Outlander available to UK viewers from March 2015

Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, right, and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser. Picture: AP

The fantasy series - dubbed Scotland’s answer to Game of Thrones - stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan as lead characters Claire Randall and James Fraser, began shooting in October 2013, at a number of Scottish locations including Blackness Castle, Doune Castle and its purpose-built studio in Cumbernauld.

And despite the show airing in the US, there had been no date given for the series to be shown in the UK.

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But Amazon has confirmed that the programme will be available to its millions of Amazon Prime Instant Video customers from March 2015.

The first eight episodes of Outlander’s first series will be available from March 26, with the remaining episodes then airing weekly from April 5 just hours after being broadcast in the United States.

Amazon has also secured the rights to future series, with the second series due to begin filming this summer.

The series follows the story of World War II nurse Claire, who is cast back in time to 1743 where she meets Jamie Fraser.

Alongside Balfe and Heughan, the series stars Bill Paterson (The Crow Road, Auf Wiedersehn Pet) as Ned Gowan, Four Weddings and a Funeral star Simon Callow as the Duke of Sandringham; Hobbit actor Graham McTavish as Dougal MacKenzie and Game of Thrones star Tobias Menzies as ‘Black Jack’ Randall.