Published 6th Jan 2024, 04:55 BST

Updated 16th Jan 2024, 14:09 BST

It’s time to buckle up once more as Outlander’s Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish hit the road again with Clanlands in New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts and an Adventure Down Under. After their road trip around Scotland for the bestselling Clanlands book and 2021 Starz TV series Men in Kilts, they take their trusty campervan to New Zealand for a second book and 12-part series packed with adrenaline-filled adventures, this time exploring the history and culture of Graham’s adopted home and its links with Scotland.

Recording their experiences on page and screen, they delight in the stunning landscape, wildlife, history and culture of The Land of the Long White Cloud, good-humouredly stretching their friendship and nerves to the limit as they go all out in the name of adventure. From the North Island to the South, it’s a roller-coaster ride packed with fun and facts as the friends share the highlights of their trip, from swimming with sharks and soaring over the Nevis Valley on the world's largest swing to visiting a Maori village and discovering the stories of the people who call New Zealand home. Back on solid ground, they took time out to talk about the second journey, their travelling companion, and reveal how the road trip has left them wanting more.

SAM HEUGHAN

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO A FOLLOW UP TO CLANLANDS?

We initially looked at options in Scotland, doing another season of the show exploring the north of Scotland, Shetland, its ties to Scandinavia, Ireland etc. I am very much interested in the Viking influence (growing up in Galloway near Whithorn and the Viking settlement there). My initial idea was to do ‘Men in Kilts - in boats!’, have us in Viking longship, speed boats, kayaks, swimming/scuba, however challenges with our schedules meant our window for filming would fall in the winter months, not ideal for daylight in the UK. Plus we were just coming out of COVID and there were many challenges in the UK while New Zealand at the time was COVID-free and had many alluring possibilities. The Scottish connection was a primary attraction (also I think Graham didn’t want to leave his home, so I would have to do all the travel…).

And the book, a New York Times bestseller, gives great insight and depth to the TV show; it’s a real companion piece.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE EXPERIENCE ON THE TRIP?

Clanlands in New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts and an Adventure Down Under by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish with a foreword by Sir Peter Jackson, is published by Radar, hardback, £22. Pic: Contributed

It’s so hard to pick one, the Scottish connection, the adrenaline activities, the landscape (Milford Sound/glaciers/great white sharks) but I think the Maori episode was the most rewarding.

We were welcomed by the local Iwi, attended a welcome ceremony that was powerful and touching and learnt a great deal about the Maori customs and traditions. Learning the haka, was powerful (as the sun set) and we performed next to the Marae - the meeting house - before attending the Moko [inking] ceremony. I think we both found the process of creating our personalised Moko very touching.

THERE ARE LOTS OF VERY PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES IN THE SHOW, WHICH WAS THE MOST FRIGHTENING?

I don’t tend to get too scared - seeing Graham’s fear gives me some kind of courage. However, the 100m high zip line was intense at first but once over the edge, it’s a remarkable experience and view!

Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, with Caitriona Balfe as Claire, in season seven of Outlander, 2023. Pic: Starz! Movie Channel/Everett/Shutterstock

Diving with the great whites was also nerve wracking. Incredible creatures and extremely clever, you could see that they knew exactly what we were doing.

However, the most scary experience for me was going in a helicopter. I don’t trust them. But we flew over Milford Sound, a truly breathtaking landscape (Hobbit country) then landed on a glacier 7,000ft up. It took my breath away

OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES WHICH WAS THE MOST ENJOYABLE?

We laughed a lot. Actually, writing the book is very enjoyable as we get to relive the experiences. Sometimes when we travel we forget about the experience or finer details. Writing the book, it’s so rewarding to revisit and remember what a unique experience it was.

Sam Heughan, Bill Paterson, Graham McTavish in season one of Outlander, 2014. Pic: Photo by Starz! Movie Channel/Courtesy/Shutterstock

WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN?

Yes. But this time Graham’s doing the driving.

DO YOU LIKE WEARING A KILT?

Yes, it’s very pleasurable and I can assure you they keep you warm when outdoors, covered in mud, fighting redcoats at 3am in the Scottish rain…

HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE?

From Outlander to my personal collection, I’d say a fair few but also not enough!

Graham McTavish in Preacher. Pic: L Jacobs/Sony Pictures Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock

WHAT DO YOU KEEP IN YOUR SPORRAN?

The usual. Lip balm, iPhone, protein bar, sides to the scene [notes when filming], hip flask, eye drops, compass, deck of cards, sunglasses, various Scottish stones and small mementos I’ve pilfered from set. It’s like the Mary Poppin’s bag, or the Tardis.

WHAT KIND OF TRAVELLING COMPANION IS GRAHAM?

