There isn’t a series in which passion, love, dedication, and honor transcend the boundaries of time so vividly as it does in the historical drama series Outlander. Based on Diana Gabaldon’s novel series of the same name, the riveting story of Claire Randall and James Fraser has captivated the hearts and minds of millions of fans all over the world and already spans an impressive number of seven seasons.
In Outlander, Gabaldon successfully managed to combine fantasy elements with a historical setting, using time travel as a clever way to create even more depth to the characters, their differences, and their similarities. With the series jumping back and forth between the 18th and 20th centuries, the question regarding the portrayal of real-life events or people is raised. So let’s take a look at how historically accurate Outlander is.
Craigh Na Dun
Kicking it off with the place where it all began, the first and arguably most important question (at least for those who like to visit movie sets) is whether the famous location, Craigh Na Dun, really exists. Right at the beginning of the series, Claire travels to Inverness, Scotland, with her then-husband, and finds this magical stone circle on the top of a hill. The stones mark the place where she will eventually travel through time, landing in 1743.
Not to crush anyone’s dream of visiting the place and seeing for themselves whether time travel actually is a thing, but Craigh Na Dun is unfortunately a fictional place. Even though the stones look real, they are actually made out of styrofoam. However, the hill on which the time-traveling stone circle is located can be found on the private farm Tullochroisk in a remote village in the Scottish county of Perthshire called Kinloch Rannoch.
Historical Figures and The Scottish Clans
With James and Claire Fraser making the perfect match, fans would surely love to hear that these two characters are based on real people. Unfortunately, this is only partially the case, and certainly not to the extent that many would hope for. Ripping off the band-aid right away, it is safe to say that Claire Fraser is a fictional character. While Claire purely stems from the author’s imagination, the same can’t be said about the second main character, James Fraser.
His character is based on some interesting, historically accurate facts, which turn the entire series even more exciting. Gabaldon came across a book called The Prince in the Heather by Eric Linklater, which talks about the events after the Battle of Culloden. Since the author of Outlander had the intention of letting her main character survive the deadly battle, it almost seems as though it was fate that she then read about 19 Jacobite officers who took shelter in a farmhouse, and all of them, except for one, were shot after two days. The only survivor: a certain Fraser of Lovet’s regime. To true fans of Outlander, this will probably ring a bell, as, in the show, Jamie is fighting for his life under the same circumstances, and is part of that regime.
The Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden brought numerous heart-wrenching moments to the show, leaving fans wondering how much of the depiction of this harrowing bloodbath is historically accurate. Even though it is hard to believe, considering that the fights were shown in great detail, the background events are slightly simplified in the show. In Outlander, the battle is portrayed as though all Scots were on the side of Bonnie Prince Charlie and supporting his desire to claim the English throne. In reality, however, the situation was much more complicated, and it was extremely difficult to establish clear sides.
Apart from this slight deviation, the fighting, in particular, is satisfyingly close to reality, as a lot of attention was paid to ensuring the use of accurate armor. Additionally, one of the most significant people in the battle, Bonnie Prince Charlie, is based on the real Prince, and also the progression of the fights is extremely close to reality.
The Witch Trial
Throughout her entire novel series, Gabaldon has made it her job to provide either historically accurate facts, make it clear that something is fictional, or add a note if she forgot or mixed something up. There is one instance, though, in which she actively chose historical inaccuracy and fully embraced it.
In the first season, Claire and her friend, Geillis, who both have an interest in the healing powers of herbs and a desire to help those who are sick, are accused of being witches. It should come as no surprise that these accusations are baseless, but the two women have to face an incredibly unfair trial. Those who aren’t as interested in history and formative events will believe that witch trials seem rather fitting for that time.
However, Gabaldon’s research brought her the results that the last of those trials that were held in Scotland was about 20 years before Claire traveled through the stones. Seeing that the author’s entire novel series is based on something as fictional as time travel, she decided that pushing the witch trials back a few years was a liberty she was willing to take.
The Costumes
Outlander offers a wide array of stunning costumes which represent its time period in an authentic way. Whether it is tight corsets for women or traditional kilts for men, the outfits shown during the main characters’ time in Scotland particularly convey an even deeper sense of what Scottish tradition looked like. The outstanding fashion continues as Jamie and Claire make their way to France, where decadence is the foundation of everything.
Drawing connections to real-life fashion turns Outlander into an even more thrilling series, but there is an aspect, or much rather, a person, who likes to break up the accuracy. After all, Claire is a modern woman who grew up in an entirely different time. Her style and behavior was primarily formed in the 20th century, which knows much more liberties regarding fashion than the 18th century. The costume designers working on Outlander added some modern touches to Claire’s outfits. From uncommon fabrics and different colors to modern cuts and add-ons, Claire’s dresses radiate her own personality, let her stand out from the crowd, and are a reminder that she does indeed come from another time.
Fraser’s Ridge and the Battle of Alamance
Fraser’s Ridge is the place in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where Jamie and Claire finally settled, built a life for themselves, and created their very own community. While Fraser’s Ridge is solely a fictional place, it is true that many Scots traveled to this area in order to settle there.
What the show does get right is the connection between the Regulators and Governor Tyron. The Regulators come together in a fight against government corruption, which is led by William Tyron and his colonial militia. As shown in Outlander, there were numerous incidents in which they clashed, but, eventually, their differences resulted in the Battle of Alamance in 1771, which is regarded as the kick-off of the Revolutionary War. Outlander does a particularly good job capturing the defining moments of this battle, such as Tyron’s victory and the immense casualties among the Regulators.
Ultimately, it is essential to note that Outlander, while partially being historically accurate, also incorporates fantasy into its world, which is made clear from the very beginning. This aspect allows for a dive beyond what reality holds, which adds an enticing layer to Claire and Jamie’s story and simultaneously makes it even more of an immersive experience. The combination of real and fiction is food for the imagination, inspiring viewers to think even more outside the box than reality would maybe allow, and invites them into a mesmerizing journey through the Scottish Highlands. Stream on Netflix and Starz.