Where Does Outlander 2.0 Film Its New Locations?

I got goosebumps watching the location reels — the new season of 'Outlander' was shot almost entirely across Scotland, and you can really feel the place in every frame. They mixed sweeping Highland landscapes with intimate, lived-in villages: the production leaned heavily on historic spots like Culross (which has long doubled for 18th-century village life), the iconic Midhope Castle for Lallybroch scenes, and a handful of coastal and lowland towns that give the show its warm, weathered texture. Interior sequences were mostly built on soundstages just outside Glasgow, where they recreate Fraser family rooms, taverns, and the more elaborate period sets that would be impossible to rely on in the open. What I loved about this season’s filming is how they balanced studio control with real-world grit. Wide shots of lochs and glens were captured on location across the Highlands and lowlands, then tightened in studio for dialogue-heavy scenes. There are also a few pockets of the series’ older practice — bringing in locations that double for other places in the world — but this season felt very Scottish through and through. As a long-time fan, seeing familiar streets and castles repurposed for new story beats made me want to pack a bag and trace the filming map myself; it’s pure pilgrimage material, honestly.

I get a little giddy thinking about all the places they’ll use this season — Scotland is basically a character in 'Outlander' at this point. Production will be centered around Glasgow for logistics and studio work, with Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld handling most of the interior sets and controlled scenes. That’s where the heavy lifting happens: period rooms, stunt rehearsals, and hair-and-makeup setups that would be impossible to stage on a windy moor. For exteriors they’re back out in the Highlands and Central Belt. Expect familiar spots like Doune Castle (Castle Leoch), Midhope Castle (Lallybroch), and the preserved village of Culross to pop up again alongside Blackness Castle and Hopetoun House. They’ll also scout around the Highlands and Lochs for sweeping landscapes and battlefield sequences, and a few smaller towns will double for 18th- and 20th-century locations. As a fan who’s chased down a few filming days, I can already picture the tents, the crew, and the buzz in each village — it’s always a mixture of organized chaos and magic, and I’m hyped to see how they frame those vistas this season.

I can't help grinning when I think about how many corners of Scotland 'Outlander' has wandered into — it's like the show stitched together a love letter to the country. The usual pilgrimage stops are real places: Doune Castle (which fans know as Castle Leoch) still feels like stepping onto a set, with those stone walls and tight stairways that scream 18th-century clan drama. Midhope Castle is another pilgrimage point — the exterior of Lallybroch — and it's delightfully photogenic, even if you can only view much of it from the roadside. Culross is the village that pulls a lot of weight for period streets: narrow lanes, painted houses, and that uncanny ability to sell you on an older Scotland. Then there are the battlefield and moor scenes around Culloden — the raw, low-lying sweep of Culloden Moor is hauntingly appropriate for the show's heavier moments. For sweeping Highland panoramas, the production leaned on places like Glencoe and spots around the Isle of Skye and Glen Nevis to get those wide, windblown vistas that make time-travel feel cinematic. Scotland filming isn't only about ancient stone and peaks though; you also get stately homes like Hopetoun House and several coastal fortresses such as Blackness Castle popping up as backdrops. Some of these are visitor-friendly with tours and cafes, while others are private estates or working sites, so plan to peek from lanes or join an organized tour. I spent a damp morning at Doune sipping tea and picturing the clan gatherings — it felt surreal and warmly nostalgic.

I fell into a rabbit hole of maps and behind-the-scenes clips when I dug up where 'Outlander' season two (often called the Paris arc) was filmed, and the mix of real Scotland with on-location France is such a treat. The bulk of production took place in Scotland — both on dramatic Highland locations and in historic houses and villages — but the show also actually shot in Paris for many of the 18th-century street and palace sequences. That blend gives the series a wonderfully lived-in feel: you get sweeping Scottish glens right next to cobbled Parisian courtyards on screen. If you want a short list of the familiar places that pop up: Doune Castle appears as Castle Leoch, Midhope Castle is Lallybroch, and the lovely village of Culross stands in for 18th-century Inverness and other small-town scenes. For the landscape shots you’ll recognize areas around Glencoe and other Highland valleys — those moody, misty backdrops are classic Scotland. The production used several stately homes and interior locations (Hopetoun House among them) plus studio work around Glasgow to recreate Parisian salons and grand houses when needed. When the story moves to Paris in season two the crew did take cameras to France for key exteriors and street scenes, while many Paris interiors and recreated streets were built on Scottish stages. So when Claire and Jamie wander through market alleys or enter opulent ballrooms, part of what you’re seeing is real Paris pavement and part is Scottish craftsmanship — and that seam is part of why the season looks so rich. I love spotting the real-world spots on a rewatch; it makes planning a themed trip almost irresistible.

