland, according to a report.
The study, from national tourism organisation VisitScotland, found people from around the world have been inspired to visit Scotland after watching the show, which has featured several Scottish locations. The impact has been labelled the “Outlander Effect”.
The popular series 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. There she meets Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan, the leader of a band of Scottish rebels.
The first series of the Outlander: Blood of My Blood spin-off is being screened and follows the parents of Outlander’s main characters Jamie and Claire.
There are seven seasons of Outlander, with the eighth and final season scheduled to premiere in early 2026.
A VisitScotland spokesperson said: “The ‘Outlander Effect’ is clearly evident among visitor attractions directly involved with the production.
“Among the Outlander filming location attractions, the majority have seen increased visitor numbers, developed new products and themed events and had interest from other productions.
“Most visitor attractions agreed that screen tourism is beneficial and something that if the opportunity presented should be capitalised on.”
Doune Castle, which has experienced a 366.97 per cent increase in visitors since 2014, has even added an audio guide narrated by Heughan recalling his experiences filming at the site, with hopes to add new interpretive content in the future.
The Visitor Attraction Monitor, owned and distributed by the Moffat Centre, reports yearly figures to attractions across Scotland. The locations below show the number of visitors to a selection of Outlander attractions from 2014 to 2024.
Here are 11 Outlander filming locations that have seen the largest increase in visitors since the series began in 2014.
5. Dean Castle - 161.98%
Set in a wooded glen in Kilmarnock, 14th century Dean Castle stood in for Beaufort Castle near Beauly in the Highlands. Claire and Jamie visited Lord Lovat at the castle to persuade him to send his men to aid Charles Stuart. There were 22,806 visitors to the castle in 2014. In 2024, this was 59,747. | Supplied
6. Doune Castle - 153.65%
Doune Castle near Stirling played a leading role in Outlander, substituting for the fictional Castle Leoch – home to Colum MacKenzie and his clan in the 18th century. It also featured in the 20th century episode when Claire and Frank visited the castle in ruins on a day trip. In 2014, there were 47,069 visitors but in 2024 this increased to 119,392. | PA
7. Culross Palace - 142.21%
Culross Palace, Garden and Royal Burgh feature in a number of scenes across multiple seasons in Outlander. Culross Palace’s Withdrawing Room doubles as Geillis Duncan’s parlour, where Jamie comes to meet Claire after her visit to Geillis. In Season 2, both the exterior and interior of Culross Palace feature as a tavern on the road to battle. In 2014, there were 10,669 visitors to the palace in 2014 and then 25,841 visitors in 2024. | PA
8. Glasgow Cathedral - 96.72%
The crypt of Glasgow Cathedral doubled as L’Hopital Des Anges in Paris where Claire volunteered to work. It is one of the few Scottish medieval churches to have survived the Reformation unscathed. There were 219,947 visitors in 2014 and 359,653 visitors in 2024. | Google