Where Were The Outlander Chronicles Film Location Shoots Held?

I'm still buzzing from watching the new episodes and geeking out about where they actually shot everything. For season seven of 'Outlander', production stayed largely in Scotland — that familiar love letter to moors, castles and winding stone lanes. Most of the on-location work was around the central belt and the Highlands: think Glasgow-area road bases and studio setups for interiors, then loads of exterior shooting in places that double for 18th-century towns and sprawling highland estates. Historic villages that have shown up in earlier seasons (like Culross and nearby castle sites) cropped up again, along with river valleys, lochs and estate houses that gave Jamie and Claire that lived-in colonial-era look without leaving Scotland. Shooting was spread out over quite a stretch of time. Principal photography kicked off in the spring of 2023 and ran in blocks through the rest of the year, with crews sometimes taking breaks between location shoots and studio work. There were also reshoots and pick-up days that extended into the following months; that’s become normal for a show this intricate because weather, actor schedules and set rebuilds all affect the calendar. Local reports and fan-spotters often posted about on-location days — road closures in the Highlands, towns hosting background extras, and the fair share of rainy shoot days that make everything look atmospheric on screen. If you love behind-the-scenes bits, the thing that always gets me is how the Scottish landscape does double duty: you get both the ruggedness of the Highlands and the intimacy of small towns in one season. It feels like home-ground magic for 'Outlander', and seeing those places on-screen makes me want to plan a pilgrimage — rain or shine.

The landscapes in 'Outlander Chronicles' still haunt me in the best way — every frame feels like a postcard from another era. The production leaned heavily on Scotland’s most cinematic locations: sweeping Highlands for the big outdoor sequences, the Isle of Skye for dramatic coastal shots, and Glen Coe for those moody, misty valleys that make every horseback scene sing. They also used Doune Castle and Midhope Castle for the more intimate clan- and castle-based scenes, while the picturesque village streets you see in the early town sequences were filmed in Culross and Falkland. A lot of the interior and battle choreography was filmed on soundstages near Glasgow, where controlled lighting and practical effects helped sell the close-quarters chaos. Beyond Scotland, a couple of key sequences were shot along the Northumberland coast to capture a different kind of shoreline, and a handful of aerials came from drone work over Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. I love how the mix of real locations and studio craft gives the film that authentic, lived-in texture — you can almost smell the peat and salt. Watching it, I kept pausing to look up each cliff and village, and it made me want to plan a road trip just to stand where they stood; it’s that kind of film for me.

I get a little giddy talking about this one — the world of 'Outlander' is basically a love letter to Scotland, and the filming locations are a big part of why the show feels so rooted and alive. The production shot almost all of the series on location across Scotland (with a few studio/backlot shoots mixed in), and you can actually visit many of the places that stand in for Claire and Jamie’s world. Some of the most iconic spots are obvious: Doune Castle is used as Castle Leoch and it’s instantly recognisable if you’ve watched season 1. Midhope Castle, tucked away on the Hopetoun Estate, plays Jamie’s family home, Lallybroch, and people fan-girl over its ruinous charm. Culross is the darling little village they repeatedly dress up as an 18th-century town (it’s often used for the small-town street scenes), while Falkland is another Fife village that doubled for period Inverness and other town moments. Blackness Castle gets used as a dramatic fortress backdrop in various scenes, and Hopetoun House has provided elegant interiors and stately home vibes for some of the grander rooms. Beyond the buildings, the landscapes are everywhere: the production makes heavy use of the Highlands and lowland glens — think Glencoe and other dramatic valleys and lochs that serve as backdrops for traveling, battles, and quiet Highland life. Edinburgh and Glasgow regions have been used when the story needed more urban or 1940s/1960s settings, and the show mixes on-location exteriors with Scottish studio work for interiors and complex scenes. The crew also uses lesser-known spots across Fife, Stirling, and Perthshire to create that period feel. If you’re planning a pilgrimage, many of the sites are visitor-friendly and guided tours will point out exactly where certain scenes were shot. For me, walking those stone streets and standing in front of the same castle walls made the story click in a way screenshots never do — the locations aren’t just scenery, they’re characters themselves.