Reliable. You can always rely on him to be: hungry, grumpy, funny, sleeping… He’s like the Seven dwarves, which I guess makes me Snow White?

WHAT IS HIS BEST QUALITY?

His humour. We laughed a lot.

WHAT IS HIS MOST CHALLENGING QUALITY?

He has a rather alternate/embellished memory or account of how things happened. I imagine he will say the same about me. That’s how the first book was formed. It’s a “debate” about how things transpired. Or an argument.

HOW DID YOU WRITE THE BOOK - KEEP DIARIES OR WATCH THE FOOTAGE OF MEN IN KILTS TO JOG MEMORIES?

I created both, creator of the TV show and book. We had a lot of material to use so yes, going back over our schedules, footage, photos and memories provided a great deal of inspiration. But there is also a little “artistic license”….

WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF GRAHAM WHEN YOU MET AUDITIONING FOR OUTLANDER?

He wore an outrageous outfit (perhaps a cape or cloak and top hat?) and demanded a cafe latte before he’d even left the room. I knew he’d be trouble and it was a sign of things to come.

WHY IS OUTLANDER SO POPULAR?

I’m sure there are multiple reasons but best perhaps ask the fans? For me, it’s Jamie Fraser…

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE FINAL SEASON OF OUTLANDER?

The strike is over so we are allowed to go back to work. We wanted to finish the story with a satisfying ending. I don’t know yet how it will end. I have some ideas but I guess we will see. It will be a departure from what Diana is writing, so that could be interesting. I hope our creative team is brave. I’m sure we will all shed a lot of tears once it’s over.

HOW DOES IT END?

You tell me.

IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE ONE MUST DO EXPERIENCE/PLACE TO VISIT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Everest. To see it. I’ve been attached to a movie, pitched a TV documentary and now am planning a trip, just to fulfill that dream. Hopefully it’ll finally happen.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT OTHER JOBS YOU’VE BEEN WORKING ON?

The Couple Next Door is a six-part, psychological drama. A real thriller. I adore the whole cast and crew. We shot primarily in Belgium and The Netherlands, with a couple of weeks in Leeds. It’s my second time working with Dries [Vos], the director. I love his style and way of working. We felt like a family, small and mobile. The energy on set was great and my cast members were so extremely talented and open. It was a joy!

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

The Outlander finale….. how do you end a decade? Or plan after that? But I do have big plans, primarily with my multi-awards winning spirits brand. The gin and whisky is now available in the UK and we have some exciting plans

DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOUR SCOTTISH FANS?

Alba gu brath! [Scotland for ever!]

GRAHAM MCTAVISH

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO A FOLLOW UP TO CLANLANDS?

We’d really enjoyed the first experience and hopefully will do another. We did New Zealand because I live there and New Zealand has a very strong connection with Scotland. One in five have Scottish ancestry, and it’s a mirror of Scotland in many ways - the people, the landscape, you can see why the Scots settled so easily.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE EXPERIENCE ON THE TRIP?

When I finally got out of the campervan and knew I wasn’t going to be travelling with Sam any more and would be not subjected to yet another amygdala shredding trauma.

Other than that, Black Barn vineyards was a nice relaxing section and I did enjoy the jet boat and insane four-wheel drive vehicle. Not so much the shark cave diving or The Nevis Swing.

SOME OF THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES WERE TERRIFYING, WHICH WAS THE WORST?

The shark cage diving. Despite Sam showing me videos of when sharks got inside the cage before we got into the water, it is a safe experience on the whole. The Nevis Swing, I was too frightened to scream. It was overwhelming with your brain telling you you’re dying as you’re falling to the ground. But the worst was the Reri Rockslide, because that wasn’t controlled, that was ‘give it your best shot, see what happens’. I got a bit smashed up on my way down and I was nearly drowning at the bottom. That was the most dangerous even though it looked on the surface as if it would be very pleasant.

SO THERE WILL BE MORE MEN IN KILTS?

Yes, our sights are set on North America, particularly the eastern seaboard, from Nova Scotia down through Maine, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, places with a strong connection to Scotland. There are bears and moose. I’m sure Sam is drawing up a list. Skydiving, I can imagine him suggesting, and a rodeo, bull riding, something appalling like that. I’ll be talking about the history.

DO YOU LIKE WEARING YOUR KILT?

I do. I love kilts.

HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE?

I have my mother’s side of the family which is MacDonald, three McTavishs, my grandmother’s side, the Grahams, a Campbell of Argyll, which is the first kilt I owned, a tweed and a completely black kilt. And I am a world peace ambassador, along with the Dalai Lama and the Pope, incredibly considering the roles I play, so I have a World Peace tartan one. So that’s nine, oh my god.

WHAT DO YOU KEEP IN YOUR SPORRANS?

