Postcards from Scotland, Part Two — An Outlander Day Trip

Our second full day in Scotland was an Outlander-themed day trip outside Edinburgh. Mom and I were both dealing with a bit of jet lag, but we pushed through. The cold wind helped wake us up and it turned into a memorable mix of filming locations, history and fall color.

We visited Falkland, Doune Castle, and Blackness Castle, with a bonus lunch stop at the Wallace Monument. Our driver, Jeff from Discreet Scotland (highly recommended if you’re looking for a private tour), kept things lively. He had stories about the places we visited, and plenty of personal stories too. He was part tour guide, part historian, part entertainer.

Falkland — “Inverness, 1945”

Falkland stood in for Inverness in 1945 during Season 1 of Outlander. Fans will recognize the square, the fountain, and the shopfronts from Claire and Frank’s storyline.

Historically, Falkland is a conservation village centered around Falkland Palace, a favored retreat of Mary, Queen of Scots. The village is picturesque, even if a bit overrun with other Outlander fans, and I could have easily spent more time exploring.

Doune Castle — Castle Leoch

Next up was Doune Castle, better known to Outlander viewers as Castle Leoch. It’s one of the most recognizable filming locations from the early seasons. The exterior is featured heavily, and some interior scenes were also shot here before the production moved to studio sets.

Historically, Doune Castle dates to the 14th century and has ties to the Scottish royal court. It’s also been used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Game of Thrones.

Photographically, Doune was a challenge. People everywhere, some scaffolding and construction, and interior rooms so dark they swallowed light. The outside, though, was lovely. We took a short walk in light rain through beautiful fall color, and it was one of my favorite moments from the day.

Lunch at the Wallace Monument Café

For lunch, we stopped at the Wallace Monument near Stirling. I’ve always wanted to see it, even if only in passing. We didn’t hike to the top as time was tight, but at least we got to see it up close and snap a few photos from the parking lot.

Lunch itself was perfect for a cold, wet day: cream of mushroom soup, pumpkin ginger cake, and a pot of tea. Simple but perfect.

The Wallace Monument isn’t an Outlander filming location, but its history runs deep. It honors William Wallace and overlooks the site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge. It’s worth a longer stop someday.

Blackness Castle — Fort William

Our final stop was Blackness Castle, which Outlander fans will know as Fort William, particularly in the scenes involving Jamie’s imprisonment. Seeing the real location adds a much heavier sense of scale and mood than the show can convey. The walls feel cold and imposing, especially with wind and rain coming off the water.

Historically, Blackness Castle dates to the 15th century and served as a garrison and prison. Its nickname—“the ship that never sailed”—comes from its shape when viewed from the water.

This was the highlight of the day for me. Maybe because the weather added the right amount of drama, or because I finally hit my creative stride. I made some of my favorite images of the day here. The castle sits right on the Firth of Forth with a clear view of the bridges. I wish we had more time around Edinburgh; photographing the bridges up close is on my list for next time.

Back to Edinburgh

Jeff dropped us back in Edinburgh in the early evening. After quick check-ins with family back home, we headed out to find dinner. The first place we tried had a 1.5-hour wait (weekends in Edinburgh are wild), so we moved on and ended up at a Spanish tapas restaurant. Simple, good food, and exactly what we needed after a long day.

Gear Notes

I photographed the entire day with my Canon R6 and 24–105mm, which worked well for tight interiors, exteriors, and quick transitions between scenes. I grabbed a few backup shots on the iPhone 17 Pro when I needed a wider angle. The cold, damp weather made extra batteries and layers essential.

As with the rest of the trip, most of my processing happened at home. I backed everything up to my iPad during the trip, then merged exposure brackets in Lightroom Classic and finished the files in Radiant Photo and occasionally Photoshop.

Next Up

Part Three takes us north and west, leaving Edinburgh behind and heading toward Oban, more fall color, and my first time driving on the left. If you missed part one, you can read it here.