For me, the draw of 'Outlander' goes way beyond the costumes — it's the places. Much of Seasons 1 and 2 was filmed across Scotland, and you can really feel the country in every frame: Doune Castle stands in as Castle Leoch, Midhope Castle is the unmistakable Lallybroch, and the pretty streets of Culross are used for 18th-century village scenes that double as Inverness and other small towns. I loved spotting Blackness Castle, which the show used for some of the fort sequences, and the Highlands — places like Glencoe and other moody glens — provide those sweeping landscape shots that make the time-travel feel cinematic. Later seasons expanded geographically. When the story moves to colonial America, production shifted a lot of North American filming to Cape Town and surrounding areas in South Africa, where studio builds and rural locations doubled for 18th-century North Carolina (they used Cape Town Film Studios and countryside sites to recreate Fraser’s Ridge and plantations). The show still returns to Scotland often for flashbacks, interiors, and those iconic castle pieces. Overall, if you’re map-hopping like me, Scotland is where the soul of 'Outlander' lives on screen, with South Africa filling in for the American chapters — it’s a neat mix that keeps the visuals rich and surprisingly authentic to the story, which always gives me chills.

The film 'What Happens in Vegas' is this hilarious rom-com with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, and it’s packed with iconic Vegas spots! The opening scenes at the Bellagio fountains are pure magic—those water dances are practically a character themselves. Then there’s the chaotic wedding chapel scene, which I’m pretty sure was shot at the Little White Chapel (the same one Britney Spears famously used!). The casino scenes? Mostly filmed at the Venetian, with its over-the-top Renaissance vibe and gondolas indoors. Fun fact: the ‘apartment’ they share post-wedding was actually a set, but the exterior shots matched Vegas’ seedy-chic downtown vibe perfectly. What’s wild is how the film captures Vegas’ duality—glitzy casinos vs. grimy backstreets. The scene where they trash their hotel room? Pure chaos, and the production had to work around real Vegas crowds, which adds to the authenticity. I love how the city feels like a supporting actor, switching from glamorous to absurd on a dime. Also, that courtroom drama bit was shot in a real Vegas municipal building—so meta, since the whole plot revolves around a messy legal battle. The film’s a love letter to Vegas’ unpredictability, and it nails the energy of stumbling through the Strip at 3 AM, half-lost but loving it.

Bright mornings in the Highlands always make me pull up scenes from 'Outlander'—Fort William and its surroundings show up more than people expect, and I love pointing them out. A few concrete things: the iconic Jacobite steam train sequence (the same route fans of 'Harry Potter' know as the Glenfinnan Viaduct) was shot very near Fort William, and those sweeping shots of the viaduct and the loch are unmistakable. Production also used stretches of the A830 and the foreshore area around Fort William as stand-ins for generic Highland travel and harbor exteriors; you’ll notice quayside and shoreline footage that fits that town. Beyond the town itself, Glen Nevis and the lower slopes of Ben Nevis were used for outdoor scenes that needed dramatic mountain backdrops—those river and glen shots where characters walk or ride through wild country often come from this general area. If you’re touring filming spots, remember that not every interior or named location in 'Outlander' was filmed in Fort William proper—places like Doune Castle and Blackness show up elsewhere—so part of the fun is matching details: the train and viaduct at Glenfinnan, the rivers and glens around Glen Nevis/Ben Nevis, and town/shore exteriors around Fort William. For me, seeing the actual vistas gives the scenes extra weight; standing where those long shots were taken makes the story feel really alive.

