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Clava Cairns - North‑East Cairn: Outlander Filming Location

Perched on a windswept Highland hillside near Inverness, Clava Cairns forms a monumental Bronze Age cemetery of ring cairns and standing stones that date back more than 3,000 years. The tranquil site exudes ceremonial gravitas, with circular enclosures, low slabs, and a brush of heather that lends a timeless atmosphere to the quiet, sunlit mornings. While not a dedicated filming location, its distinctive arcs of stones inspired Craigh na Dun in Outlander, embedding the place in popular imagination as a portal to the past. Today the place feels like a doorway to ancient Scotland, where history and myth mingle under wide skies.

Filming Location
Outlander
57.4800, -4.0957

About This Outlander Filming Location

Clava Cairns - North‑East Cairn serves as one of the most iconic filming locations for Outlander, attracting thousands of fans from around the world each year. This legendary site offers visitors a unique opportunity to step into the world of their favorite characters and experience the magic firsthand.

Whether you're planning a solo pilgrimage or organizing a group trip, this location provides the perfect backdrop for recreating memorable scenes, taking photos, and immersing yourself in the Outlander universe. Many fans consider visiting this site a must-do experience for any true enthusiast.

Fan Pilgrimage Tips

  • Best photo opportunities are typically in the early morning or late afternoon for ideal lighting
  • Bring props or costumes to recreate iconic scenes from Outlander
  • Check local weather conditions and dress appropriately for outdoor locations
  • Respect any filming restrictions and private property boundaries
  • Consider visiting during off-peak times to avoid crowds and get better photos

Visiting Information & Practical Details

Restricted Access - Permission May Be Required

Outlander Scenes Filmed at Clava Cairns - North‑East Cairn

Filming at Clava Cairns - North‑East Cairn

Prehistoric stone circles inspiring Craigh na Dun; not an actual filming site but part of Outlander lore

Tours & Experiences

Continue Your Journey

Finished exploring Clava Cairns - North‑East Cairn? The adventure doesn't have to end here. Discover more magical filming locations nearby and extend your Outlander pilgrimage.

Clava Cairns - North‑East Cairn - Outlander filming location showing the iconic setting where scenes were shot

Clava Cairns - North‑East Cairn

OutlanderNearby

Perched on a windswept Highland hillside near Inverness, Clava Cairns forms a monumental Bronze Age cemetery of ring cairns and standing stones that date back more than 3,000 years. The tranquil site exudes ceremonial gravitas, with circular enclosures, low slabs, and a brush of heather that lends a timeless atmosphere to the quiet, sunlit mornings. While not a dedicated filming location, its distinctive arcs of stones inspired Craigh na Dun in Outlander, embedding the place in popular imagination as a portal to the past. Today the place feels like a doorway to ancient Scotland, where history and myth mingle under wide skies.

Nearby
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Clava Cairns - Stone Circle Central - Outlander filming location showing the iconic setting where scenes were shot

Clava Cairns - Stone Circle Central

Outlander0.0km away

Clava Cairns lies on a windswept ridge just outside Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, a Bronze Age burial and ceremonial site whose ring of standing stones and surrounding cairns date back about 3,000 years. The layout, with its three concentric rings and ritual cairns, evokes ancient activities and celestial alignments, making it one of the most evocative archaeological landscapes in Scotland. Though not a documented filming location, the site sits at the heart of Outlander lore as the inspiration for Craigh na Dun, lending it a timeless, mythic atmosphere today, especially at dawn or sunset when the stones glow with soft light and the air feels charged with history. Visitors walk a quiet path among lichened stones, often sharing the space with sheep, birdsong, and the whisper of the wind through the grass — a place where legend and archaeology meet in hushed reverence.

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Clava Cairns - Stone Circle South - Outlander filming location showing the iconic setting where scenes were shot

Clava Cairns - Stone Circle South

Outlander0.0km away

Clava Cairns — Stone Circle South sits on a windswept rise just east of Inverness, a Bronze Age cemetery complex dating back around 4,000 years. The ring of standing stones and burial cairns conjures a timeless sense of ritual and memory, set against a Highland panorama of grasses, bracken, and distant hills. This site radiates a hushed atmosphere where the present gently yields to ancient memory, inviting visitors to imagine the ceremonies that once took place here. It is often celebrated as the real-world inspiration behind Craigh na Dun, the fabled circle of Outlander, anchoring myth and landscape in one unforgettable place.

0.0km away
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