I get a real thrill talking about this—season 2 of 'Outlander' leaned heavily on Scottish locations the show had already fallen in love with, so if you watched and thought, “Hey, I recognize that stonework,” you probably do. Much of the Highland and Lowland countryside used for the 1740s sequences was filmed around central Scotland: Doune Castle (the ever-present Castle Leoch) pops up again, and the nearby grounds and fields supplied that rugged 18th-century feel. The village scenes that double for Cranesmuir and similar hamlets were largely shot in Culross, which is basically a time capsule with painted houses and narrow lanes. You’ll also see Midhope Castle’s distinctive tower used for family-home exteriors (Lallybroch), and grander estate interiors and sweeping vistas were captured at places like Hopetoun House and other stately homes near Edinburgh. The production mixes real exteriors with carefully dressed sets and local estates, so the combination gives season 2 that immersive blend of intimate village life and broader political stage. Visiting these spots later felt like stepping into a scene, and that layered authenticity stuck with me.

Spotting real-world locations in 'Outlander' always lights me up, and the season 2 episode 'Blood of My Blood' is a great example of how the show mixes studio work with gorgeous Scottish locations. Broadly speaking, most of season 2 was shot in Scotland — the production leaned heavily on stately homes, castles, and rural landscapes around Edinburgh and central Scotland to stand in for 18th‑century Scotland and parts of Europe. When you watch that episode, many of the interiors and estate scenes were filmed at historic houses and on purpose-built sets on soundstages near the production base, while exterior shots use recognizable places fans love to visit. For Paris sequences and other grand interior locations in season 2 the crew favored places like Hopetoun House and similar period houses around West Lothian and Edinburgh; those big rooms and staircases give the episode that authentic 18th‑century feel. For the Fraser family homes and Highland exteriors you’ll see the same familiar faces of Midhope Castle (Lallybroch), Doune Castle (Castle Leoch), and other scenic spots that the show has used across seasons — they sometimes combine multiple sites to make a single on‑screen location. The production also mixes in carefully dressed countryside and woodland around central Scotland to create the rural settings, then ties it together with studio interiors so the pacing and lighting match perfectly. One thing I like to point out is that while other seasons occasionally used international locations to double for the American colonies, season 2 stayed mostly local in Scotland for its European and Highland scenes, with the production team doing a lot of crafty set dressing and camera work. If you’re planning a pilgrimage, bring comfy shoes — parking lots may hide but the stonework and hedgerows do not — and keep an eye out for those small details the crew changes to make one place read as another on screen. I always leave a re‑watch feeling like I just walked through living history, and 'Blood of My Blood' is one of those episodes that showcases why the locations are such a character of their own.

I get a real kick out of geeking out over locations, and for the newest 'Outlander' episodes the production kept returning to the beautiful, gritty landscapes of Scotland. Most filming happens across the central belt and the Highlands — Glasgow and its surrounding studios handle a lot of the interior and controlled-set work, while castle exteriors, villages and moors are shot around places like Doune Castle (the show’s Castle Leoch), Midhope Castle (Lallybroch), and the picturesque village of Culross, which doubles as period Inverness and Cranesmuir. Blackness Castle and various Highland roads and estates also pop up when the story needs fortresses or sweeping countryside. I’ve visited several of these spots on a whim and it’s wild how recognizable they feel on screen. The crew mixes on-location shoots with studio days to keep weather from derailing production, so you’ll see both authentic stone courtyards and painstakingly dressed interiors. There are also estate houses and country manors used for plantation or noble interiors in later episodes, so the visual palette shifts from rustic Highlands to grander settings depending on the storyline. If you’re planning a pilgrimage, check what’s open to the public — some castles are private or used seasonally — but seeing the actual hills and cobbled streets where 'Outlander' was shot really brings the show alive for me.

