Outlander stones: Are the show's standing stones real and can you visit them?

The famous Callanish Stones on the west coast of Lewis are rumoured to be an inspiration behind the stones replicated in Outlander

There are a variety of Scottish locations used in the filming of Outlander, with the country providing a stunning backdrop to many pivotal scenes, including the standing stones.

The standing stones are a major part of the TV series, providing a portal for Claire to travel back in time to 18th century Scotland.

Are the Outlander stones real?

The stones used in the TV series are made of styrofoam and installed on location at Kinloch Rannoch in Perth and Kinross

The stone circle which propels Claire back in time is located in the fictional place of ‘Craigh na Dun’.

Although Craigh na Dun is a fictional stone circle, there are other similar locations which exist in Scotland and are said to have inspired those used in Outlander.

The stones used in the TV series are made of styrofoam and installed on location at Kinloch Rannoch in Perth and Kinross.

Kinloch Rannoch and Rannoch Moor are both real places and provide the mysterious and windswept background for the replica stones, as well as being a honeymoon destination for Claire and her husband Frank in season one.

What are the standing stones based on?

After it was suggested that Outlander’s standing stones were inspired by the stone structure of Clava Cairns, this historical site quickly became a popular tourist spots with fans.

Clava Cairns is a standing stone circle located just five minutes drive away from Culloden Battlefield.

Although the writer of the original Outlander books, Diana Gabaldon, only visited Clava Cairns for the first time after she had written the the first book, fans stills flock to this destination to see the ancient structure, which is similar to the stones used in the TV series.

The stones’ proximity to the Culloden Battlefield (a battle included in the TV series) is also a factor in fans flocking there.

The famous Callanish Stones on the west coast of Lewis, too, are rumoured to be an inspiration behind the stones replicated in Outlander.

The Callanish Stones are an arrangement of standing stones, which are placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle.

Can I visit the stones?

As the stones used in Outlander are a temporary replica constructed for shooting scenes, these themselves cannot be visited, but the filming locations used in the series can be visited, alongside the historical sites of Clava Cairns and the Callanish Stones.