Last winter, Hugh Allison, the owner of Inverness Tours, dedicated himself to training four new guides in the plot lines, history and mythology of Outlander, one of the most successful TV series filmed in Scotland – even though it is not yet available to Scottish viewers.
The US-produced show, filmed on location in the Scottish Highlands, has garnered comparisons with Game of Thrones, in terms of the dedication of its fans and the complexity of its narrative.
The series, which began US screening in August, has led to a surge in tourism as thousands of international fans travel to Scotland to see locations in the show, which is based on the best-selling books by American author Diana Gabaldon.
Gabaldon’s novels, which combine historical fiction, romance and fantasy, tell the story of a second world war nurse, Claire Randall, who encounters a druid ritual on a visit to Inverness and finds herself transported back to eighteenth century Scotland. There she is rescued by a Highland rebel as war rages with the English.
The books have sold more than 20 million copies. The first episode of the series – which stars Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies – attracted 5 million viewers. Sony Pictures has sold it to broadcasters in more than 80 territories around the world.
“We realised that there was going to be a huge upsurge in interest, with the television series creating a new fan base,” said Allison, who runs Outlander tours out of Inverness and Edinburgh lasting up to four days. Locations include the battlefield of Culloden and the Clava cairns, where Clare Randall travels in time.
While his clients are predominantly north American and female, he says the stories have wide appeal. “It’s an enduring love story, yet it’s far more than that, because it is strongly rooted in history and Diana’s research is meticulous, but there’s also adventure and time travel.”
The national tourism organisation VisitScotland has likewise been keen to capitalise on Outlander’s popularity, holding themed events when the series premiered in the US, Scotland’s biggest tourist market. According to the BFI, one in 10 foreign visitors comes to Britain as a result of seeing the country depicted on screen, while 50 million people around the world claim to have Scottish ancestry, chiming with the romantic vision of the clans depicted in Outlander.
The success of the television series, which was filmed at a purpose-built studio in Cumbernauld, north Lanarkshire as well as on location around the country, comes at a crucial time for the Scottish film industry. Last week, about 50 leading names of the film industry – including actor and director Peter Mullan, actors Kate Dickie and Daniela Nardini, and Tommy Gormley, the co-producer and assistant director of the new Star Wars film – signed an open letter calling on the Scottish government to build a £15m studio in Glasgow.
The Scottish government will hear evidence early in 2015 in an inquiry into the state of the film industry in Scotland, after a damning report commissioned by Creative Scotland found it was trailing behind European rivals because of lack of funding and strategic commitment, a shortage of suitable facilities and a talent drain.
Although the Scottish government and Creative Scotland have committed to a permanent studio facility to compete with the likes of Belfast and Cardiff, where Game of Thrones and Doctor Who are filmed, details on possible site locations and funding have yet to emerge.
Scottish viewers will soon be able to judge whether Outlander deserves its popularity. Sony, which co-produces the series, confirmed in December that it has secured a, so far unnamed, British broadcaster for the show, which will be screened in 2015.
