Outlander drives Scotland’s heritage sites into record figures

By Alexandria Ingham | Feb 27, 2019

Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room /

Heritage sites across Scotland have seen a rise in visitor numbers to the point of being record breaking thanks to fans of Outlander.

It’s no secret that fans of Outlander have paid a visit or two to some of the locations that have appeared in the series. Culloden has been a major tourist attraction for fans, and the Scottish tourism industry even has an Outlander tour or two of some sorts.

So many fans have visited the various Scottish heritage sites that the numbers have grown to the point of record-breaking. The numbers speak for themselves, with more than 5.2 million people visiting various Scottish Heritage Sites. The HES revealed that out of the 10 most visit locations, seven have seen record-breaking numbers, and three of them are sites from the Outlander series.

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Is that a coincidence? No, it really isn’t.

For example, the Blackness Castle in West Lothian, which was used in the Fort William garrison and prison scenes in Season 1, saw an uptick of 36% in visitor numbers. Glasgow Cathedral, Doune Castle, and Linlithgow Palace also saw a huge uptick in visitor numbers, all which have appeared in the series over the years.

However, while Outlander has played a huge impact on the number of visitors attending various Scottish heritage sites, it is not the only one. Netflix’s Outlaw King and Focus Features Mary Queen of Scots have also had a major impact as well, but we know Claire and Jamie is one of the biggest reasons. After all, there is something known as the Outlander Effect.

Next. 9 places all Sassenachs need to visit. dark

What are your thoughts on the impact Claire and Jamie’s series has had on the Scottish heritage sites? Have you visited any of the sites yourself? Drop a comment just below sharing your thoughts below.

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