Just heard some solid updates and I'm buzzing about this: the next season of 'Outlander' is being filmed primarily in Scotland and South Africa, with additional shoots and studio work in the UK and select locations in the United States. Scotland remains the heartbeat of the show — the Highlands, historic manors, and coastal bits are still used for the Fraser estate and other Scottish set-pieces. South Africa has been a go-to for sequences that need Caribbean or colonial landscapes (it doubled for Jamaica and some American rural areas in previous seasons), so it makes sense they'd return there for any overseas or plantation scenes. Meanwhile, soundstage work and controlled interior shoots are slated for studios around London, and a few exterior scenes will be filmed in North Carolina to capture authentic colonial American flora for on-location authenticity. I'm already picturing the cinematography — it's going to feel massive and textured, just how I like it.

I get giddy talking about this one because 'Through a Glass, Darkly' really sells Paris on screen, but the truth behind the camera is a neat trick. The episode is set in 18th‑century Paris, and you absolutely feel the city: salons, wide boulevards, and the courtly glitter. What most people don't realize is that the production filmed the bulk of those Paris scenes in Scotland, using grand Scottish houses, carefully dressed streets, and studio sets to recreate the Parisian interiors and courtrooms. They also did a handful of actual location shoots in France to capture establishing exteriors — a few Paris shots to anchor the episode in the real city — but most of the day‑to‑day filming happened back in and around Scottish locales plus studio stages (the production often used local studios and stately homes). The result is seamless: you see Paris but the faces, costumes, and close, intimate shots were mainly conquered in Scotland with a bit of French air sprinkled in. I always smile at how convincingly they blend the two, it’s movie magic that makes me want to rewatch the ballroom scenes again.

If you’re curious about where 'Outlander' shot its 2022 material, the short and fun part is: mostly Scotland, with a mix of built studio sets and iconic historic sites that stand in for both 18th-century Britain and the American backwoods. I always get a little giddy tracing the show’s footsteps across real towns and castles — the production leans hard on scenic Scottish locations (and some clever soundstage work) to make everything from Castle Leoch to Fraser’s Ridge feel alive. In 2022 the crew continued to use the usual Scottish hotspots while expanding studio-built sets to handle the more logistically complicated interiors and the sprawling Fraser’s Ridge exteriors that can’t be left exposed to weather or crowds. Some of the most recognizable places that appear on screen: Midhope Castle (everyone’s favorite Lallybroch) keeps showing up as Jamie’s family home, while Doune Castle famously doubles as Castle Leoch. The picturesque conservation village of Culross is used repeatedly for small-town 18th-century street scenes — that cobbled, timeless look is pure TV magic. Hopetoun House and its grounds have been used for grand manor exteriors (think Helwater and other landed estates), and Blackness Castle and other real fortifications are reused when the story needs military or fortress interiors/exteriors. The production also pulls from a wide catalogue of Scottish woods, lochs, and glens — so you’ll see bits of the Highlands and Lowlands stitched together to sell both Scotland and colonial North Carolina. Studios like Wardpark (near Cumbernauld) and various backlot spaces are where Fraser’s Ridge and many interior builds live; those sets let the show create consistent village streets and cabins without hopping continents. What I love about watching where they filmed in 2022 is seeing how cleverly the team blends real historic places with fabricated American spaces. When the story needs a colonial homestead, they’ll either dress a Scottish estate or plant a whole compound on soundstages and nearby woodland. That means locations you might assume are in the U.S. are often actually right in the Central Belt or the Borders — which is wild when you visit as a fan. I’ve walked Culross’s narrow lanes and felt like I’d stepped onto the set; Midhope draws huge crowds of people trying to glimpse Lallybroch, and the sense of history in places like Doune makes the 18th-century fantasy much easier to imagine. If you plan to seek out the spots yourself, expect a mix of in-town visits (castles, villages) and scenic drives for the moody landscapes. The 2022 production kept honoring the Scottic roots of the show: historic castles, preserved villages, studio-built backlots, and dramatic natural scenery all play roles. For me, that blend is the best part — it’s one thing to rewatch a scene, and another to stand where it was filmed and feel the air and light that helped make the show feel so lived-in.