It all began early in summer 2014. We were happily touring around Linlithgow with the odd adventure into the wider world of Mary Queen of Scots and Ancestral tours when BAM!- the force of nature that is Outlander grabbed us and sucked us in.
We started to notice odd little notices on lamp posts –LOC, BASE etc. and there was some excitement over “something” being filmed in Beecraigs Woods. A little detective work confirmed this was Outlander and we were amazed to discover the hugely dedicated fan base.
A marathon reading session began and we were quickly hooked (Why had this passed me by? Probably as it had been hiding in sci-fi, when history is my passion). We were fortunate to get tickets to see Diana Gabaldon at The Edinburgh Book Festival. Wow, what a lady, and the enthusiasm of the audience was way more than I had ever seen in many years of attending the Book Festival. This really was something special. We knew we wanted to be part of this Community so joined Outlandish UK and I wonder how many people we queued with that day, we are now friends with.
Filming was continuing all around our area and by now we knew how to recognise the signs. Imagine our excitement when one day this appeared. “PALACE CLOSED“.
Yes, Linlithgow Palace was to be used for scenes at Wentworth Prison- internal so we thought at this point- so what a thrill to recognise the Palace Entrance when Episode 15 came along. Though it would have been nice to be associated with a happier episode.
So, all these locations are right on our doorstep, in areas we already know very well, and we are a tour company. So, the logical step is to start an Outlander filming locations tour. We trialled different options with some fans from Outlandish UK and off we went- and have never looked back. What a year it has been.
Becoming part of the Outlander Family
We have become completely immersed in the Outlander family, attending as many events as we can and we were very lucky to get tickets to attend the Premiere in Glasgow. We are also very grateful to the Sony Executives who allowed us to bring full sized Jamie home with us- his adventures on the tube and train causing quite a stir.
Emma went over to New York for Tartan Day, as the only UK based Outlandish representative (a rather larger group will be going next year) and made some wonderful friends in Outlandish US and walked with The Outlander group in the Parade.
She was also lucky enough to meet Graham (Dougal) at The Ceilidh
We were also really fortunate to attend the Outlandish UK Gathering in Crieff in May and what a weekend that was. Superb organisation by the Outlandish, UK admins, meeting old and new friends, singing, dancing, eating lovely food, and enjoying the Outlandish market, with demonstrations of costumes, wool waulking, talk from Herbalist Claire and songs from Gillebride. And to top it all, the surprise visit from Ron and Terry, Maril and the writers. An unforgettable experience.
We have met so many fantastic people on our tours from all corners of the World from Australia to America and Canada, Singapore to Uruguay, all across Europe, even a few from the UK. The one thing we all have in common is a complete devotion to Outlander and we just love helping people to realise their dreams.
We also introduced our evening dinner show, “A Taste of Outlander”, so that the day could keep going with yet more Outlander themed fun. As we always do, we kept it as local as possible, and with a maximum of 30 guests, this was more like coming along to a family party. Set in the historic Star & Garter Hotel in Linlithgow, guests enjoyed a traditional Scottish meal of Scotch Broth, served with bannocks, a hearty stew and tasty Cranachan- all inspired by Outlander Kitchen. We then settled down to an evening of entertainment and fun with our band, Boorach, dancers and piper ( and those who had been on our tour that day would recognise our piper, and may even have had a tune, from Blackness Castle) – all drawn together with our fabulous narrator giving readings from the books.
As the season draws to a close, we have time to reflect on what has been an amazing year. The over-riding influence of Outlander has been the fantastic Community that we are privileged to be part of, and the number of new friends we have made in the course of the year. We know that people who have come on our tours have kept in touch with each other too.
We love to see all your pics and here what you are all doing. What a joy it was to see you have such a special time at Ringcon, having heard you talk about it on the tour.
We are now planning for Summer 2016 and hope to welcome back old friends and meet many new fans. We are very excited about some of the new locations coming on and we are planning some new events we think you will enjoy.
We will also be back in New York in April, with a few more members of Outlandish UK and can’t wait to meet up with friends from during the year.
The visitor season might be over, but we have plenty to keep us occupied over the winter months, with Outlandish UK meet-ups, Diana at Stirling Castle and Season 2 filming going on all around us.
The flutter of excitement when we see those little LOC signs- though sometimes it is something else.
But you never know what you will find when you turn a corner.
Anne
