Sam Heughan Asks ‘Outlander’ Fans to Respect Historical Filming Sites
Everyone’s favorite Outlander Highlander, Sam Heughan, is urging fans to respect the historical sites that feature in the Starz series.
The actor who plays Jamie Fraser spent an entire season admiring and honoring Scotland’s culture and heritage in his travel docuseries Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham in which he journeyed across the country with fellow Outlander alum Graham McTavish. So it’s no surprise he’d spread a similar message of respect in a recent chat with The Sunday Times.
Heughan’s advisement comes shortly after the news that stones at the battlefield of Culloden had been stolen. As viewers of the 18th-century-set fantasy drama will recall, Culloden is the site of Season 3’s interpretation of the historical battle between the British and Jacobites. Heughan’s Jamie fought and defeated his great foe Jack Black Randall (Tobias Menzies) at the site.
Among some of the other historical locations featured in the series are Doune Castle, Rothiemurchus forest, Linlithgow Palace, Loch Rannoch, and more. After beginning their Men in Kilts journey by filming the pilot episode, Heughan and McTavish wrote their book Clandlands, which offers a richer take on some of the moments shared in the docuseries.
“Hopefully, reading our book or other books, people will understand the history of what happened and treat historic sites with the respect they are due,” Heughan told The Sunday Times, referring to his book in regards to Culloden’s stone disturbance.
Outlander author Diana Gabaldon has echoed Heughan’s sentiment noting that fans should “tread lightly” out of respect at historical locations seen in the series. The show’s sixth season is currently filming in Scotland and will continue to enchant viewers with a seventh season, which was announced in March of this year.
Outlander, Season 6, TBA, Starz