Outlander season two mystery castle braced for fan rush

FANS of TV show Outlander are set to flock to a Scots castle after spotting scenes for the latest series were filmed in its grounds.
Drummond Castle in Perthshire is believed to be the filming location for the Palace of Versaille (pictured). Photo: StarzDrummond Castle in Perthshire is believed to be the filming location for the Palace of Versaille (pictured). Photo: Starz
Drummond Castle in Perthshire is believed to be the filming location for the Palace of Versaille (pictured). Photo: Starz

Drummond Castle features in the second series of the drama that is set in Scotland and will once again star Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan as Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser.

Filming took place on several occasions last year at the Perthshire estate and it understood the castle’s stunning gardens will be used to replicate the Palace of Versailles for the show.

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Based on the second of eight books in Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling Outlander series, the new series begins as Claire and Jamie arrive in France determined to infiltrate the Jacobite rebellion and stop the Battle of Culloden.

The gardens of Drummond castle.The gardens of Drummond castle.
The gardens of Drummond castle.

The eagerly awaited instalment will be thirteen episodes long and tells the story of WW2 nurse Claire who is transported back to 1743.

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The UK launch date for the second series of Golden Globe nominated Outlander has been revealed as April 10.

A source said: “Filming took place at the castle last year and fans of the show have already spotted areas from the grounds that have featured in trailers for the new series.

The gardens of Drummond castle.The gardens of Drummond castle.
The gardens of Drummond castle.

“The crews visited the castle on quite a few occasions. They used the gardens and also some farmland on the estate.

“By coincidence there was an Outlander fans event in Crieff on one of the filming dates and quite a few made their way down to see the filming for themselves.

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“Outlander is a massive show and the fans have a real passion for it. Other castles have seen a huge jump in visitor numbers thanks to being featured in the series so Drummond could be having a bumper year.”

The “Outlander effect” has already been credited with a record-breaking surge in visitors to Doune Castle, near Stirling.

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The castle has seen a 44 per cent increase in visitors since it took a starring role as “Castle Leoch” in the TV series.

The gardens also featured in the Hollywood blockbuster Rob Roy and saw Liam Neeson, John Hurt and Tim Roth all filmed on location.

Drummond Castle was built by John, 1st Lord Drummond around 1490. The 2nd Earl, a Privy Councillor to James VI and Charles I, succeeded in 1612 and is credited with transforming both the gardens and the castle between 1630-1636.

The new Outlander episodes will be released weekly online, a day after they air in the US on channel Starz.

Instead of swords and guns, they’re armed with political savvy and the finest 1700s Parisian fashion as they embark on their new mission - infiltrating the French aristocracy and rewriting history.

Thrown into the lavish world of French society, political gains prove tricky as Claire and Jamie endeavour to alter the course of history, amid challenges weighing on the fabric of their relationship.

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Sophie Skelton (Doctors, Waterloo Road, Casualty) joins the cast and returning actors include Tobias Menzies (Casino Royale), Graham McTavish (The Hobbit, Creed, Rambo), Gary Lewis (Gangs of New York, Filth), Duncan Lacroix (Vikings, Game of Thrones) and Rosie Day (The Seasoning House).

A spokesman for Drummond Castle declined to comment.

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