Outlander ‘Blood of My Blood’ locations: find them now

Outlander Blood of my Blood has already sent fans scrambling across Scotland in search of the exact spots where the prequel was shot. Season 1 wrapped last summer, Season 2 is locked for a September 2026 premiere, and the locations used for Brian Fraser, Ellen MacKenzie, Henry Beauchamp, and Julia Moriston are now open for visits. The practical question is which sites deliver the clearest connection to the story without requiring a private tour pass.

Why these sites matter now

Production returned to the same lowlands bases for Season 2, so the places that mattered in Season 1 are still active. Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld handled most interiors, but the exteriors were captured on real estates that remain accessible. Fans who timed trips around the original series can now fold the prequel locations into the same itineraries.

Local tourism boards reported a measurable uptick in U.S. bookings once the first teaser dropped in early June. That bump is expected to hold through the new season because the storylines sit only one generation before the events viewers already know.

Knowing which castle stood in for Castle Leathers and which village doubled as a Fraser settlement removes the guesswork. The list below focuses on publicly visitable places, not restricted studio lots.

Doune Castle and the MacKenzie line

Doune Castle outside Callander served again as Castle Leoch, this time hosting the Great Gathering scenes that introduce Ellen MacKenzie’s family. Visitors can walk the same courtyard where the prequel staged clan negotiations and still see the 14th-century keep that appeared in the original series.

The site stays open year-round with timed entry slots. Arrive early on weekdays to avoid the tour buses that cluster around midday. A single ticket covers both the castle and the adjacent gardens used for background shots.

Because the prequel re-uses the same set dressing plan, the visual match between seasons is immediate. Fans can stand on the exact stone where Ellen first meets Brian and later picture Jamie arriving as an adult.

Luss village on Loch Lomond

Crews transformed the stone cottages of Luss into a working Highland settlement for several March 2024 shoots. Horse-drawn carts, period livestock, and background extras turned the main street into a living set piece that appears in both seasons.

The village sits roughly an hour northwest of Glasgow and works as an easy day trip. Parking is limited, so the local advice is to arrive before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Cafés along the waterfront stayed open during filming and still serve the same menu.

Walking the short loop from the pier to the old kirk gives the clearest sense of the scale the production used. The hills behind the houses match the skyline seen in the teaser footage released last month.

Balvaird Castle for Castle Leathers

Balvaird Castle doubled as the Fraser family seat, Castle Leathers, while Falkland Palace and Culross supplied additional rooms and courtyards. The combination lets viewers trace Brian’s side of the story across three distinct properties rather than one composite set.

Balvaird itself is a compact 15th-century tower house with limited interior access, but the exterior remains free to photograph from the surrounding field. Falkland Palace, by contrast, offers full public tours and a preserved royal tennis court that appeared in background plates.

Together the three sites give a practical route for fans who want to separate MacKenzie and Fraser territory without backtracking across the Highlands. Most guided day tours now bundle them under one ticket.

Midhope Castle and Lallybroch continuity

Midhope Castle near South Queensferry has long stood in for Lallybroch. Although the prequel focuses on the generation before Jamie’s childhood, the production still used the ruin for establishing shots that connect the two timelines.

The shell of the house is fenced for safety, but the approach road and adjacent fields remain open. Visitors who have already seen the original-series episodes can stand at the same angle used for the prequel’s closing sequence and note the deliberate visual overlap.

Because the site sits close to the Forth bridges, it slots easily into an Edinburgh-based itinerary. Combine it with a stop at nearby South Queensferry for lunch before heading back to the city center.

Glasgow city locations

Park Circus provided the exterior for Julia Moriston’s flat, while Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Glasgow Cathedral supplied period-appropriate backdrops for Henry Beauchamp’s wartime sequences. These urban sites required minimal set dressing and remain unchanged for visitors.

Most of the Glasgow work happened on public streets, so no special permission is needed. A standard city sightseeing pass covers the art gallery and cathedral on the same day.

Fans based in Glasgow for work or extended stays can photograph these spots in an afternoon and still reach Wardpark Studios for an exterior look at the main production hub, though interiors stay closed to the public.

Remote Perthshire spots

A stone bridge near Comrie and the grounds of Bannockburn House appear in travel montages that bookend several episodes. Both locations sit outside normal tourist loops, which keeps crowds light even during peak season.

The Comrie bridge requires a short hike from the nearest parking pull-off; local hikers use the same path, so the route is well marked. Bannockburn House offers guided tours on weekends and allows independent photography the rest of the week.

These lesser-known sites reward travelers who already ticked off the headline castles and want a quieter afternoon that still ties directly to Season 1 footage.

Practical planning for U.S. visitors

Most sites operate on standard Scottish opening hours, but Doune Castle and Falkland Palace now offer extended summer evenings to handle increased Outlander traffic. Booking online the day before guarantees entry even when walk-up lines form.

Rental cars remain the most flexible option for linking the lowlands sites in one loop. Trains reach Glasgow and Stirling, yet the village and castle stops still need local buses or taxis once you leave the station.

Season 2 filming wrapped additional scenes at Luss and Doune earlier this year, so any new set dressing will stay in place through at least the September premiere window.

Combining locations into one trip

A four-day itinerary starting in Edinburgh can cover Midhope Castle on day one, Doune and Luss on day two, Balvaird and Falkland on day three, and Glasgow sites plus the Comrie bridge on day four before returning to the airport. Each stop is under two hours from the previous one when traffic is light.

Private tour operators have added prequel-specific routes that mirror this schedule, yet independent travelers can replicate it with a standard rental and the VisitScotland Outlander map. The same map now marks the new Season 2 additions in a different color for quick reference.

Carrying a downloaded offline map helps when signal drops near the more remote bridges and estates. Most sites sell printed guides that list filming timestamps so you can match each room or field to its episode.

Next steps for fans

Book accommodations in Stirling or Glasgow to keep driving times short. Check each property’s website the week before travel for any temporary closures tied to ongoing production needs. With Season 2 only months away, the current window offers the best chance to see the locations before new scenes add another layer of set dressing.