I still get giddy thinking about the settings of 'Outlander' because the show basically turned Scotland into a co-star. The bulk of filming took place all over Scotland — think Stirling, Lothians, Fife, Perthshire, Aberdeenshire and the Glasgow area — and the producers loved using real castles, villages, and estates instead of just green screens. If you want a few landmarks you can actually go see: Doune Castle doubles as Castle Leoch, Midhope Castle is the real-life Lallybroch, and the picturesque historic village of Culross stands in for Cranesmuir. Blackness Castle, Hopetoun House, Linlithgow and Falkland also pop up frequently as other manor houses, forts, and period locations. Beyond those iconic spots, the crew used lots of country estates, farms, and coastal stretches to create Fraser’s Ridge and the Highlands. There were also studio shoots and set builds back in Scotland for interior scenes and more controlled setups. Later on, when the story travels farther afield, the production moved some filming overseas — notably Cape Town in South Africa was used to recreate places like Jamaica and parts of colonial America. That allowed the show to get tropical and colonial textures without leaving the production schedule. For anyone who loves both the books and the show, the filming map is like a treasure hunt; you can follow in the characters’ footsteps, visit stone circles, walk the streets of Culross, and stand outside Midhope on a blustery day and feel properly transported. I came away wanting to plan a fan pilgrimage and a longer trip to wander all the spots that make 'Outlander' feel so richly lived-in.

Finding the perfect location for a shoot can be a mix of research, creativity, and a bit of luck. One of my favorite tricks is to scout lesser-known spots in my city—abandoned buildings, hidden parks, or even quirky cafes that have a unique vibe. Social media platforms like Instagram are goldmines for this; I often search geotags or hashtags related to my project to see what pops up. Local photography groups or filmmaking forums also share hidden gems you wouldn’t find otherwise. Another approach is to think outside the box. Sometimes, a mundane place can transform with the right lighting or angle. I once shot a futuristic-looking scene in a parking garage just by playing with shadows and neon gels. Don’t overlook public spaces either—libraries, train stations, or even rooftops (with permission, of course) can offer stunning backdrops. The key is to stay curious and explore relentlessly, because the best locations often aren’t the obvious ones.

Scotland steals the show behind the camera in 'Outlander' — that’s the short version I love telling people. The series was primarily filmed on location across Scotland, using a wonderful mix of castles, preserved villages, and sweeping Highland landscapes to sell every era the show visits. If you want names to drop on a road trip, start with Doune Castle (which plays Castle Leoch), Midhope Castle (the iconic Lallybroch), and the perfectly preserved village of Culross, which doubles as 18th-century Inverness and Cranesmuir. Falkland (the little Fife town) frequently stands in for the 1940s Inverness streets, and then the production ventures into the Highlands for brutal battle scenes and the misty standing-stone moments. I get nerdy about specifics: Doune is a fan favorite because you can walk the great hall where Claire first arrives; Midhope sits on private land so you mostly see the exterior but it’s unmistakable. Culross is a National Trust village and feels like you stepped into the show — narrow cobbles, old shopfronts, the whole mood. For the wild vistas and battlefield feel, the crew used areas across the Highlands and surrounding counties, which is why the show’s geography often feels simultaneously intimate and enormous. They also mix in studio work for complex interiors and effects-heavy shots, so sometimes what looks like a cozy house is a set built to the show’s specs. What I love most is how the locations are characters themselves — they shape the storytelling. The producers leaned into real Scottish sites to root the show in a tactile history, which is why it feels so lived-in. If you’re planning pilgrimages, check visitor rules (some places are private or seasonal) and go with an appetite for walking boots and damp weather — it only enhances the vibe. All told, Scotland towers over the series in every frame, and I can’t help but grin whenever I spot a familiar road or stone wall on screen.

Photographing with my stepdad feels like capturing a blend of old and new memories, so locations that reflect shared interests or symbolize your evolving bond work wonders. Nature spots—like a quiet forest trail or a lakeside at golden hour—add a timeless, serene vibe. If he’s into history, maybe a local museum or an old-town street with rustic architecture could spark conversations and candid shots. Urban settings like graffiti walls or coffee shops can feel modern and relaxed, especially if you bond over city adventures. The key is picking somewhere that feels unforced; the best photos come when you’re both just enjoying the moment, not posing stiffly. For something more personal, revisit a place tied to your relationship—a diner you frequented when you first met, a hiking spot you conquered together, or even your backyard with its familiar comfort. I once did a shoot with my stepdad at a record store because we’d spent hours digging through vinyl together. The rows of albums became this organic backdrop, and the shots turned out full of genuine smiles. Don’t overlook mundane spots either; a garage workshop or a garden he tends can reveal layers of his personality. Just avoid overly crowded or noisy places—distractions can make the session feel rushed.