Pretty much anything I can fit in - phone, wallet, keys, sometimes a small whisky flask, and anything I get from anybody, cards, they all go in.

WHAT KIND OF TRAVELLING COMPANION IS SAM?

Challenging, in a good way, in that he challenges me. And he’ll put up with anything. With me if there’s no access to caffeine I start to lose the plot. And he likes to wind me up. We have a similar sense of humour and delight in all things child-like

WHAT IS HIS BEST QUALITY?

His open-ness. He’s very generous in the biggest sense of the word, with himself and his time, and very easy-going.

MOST CHALLENGING?

I suppose his utter competitiveness. And he’s not the best loser, so when I beat him repeatedly in the first season he did begin to get a wee bit sulky and in denial, making excuses, which I found amusing and only further enhanced my delight in beating him.

DID YOU ENJOY THE MORE SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES, WHERE THERE’S NO COMPETITIVE ELEMENT SUCH AS THE MOKU INKING?

Yes, the Moko was a moment where we both really experienced something quite unique on the trip. It was almost like a form of therapy and we found ourselves talking about things we don’t talk about to everybody. They just drew it out of you then created a design on you and it was an amazing experience. Moko is not tattooing, it’s something very different, and that really resonated with me, the thought process behind it.

HOW DID YOU WRITE THE BOOK - KEEP DIARIES OR WATCH THE FOOTAGE OF MEN IN KILTS TO JOG MEMORIES?

I mainly kept a journal and when you’re writing with somebody their memories prompt your memories and vice versa. There can be profound differences as to what actually occurred, but that’s part of the fun.

WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS WHEN YOU MET AT THE AUDITION FOR OUTLANDER?

Sam was just so welcoming, open and happy to meet me and made me feel very comfortable and that’s a really important thing for actors, that they feel at trust with the other person. I immediately felt that with Sam.

WHAT DO YOU THINK HE’LL SAY ABOUT YOU?

God knows. He’ll say I was wearing a salmon pink jumper or something completely outrageous like that.

WHY IS OUTLANDER SO POPULAR?

It’s unashamedly romantic - the central story is the romance between two people - and when you combine that with the Highlands and the Jacobite rebellion, it’s exciting as well. Then the time travel element and that’s endlessly fascinating, because we all would love to be able to walk up to a set of standing stones and find ourselves in the past or future. And the production values are incredible; the costuming, the time taken to make stuff right, the photography, all are really wonderful.

HAS SAM TOLD YOU HOW IT ENDS.

No, he hasn’t. In fairness, I haven’t asked. I suspect they will leave it open ended because studios always want the possibility of something else, whether it’s a one-off film, another short season, but we’ll see.

HOWEVER IT ENDS, IT’S TIME TRAVEL SO YOU CAN ALWAYS REVISIT.

Of course, and they’re doing the prequel. They like to create universes.

SPEAKING OF PREQUELS YOU’VE BEEN IN HOUSE OF DRAGONS, HOW WAS THAT?

Fantastic, after The Hobbit probably the most lavish production I’ve worked on. It was also the chance to play a decent, morally upright individual in a castle that is like a nest of vipers.

YOU’VE ALSO MADE SOMEWHERE IN MONTANA AND THE WITCHER?

Yes, Somewhere in Montana is the story of a rancher, played by me, who allows a Hollywood film crew to make a movie on his ranch and there’s a clash of values between this conservative individual and the liberal director. They come to a place of mutual respect through learning about each other. EM Forster once wrote in Passage to India, ‘only connect’ and that’s so true. If we can only connect it makes such a difference to how we conduct ourselves as people.

The Witcher, we’re due to start season four and I’m very excited. I get to play a thoroughly manipulative, cunning individual, the Dominic Cummings of that world. He believes he’s doing the right thing to save the kingdom and if people get in the way that’s unfortunate. He plays everything like a game of chess but sometimes finds he is being checked by someone else.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

I’m flying to America to promote my bourbon brand, McTavish Spirits, the War Chief. We’re online in America and the UK and in retail in a number of states in America now, expanding in the new year. It’s been an amazing journey.

IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE AN EXPERIENCE TO REPEAT WITH SAM, OR ONE YOU HAVEN’T DONE YET WHAT WOULD IT BE?

The jet boating, that was fun, after about the third go. And I would like to fly in a helicopter with Sam with snakes on board, combine the two things he is most afraid of. That would delight me.

Clanlands in New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts and an Adventure Down Under by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish with a foreword by Sir Peter Jackson, is published by Radar, hardback, £22

Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, season two of “Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham, is available at www.lionsgateplus.com

Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish play Jamie Fraser and Dougal MacKenzie in the Starz series Outlander, available to stream at www.starz.com

Outlander's Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish talk about exploring New Zealand in a new Clanlands adventure