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

Clava Cairns is a remarkably preserved cluster of late Neolithic and Bronze Age burial cairns and standing stones set within the rolling Highland landscape. The Cup-marked Stone and the surrounding circle evoke a ritual landscape that inspired the mythical Craigh na Dun in Outlander lore, giving visitors a sense of ancient memory threaded through time. Moss-covered stones, quiet pathways, and the soft, briny wind from nearby moorland create an atmosphere of hush and reverence, as if the past lingers just beyond the present. Visiting at dawn or dusk brings a gentle, almost cinematic light that turns the site into a doorway to myth and history.

Clava Cairns – Standing Stone 1 sits among the wind-swept cairns along the Culloden Moor, a Bronze Age cemetery whose ring cairns and standing stones date back roughly 3,000 years. The site carries a palpable sense of antiquity, with mossy stones, narrow paths, and the quiet hush of peat that makes time feel suspended. Although not used as an on-location filming site, Clava Cairns inspired the mythic Craigh na Dun and remains a touchstone for Outlander fans seeking that otherworldly atmosphere in Scotland’s northern glens. Visitors typically choose dawn or dusk to experience the stones' slow gravity as the light shifts across the moor.