Outlander Homepage Originals By Susie Brown
Ever since season 1 debuted in
2014, Outlander has been impressing fans worldwide. The acting is
superlative; the costumes amazing and the music inspirational. Producer Ronald
Moore described the show as “a love letter to Scotland” and indeed, the Scottish
landscape has been like another
character. Scottish tourism has benefitted from this adaptation of Diana
Gabaldon’s novels, with many fans flocking to see the Outlander sites. One such
fan, Fiona McD Gallacher, recently travelled from Australia to her father’s
birthplace. On the way, she stopped by Doune Castle in the Stirling district of
Central Scotland, or, as we fans know it better, Castle Leoch! She shared her
thoughts of the experience with us.
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| An impressive sight on arrival |
OHP: What was your overall impression of the castle at first sight?
Fiona: It was a gorgeous
wet and soggy day the day we went to the Castle so it was always going to be a
typically Scottish experience! The Castle sits virtually next door to modern
houses down a very narrow roadway and I can only imagine how difficult it was
to get all of the cast, crew, animals etc. down there for filming. The
neighbours must have been very obliging!
OHP: How much of the castle are you able to tour - are there some bits
that are too old/unsafe etc.?
Fiona: Because of the rain
it was a bit precarious in some spots outside and there is quite a slope to get
up to the main part of the Castle. Inside it was a bit easier and the kitchen
and great hall/dining hall were gorgeous! I even managed to find the facilities!
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| Great Hall |
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| Kitchen/Dining |
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| Great Hall |
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| Great Hall |
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| The Facilities! |
OHP: How is a tour set out/how long does it take? What were the
highlights?
Fiona: There is an audio tour that you can take which is included
in the entry cost. I didn’t listen to the full tour but the highlight for me
was Sam Heughan’s commentary on the kitchen. It was short but fantastic.
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| Display boards from the tour |
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Lots of information is included
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OHP: Could you recognise parts of the castle used for filming Outlander
- and if so, which parts?
Fiona: Absolutely! The façade is exactly as you would remember it
from the opening recaps from most of the first half of Season 1. It looks much
larger though and there are a few modern day additions - where there were horses and hay in front of
the castle in the show there’s now a car park! I’ve re-watched a couple of
Castle Leoch scenes since I came back and it’s quite brilliant how they made
the surrounding area look so authentic.
OHP: Does the place have an atmosphere, or is it now more a tourist
destination?
Fiona: Some people may see it as just another old building but it
does have some of the atmosphere that you get from the screen. The fact that it
was raining the day we went made the atmosphere all the more authentic! It was easy to picture that the Clan might
gather in the great hall/dining hall and the grassed courtyard inside the castle
walls was wet and soggy and just as it should have been. It’s a definite
must-see for Outlander fans.
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| Beautiful architecture |
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| Can't you imagine looking out? |
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| Very atmospheric |
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| Example of the walls |
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| Archways everywhere |
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| Even the light fixtures are ornate |
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| Picture Colum sitting here! |
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| Perfect place to contemplate the 18th century |
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| Almost expect to bump into a clansman any second! |
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| The wet and soggy courtyard |
Sadly Murtagh, Jamie and Dougal
were out the day we visited - next time, perhaps!
We’d like to thank Fiona McD
Gallacher for giving us this glimpse into castle life! Even though Castle Leoch's part in the story is done, we're sure that Season 3 will give us many more beautiful Scottish sights to gaze upon.
This interview was conducted by Susie Brown, a
teacher-librarian and writer who lives in Australia. She has never been to Castle
Leoch, but it is definitely on her 2017 travel itinerary!
Thank you! It was fun!
ReplyDeleteLinda