Edinburgh: The Outlander, Palaces & Jacobites Tour

Castles, clans, and a touch of time travel. This nine-hour outing from Edinburgh packs several Outlander filming locations, palace ruins, village streets, and Forth views into one day. You travel by an air-conditioned vehicle with a driver-guide, so you can cover far more ground than you could by public transport.

I like the mix of screen locations and real Scottish history. I also like the generous time at most stops, especially Culross, Linlithgow, and Blackness Castle. The main consideration is cost: the $77.36 tour price covers transport and commentary, but attraction tickets, lunch, and drinks cost extra. The schedule can also change with filming access, the season, or group needs.

Key points at a glance

• Lallybroch is a seasonal stop: Midhope Castle, Jamie Fraser’s family home in the series, is open from April through September and may close for filming.
• Culross feels authentic without the TV connection: Its old houses, Mercat Cross, and palace garden make it one of the day’s most enjoyable stops.
• Castle entry is not included: Budget extra for Doune Castle, Linlithgow Palace, and Blackness Castle, with one past estimate putting admission at about £10 per attraction.
• The guides make or break the day: Guides including Jamie C, Marty, Ash, Alistair, Scott, Linda, James, Iain B, and Adam have been praised for humor, history, and safe driving.
• The route is flexible: If Midhope Castle is closed, the tour may visit the Forth Bridges instead. Doune Castle is replaced by Stirling Castle from March 3 through March 7.
• This is not only for Outlander fans: The castles, countryside, Jacobite stories, and Scottish music give the day value even if you have never watched the series.

Why this Edinburgh day trip works

The tour begins at 8:30 a.m. from Timberbush Tours at NCP Castle Terrace Car Park. Arrive at least 15 minutes early. You then leave Edinburgh by coach or minibus and travel through the countryside around the Firth of Forth.

The maximum group size is 32. That is not an intimate private tour, but it is still a manageable size for a full-day coach outing. A smaller vehicle can make countryside roads and castle approaches easier, while a larger bus may be used when demand is high.

The strongest part of the experience is the guide. This is not a silent transfer between photo stops. Your driver-guide supplies live commentary about Outlander, Scottish history, filming details, Jacobite politics, and local stories. Jamie C is praised for making even non-fans curious about the series, while Marty is noted for mixing show trivia with real history and keeping spoilers under control.

That balance matters. The series is the hook, but the best stops are worthwhile on their own. You see ruined royal buildings, a medieval village, a fortress on the Forth, and the engineering of three generations of bridges.

Tullyies Standing Stones and the first photo stop

The day begins with a brief stop at the Tullyies Standing Stones, lasting about 10 minutes. Admission is free, and the purpose is mainly photography.

Keep your expectations sensible. These are not the fictional stones Claire uses for time travel, and the stop is short. Still, it gives the day an immediate connection to the show and breaks up the first stretch of driving.

Bring a waterproof jacket even in summer. The tour runs in all weather, and standing stones are much less dramatic if you are cold, wet, and searching for shelter.

Culross, Cranesmuir, and Claire’s herb garden

Culross is one of the most rewarding stops because it works equally well for fans and non-fans. You have about an hour in this former royal burgh, a picturesque village with old houses and streets that evoke 17th and 18th-century Scotland.

In Outlander, Culross serves as Cranesmuir. The Mercat Cross appears in the fictional village, while the gardens at Culross Palace were used as Claire’s herb garden. You can connect the familiar scenes to a real place without feeling that the village exists only for television.

This is also a good point for refreshments. The Biscuit Café is used as the suggested stop, and a past visitor specifically recommended its Earl Grey soaked fruit scone. Food and drinks are not included, so keep some Scottish pounds or a payment card ready.

One practical warning: café service may not suit everyone. A serious complaint concerned an unpleasant interaction involving customers who were told to sit down but had not ordered. That appears to have been an isolated incident, and the guide helped calm the situation, but you may prefer to treat the café as optional rather than part of the attraction.

Doune Castle and the road past Stirling

The itinerary allows roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes around Doune Castle, with entry at your own expense. This medieval stronghold appears as Castle Leoch, the seat of Clan MacKenzie, in Outlander. It also has links to Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Game of Thrones, making it a useful stop for several kinds of film and television fans.

The castle itself gives the show context. You can look beyond the familiar scenes and consider its walls, position, and role as a defensive building. The visit is optional in the sense that admission is not part of the tour price, but it is one of the more important stops if your main goal is filming locations.

On the drive, you pass Stirling Castle, perched above the city on high volcanic rock. It is a visual reminder that this is not simply a TV-themed outing. Scotland’s royal and military past is woven into the whole route.

From March 3 through March 7, Doune Castle is closed and the tour visits Stirling Castle instead. Check the date carefully if Doune is a priority.

Linlithgow Palace, Mary Queen of Scots, and Wentworth Prison

Linlithgow receives about 1 hour and 15 minutes. You have time for lunch in town and can pay to enter Linlithgow Palace, the ruined royal residence used as Wentworth Prison in the series.

The palace was built as a resting place for the royal family during journeys between Edinburgh and Stirling Castle. Its open setting and impressive remains make it more than a quick backdrop for Jamie’s story. The connection to Mary Queen of Scots adds another layer, since she was born here.

If you enter, allow enough time to look beyond the prison scenes. The grounds and views are part of the appeal, and the broken walls give you a strong sense of the scale of the former residence.

The drawback is choice. With lunch, wandering, and palace entry all competing for the same 75 minutes, you cannot explore every corner at a slow pace. Decide in advance if you care more about eating, the palace, or simply enjoying the town.

Blackness Castle on the Firth of Forth

The next stop is Blackness Castle, with about an hour available. Entry costs extra. The fortress projects into the Forth in a triangular form, which explains its nickname, the ship that never sailed.

