Outlander generates investment in screen industry

SCOTLAND is gearing up for a lucrative double whammy after Outlander received a green light for an extended run – before it is even screened in the UK.

Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall in a scene from Outlander. Picture: AP

The first six-part series of the show, which is set in the Highlands, is thought to have generated £20 million and has been described as the biggest ever inward investment for Scotland’s film and TV industry.

Now the 200-strong production team is set to be re-assembled next year at its vast Outlander base in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, after cable channel Star and Sony confirmed a new 13-part series had been ordered.

The move is also a huge boost for the tourism industry as the £50m production has already visited locations all over the country, with extensive filming at Doune Castle, in Perthshire.

Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall in a scene from Outlander. Picture: AP

Although Outlander has launched in America, the second half of the first series will not be screened until the new year, while a UK broadcast could be some way off as a deal is yet to be confirmed for the show, which has been dubbed Scotland’s answer to the fantasy series Game of Thrones, which is made in Northern Ireland.

US author Diana Gabaldon, whose novels inspired the show, which is set at the height of the Jacobite rebellion, has written eight books so far, which have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.

VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay said: “The stunning backdrop of Scotland’s scenery, together with the romanticism of Scottish history, plays a hugely important role in Outlander, and we expect interest in visiting the country inspired by the first series will increase with the second.”