We are Outlander fans who are lucky enough to live in or around Inverness. We set up this blog to help other Outlander fans who come to Inverness but also to share some of our Outlander adventures.
One of the Questions we often get asked is ‘besides Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns (which are both wonderful ) what other Outlandish things is there to do in the area?’ Well this depends on how long you’ve got. There are so many Jacobite and book related places to visit but here are just a few.
Top of the list has to be The Wardlaw Mausoleum
The Wardlaw Mausoleum.
Make sure you contact them first to make an appointment for a tour. Give yourself at least an hour here as Eric gives a wonderful in-depth account of the Mausoleum and the Fraser History in the area. You can get up close to the Old Fox himself. This is an experience not to be missed. Although this is free, please bring a donation to put in the box. The Mausoleum and it’s upkeep is run entirely by volunteers.
To read our full blog on The Wardlaw Mausoleum and The Outlander Effect Click Here
An Outlandish Drive
A short Drive from the Mausoleum is Reelig Glen. This is a wonderful walk around Fraser Country and it takes about a half an hour. It has some of the tallest trees in Britain http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/visit/reelig-glen and is well worth a visit.
Beauly is a beautiful wee village.
Claire takes a walk around the ruins of Beauly Priory in Dragonfly in Amber. Also go in and visit The Lovat Arms Hotel as it’s full of Fraser history.
.
Take a short drive from Beauly and make your way to Mullardoch Dam. This is a dead end but has some amazing scenery to drive through. It’s also in Fraser country. No spoilers about how the Hydro-electric dams have a connection with the book … if you know you know.
From Mullardoch Dam take the lovely drive ( it’s single track roads) back to Cannich then head to Corrimony Chambered Cairn click for more Information *SmallSpoiler This is where in ‘An Echo in the Bone’ the Brigadier General Simon Fraser, who Jamie and Claire brought back from America, was buried.
Drive on towards Drumnadrochit and you will pass through the small village of Balnain. This must be where Balnain in the song Claire hears comes from. https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Karliene/The-Woman-of-Balnain-Acoustic
If you have time go visit Urquhart Castle before making your way back to Inverness. This is on the Banks of Loch Ness and it’s well worth a visit and if you’re a historic Scotland Member you get in for free.
Strathpeffer
Strathpeffer is another beautiful village. Here you can visit Castle Leod, the real Castle Leoch where the Earl Of Cromarty who is head of the Seat Mackenzie still lives. The Castle is open on certain days so check their web site here. Make sure you visit some of the wonderful trees on the Castle grounds including the Diana Gabaldon Tree . Here’s our previous Blog about our visit
There is a lovely walk in Strathpeffer called the ‘Cat’s Back’. It’s not a hard walk. The toughest part is probably walking up the street to get to the start of the walk. You get great views on this walk including a wonderful view of Castle Leod .
There is also a standing stone maze to pass by on the way.
.
There’s lots of other things to see in Strathpffer village including going to visit the Eagle stone. It is predicted that should the Eagle Stone fall three times then MacKenzie lands would fall to the sea ( so the stone is now cemented in!)
Give yourself some time to explore Strathpeffer
A Drive to Cromarty
If you head North from Inverness, at the Tore roundabout turn off to Cromarty. On the way you pass by places to stop off and visit.
The first one you come to is the Clootie Well Click here This is a strange place but worth experiencing.
Then you can stop off to see if you can see the dolphins at Chanonry Point one of the best places in Europe to spot dolphins click here If you look across the Moray Firth you can see Fort George which was built in the wake of the Battle of Culloden (1746) .
In Rosemarkie The Fairy Glen is a lovely walk. ‘An easy walk up a delightful wooded glen, with two attractive waterfalls. The Fairy Glen was once the scene of a well-dressing ceremony, where the children of the village decorated a pool, next to a spring, with flowers. This was said to ensure that the fairies kept the water supply clean’. click for more Information
Drive onto Cromarty and have fun wandering around the village shops. In the courthouse you get to watch a Mackenzie on trial Court House Web Site and Hugh Millers Cottage is well worth a visit.
If it’s a nice day the Fyrish Monument is worth a climb. It was built in 1782 during the clearances by the lord of the area Hugh Munro to provide locals with work. It is said the when they had taken all the stone to the top of the hill Hugh had them rolled back down again to extend the the job. Click for more Information
The Culloden Trail
While most fans visit the wonderful Visitor Centre at Culloden Battlefield and walk the Battlefield itself, not so many of them walk the Culloden Trail through Culloden Woods. These are the places you see on this trail.
The Lord President’s Seat
Duncan Forbes of Culloden, a man who was an implacable opponent of Bonnie Prince Charlie but who pleaded for humane treatment of the Jacobites after the battle.
St Mary’s Well
This place is a bit like Clootie Well (mentioned above) but we think this might be the Well Diana refers to in ‘Drums Of Autumn’
The Prisoners Stone
Seventeen Jacobites were taken, wounded, at the close of the battle of Culloden and confined in the dungeon of Culloden House; kept there for three days, and then put into two carts and conveyed to this stone; against which they were placed and shot,
The Duke of Cumberland’s Stone
The story is that Duke of Cumberland had breakfast, or his lunch, on the table-flat top of the boulder on the day of the battle. It has also been said that he stood on the stone to better survey the course of the fighting.
Also to find out how to visit the real Craigh Na Dun read our blog Click Here
Inverness Outlanders 
This is fabulous. Thanks 😀
LikeLike
I grew up in Strathpeffer and Lochussie, but now live in Texas. I learned to ride my first pony in the field that houses the Eagle Stone, and visited Castle Leod during the Highland Games when I was a member of the Junior Red Cross. Fodderty Primary was my first school! I miss that area more than anything…thanks for the photos and the memories!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on fiddlefuddle and commented:
This is a wonderful list of Outlandish places in and around Inverness.
LikeLike
Thankyou for putting this together. Hopefully we will be there in August next year and this guide will really help
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. I will be mapping my trip to include most if not all of these wonderful places.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Shelly could you send me an email sineadrobertson@aol.com and I’ll pass your details onto one of our members who might be able to help you Thanks
LikeLike
This is fantastic! I will be staying in Inverness in June, an this is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much!
LikeLike
Have a look at this it might help https://invernessoutlanders.wordpress.com/2018/05/06/inverness-outlander-map/
LikeLike
This is a fabulous list of recommended places! Thank you so much!!
LikeLike