For Outlander fans, this is Fort William, the headquarters of Black Jack Randall. For everyone else, it is a striking 15th-century fortress with an unusual shape and broad views across the water toward Edinburgh and the three Forth bridges.

I would put this near the top of the day’s priorities. It combines strong filming associations with a memorable setting, and you get time to explore rather than simply take a group photograph. Wear shoes with a good grip, especially in wet weather, and expect stone surfaces rather than polished museum floors.

A past visitor praised the tour’s timing, noting that the guide reached locations before larger buses. That can make a real difference at compact sites such as Blackness, where crowded paths can limit the experience.

Midhope Castle, Lallybroch, and the seasonal catch

Midhope Castle is the emotional high point for many fans. This 16th-century townhouse serves as Lallybroch, Jamie’s family home. The stop lasts about an hour, allowing time for photographs and a closer look at the setting.

There is an important catch: Midhope is open only from April through September. It can also close for filming. If it is unavailable, the tour may visit the Forth Bridges instead.

That seasonal rule is the single biggest booking issue. If Lallybroch is the reason you are considering this outing, book within the open months and still accept that access is not guaranteed. The tour company cannot control filming schedules.

In winter, the Forth Bridges provide a worthwhile substitute. The three structures span three centuries of Scottish engineering and link Fife with the Lothians. The replacement is not a disappointment if you enjoy views, transport, and modern Scottish history, but it will not replace the personal appeal of standing outside Lallybroch.

Falkland and the Inverness connection

The wider route description also includes Falkland, the village used as Inverness in the series. Depending on the day’s timing and operating plan, you may have time to visit Falkland Palace and its gardens at your own expense.

This is a useful reminder that the exact order and mix of stops can shift. The tour may adapt to filming access, opening dates, traffic, and the interests of the group. One itinerary description lists Falkland and a final South Queensferry photo stop, while the detailed stop schedule emphasizes Tullyies, Culross, Doune, Linlithgow, Blackness, and Midhope or the Forth Bridges.

Ask the operator about the planned route for your date if one location matters most. Flexibility helped one group when a planned castle could not be visited, but it also means you should not treat every stop as fixed.

What the $77.36 price really covers

At $77.36 per person, the tour offers fair value for a nine-hour day if you want several distant sites without hiring a car. The price includes round-trip transport, an air-conditioned vehicle, a driver-guide, and live commentary.

It does not include food, drinks, or entry to the attractions. That means your final cost can rise quickly if you enter several castles and palaces. One past estimate put admission at roughly £10 per attraction, though current prices can change.

The value is strongest for visitors who would otherwise need to arrange separate buses, taxis, and tickets. You also avoid driving on unfamiliar roads and can listen to Scottish music or commentary between stops. The value is weaker if you plan to enter every attraction at length, since the nine-hour schedule gives you a taste of each place rather than a full museum day.

Comfort, timing, and what to pack

Nine hours is a long outing, but the vehicle matters. The coach has been praised as warm and comfortable during a rainy February trip, and another account describes it as well equipped for passengers and their belongings.

There is no restroom or WiFi on board. Use facilities when you stop, and do not count on internet access during the drives. Food is also on your own, so bring water and a snack even if you plan to buy lunch in Linlithgow or refreshments in Culross.

Pack for Scottish weather:

• Waterproof outer layer
• Comfortable shoes for uneven stone surfaces
• Small day bag
• Phone or camera with spare battery
• Money for meals and admission fees

The tour operates in all weather. The only stated weather-related exception is cancellation for poor conditions, in which case you are offered another date or a full refund.

Who should book this tour

I would recommend it most strongly to Outlander fans who want to see several locations in one day from an Edinburgh base. It also suits castle lovers, first-time visitors without a car, and anyone interested in Scottish royal, military, and Jacobite history.

You do not need to know the show to enjoy it. The guide commentary, Culross, Blackness Castle, Linlithgow Palace, and the Forth views give the day a wider purpose. Several guides, including Ash, Jamie C, Marty, Alistair, Adam, and Linda, have been praised for making the subject accessible to people who arrived without much interest in the series.

I would hesitate if you dislike full-day coach trips or want hours inside one castle. You will cover a lot of ground, but each stop has a fixed time, and some entry fees are optional extras. Also, fans who want only Outlander content should know that Scottish history receives plenty of attention. One less positive assessment felt the show material was not the main focus, even though the guide’s history commentary was strong.

Should you book the Outlander, Palaces & Jacobites Tour?

Book it if you want an efficient day of castles, villages, filming locations, and countryside from Edinburgh. The combination of Culross, Blackness Castle, Linlithgow Palace, and the possible visit to Midhope gives you a satisfying range of places, while the guides add humor and context.

Before paying, check the season and decide how much you can spend on admissions. If Midhope is essential, travel between April and September and accept the possibility of a filming closure. If you are comfortable with a flexible plan and want more than a simple TV-location checklist, this is a strong-value day trip.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin and end?

It begins at 8:30 a.m. at Timberbush Tours, NCP Castle Terrace Car Park, Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2EW. It ends back at the same meeting point.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately nine hours.

Are attraction tickets included?

No. Entry to attractions such as Doune Castle, Linlithgow Palace, Blackness Castle, and Midhope Castle is not included. Food and drinks are also extra.

Is Midhope Castle open all year?

No. Midhope Castle is open from April through September only. It may also close for filming. When it is unavailable, the tour may visit the Forth Bridges instead.

What happens if Doune Castle is closed?

From March 3 through March 7, Doune Castle is closed and the tour visits Stirling Castle instead.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours ahead are not refunded. If the tour is canceled because of poor weather or too few bookings, you are offered another date or a full refund.