Falkland Outlander Location: A Complete 1940s Inverness Guide

The Falkland Outlander location is where this TV show (or global phenomenon might be more accurate) all started. If you are an Outlander fan on a nerdy road trip, you have to include a trip to Falkland on your itinerary.

Falkland is a tiny gorgeous village in Fife with a population of just over 1,000 people. It is one of those places that city folk love to visit on weekends because it’s such an idyllic town with lots of walking trails, gift shops, and traditional pubs. It stood in as the Inverness locations for Outlander. Not only those from the 1940s but also the 1740s and the 1960s. This is where Frank and Claire head on their fateful second honeymoon and where their lives are completely turned upside down.

Falkland makes a great day trip from Edinburgh. And this guide details every single episode that features Falkland and specific Falkland locations for Outlander featured in the TV show.

Where Was Outlander Filmed in Falkland?

1940s Inverness Outlander Scenes in Falkland

Maspie House Gift Shop, High Street

• “Sassenach” – Episode One, Season One

One of the very first scenes from Outlander in the opening episode “Sassenach” features Claire narrating herself looking at a vase in a shop window. She states that she has never lived the kind of life where she could own one, and this seems poignant knowing what we know now. That shop window, in real life, is the Maspie House Gift Shop in Falkland and not an antique store in 1940s Inverness.

The Covenanter Hotel, The Square, High Street

• “Sassenach” – Episode One, Season One
• “Savages” – Episode Five, Season Four

After window shopping, Claire and Frank notice goats blood painted on the doors which the locals do to ward off evil spirits on Samhain, a Scottish holiday that influenced Halloween. It is also painted on the door frame of Mrs Baird’s BnB in 1940s Inverness which featured in the “Sassenach” episode. In real life, the BnB is The Covenanter Hotel on Falkland’s High Street. We see a lot of this section of the High Street, particularly near Bruce Fountain where Frank spots a mysterious Highlander hanging around…

The High Street returns three seasons later as an Outlander location in the “Savages” episode. This is where Roger rocks up in 1960s Inverness looking for Brianna. He suspects she has travelled through the standing stones at Craigh na Dun which, of course, she has.

Falkland Palace and Garden, East Port

• “The Hail Mary” – Episode 12, Season Two

After their ordeal in France, Claire and Jamie cannot catch a break and have to deal with the Jacobite uprising and the Battle of Culloden back in Scotland. They are preparing in Inverness when Claire runs into her old pal Mary Hawkins whilst buying medical supplies in Inverness. Hence the episode’s title, “The Hail Mary.” The apothecary in Inverness is the Falkland Palace and Garden which is just down the road from the other filming locations for Outlander. Falkland is super small so you will be able to whip around these Outlander filming locations in less than 30 minutes!

Little Brunton Cottage, Brunton Street

• “The Hail Mary” – Episode 12, Season Two

The next Outlander Falkland location is on Brunton Street, specifically a house called Little Brunton Cottage. This is a small cobble-stoned street just off Falkland’s High Street. This location is McGilvrey’s Boarding House which also appears in “The Hail Mary” because Claire follows Mary there from the apothecary. Poor Alex Randall and Mary are living until Alex gets better though we all know that sadly won’t happen.

House on Sharps Close

• “The Hail Mary” – Episode 12, Season Two

Just off Brunton Street is a very narrow pedestrian-only alleyway called Sharps Close. A house on this street acts as the exterior of a random tavern that Claire follows Black Jack into. Thinking of her first husband Frank and Mary’s honour, Claire swallows her hatred of Black Jack to plead with him to marry Mary while sitting in this tavern.

Bank of Scotland, High Street

• “Dragonfly in Amber” – Episode 13, Season Two

Our final Outlander Inverness location is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it one in the season two finale, “Dragonfly in Amber.” In fact, not a lot of people recognise this as an official Outlander Inverness filming location but it is! It is the exterior location of the Inverness County Records Office that Claire visits. She finds the deed to Lallybroch that Jamie signed just before the Battle of Culloden which bears her signature. But in reality, this Outlander filming location is a Bank of Scotland branch.

Other 1940s Inverness Outlander Locations

The Outlander team used Falkland pretty exclusively for all of the scenes set in Inverness. But, aside from Craigh na Dun, there is one other notable Outlander Inverness location which they did not film in Falkland and that is Reverend Wakefield’s home. Hunterston House in West Kilbride stands in for that filming location in ten different episodes throughout the first four seasons. Most of Outlander‘s interior scenes were shot in a studio, but Hunterton House acted as both the interior and exterior for the Reverend’s house.

Falkland in Scotland: Planning Your Trip

How to Get There By Car (& Parking)

Falkland is roughly a one-hour drive north of Edinburgh and you get to drive across the famous Forth Bridge on the way. The journey follows motorways and A-roads the whole way so it is a smooth ride. It’s the same deal if you are travelling to Falkland from Stirling, a 50-minute drive mostly down the A91. And from Glasgow, it takes just over an hour to drive to Falkland and, again, all main roads. This is awesome considering it is a pretty small town!

The main car park in Falkland is the Maspie Den Car Park which you can use the postcode KY15 7AF to find. It is free but gladly accepts donations. Another option is Back Wynd Car Park which you can find using postcode KY15 7DA. Both are sizable car parks but Falkland gets busy on the weekend because it’s such a gorgeous place to spend a Sunday afternoon. So, get there early!

How to Get There By Public Transport

I’m not going to lie. If you are not already familiar with the Scottish bus system or bloody love buses, getting to Falkland via public transport might be a massive faff for you. And I’m not even going to attempt to explain how you get there from Glasgow because it would take you a minimum of three hours. Honestly, all the routes from Stirling look bloody ridiculous too.

However, it is quite a straightforward journey from Edinburgh. You can take a ScotRail train service to Ladybank which takes around an hour and then hop on the 64 bus service to Falkland which takes around 30 minutes.

Book Your Place on an Outlander Tour in Scotland

Of course, you could visit Falkland by booking a place on one of the Outlander tours in Scotland as I did! I went on the Haggis Adventures One Day Outlander Trail from Edinburgh and it was amazing. Less than £50 and we visited Linlithgow Palace, Doune Castle, Culross, Falkland and Midhope Castle. Our guide and driver was also fun, energetic and knowledgeable about Scotland we listened to some Scottish folk music on the ride, too.

Some other great Scotland Outlander tours I’ve heard of include Rabbie’s Outlander Adventure One Day Tours from Glasgow or Edinburgh. Plus, Rabbie’s do three-day tours if you want to visit Outlander locations from the books as well as filming locations for Outlander the TV show.

Check Out My Other Outlander Filming Location Guides

Linlithgow Palace as Wentworth Prison | Hopetoun House as Helswater (& more!) | Culross as Cranesmuir

 Doune Castle as Castle Leoch | Midhope Castle as Lallybroch | Blackness Castle as Fort William

Craigmillar Castle as Ardsmuir Prison | Culloden Battlefield

Outlander Filming Locations in Glasgow | Outlander Filming Locations in Edinburgh

And that’s my complete 1940s Inverness/Falkland Outlander location guide! Have you visited Falkland or watched Outlander? Let me know in the comments below!

Read next: Midhope Castle Outlander Location: A Complete Lallybroch Guide