‘Awe Things Outlander

With Outlander fever erupting all over social media, here's a quick roundup of what's been happening over the last few weeks in the world of one of the most highly anticipated television series of 2014. Production on Outlander is in full swing, with shooting underway as I type in locations around Scotland including Glasgow, Fife, Doune Castle and the purpose built production studio in Cumbernauld. For fans of the books who simply cannot wait, there's been an incredible amount of pictures of filming of the series posted online. I've picked a few of the best below, and included some information about the shooting locations used so far.

For those of you not in the know, Outlander was originally a series of historical novels set in the Highlands by author Diana Gabaldon. With over 20 million copies sold, the series was greenlit for television earlier this year, and has since been touted as Scotland's answer to Game of Thrones. The story centres around a love story between an 18th Century Mackenzie clansman and a 20th Century WWII nurse. Claire Randall is transported back to Scotland circa 1743 after she touches part of a stone circle near Inverness. While there, she meets a Clan Mackenzie warrior named Jamie Fraser and is torn between him and her husband back in 1945. Their journey leads them throughout Scotland (including the 1745 Jacobite Rising), France, the West Indies and America. The series currently spans seven books, with an eighth due for release in 2014. You can read more about the series here.

Outlander fever is well and truly at fever pitch on the Twittersphere - The tweet below quickly went viral when it was posted at the end of last month, and was the first picture released to show actor Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser.

FOR THE BEST FANS IN THE WORLD. Here's what your wee hearts have desired. James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. pic.twitter.com/85wAxMVhCC

— Outlander (@Outlander_Starz) October 25, 2013

Sam Heughan also spoke to the Scotsman recently about his role as Jamie Fraser - you can read the interview here. He said:

“It definitely feels like my life has changed with this. I’ve had to move back to Scotland for a start, but it kind of feels like I’ve come full circle as I went to drama school in Glasgow and also worked at the Citizens’ Theatre.

“Working on Outlander has been a delight, it really has. I had kind of forgotten what Scotland was like and I’d turned into a bit of a Londoner.

“We’ve already been all over Scotland doing location work, including at Doune Castle. Honestly, I think people will think we have used CGI (computer-generated imagery) it looks so incredible, especially with the landscape and the way the trees are looking at the moment, it is so autumnal."

This week several streets in the West Fife town of Culross were closed until November 22 to accommodate filming in the Mercat Cross area of the village. Letters sent by filming company Left Bank Productions (LBP) to residents and businesses in Culross stated that the scenes filmed were set in the 1740s, and they would be "removing and disguising some of the contemporary street furniture from around the Mercat Cross." The production company also stated: "We are mindful that Culross is a quiet, rural community and as such we will treat it with the greatest respect.” You can read the full report from Dunfermline Press here.

Last week Producer Ron Moore tweeted a picture of Sam and Catriona Balfe (who plays Claire Randall) seeing the set for the first time way back in September:

9/23/13 -- a special day Sam & Caitriona see the sets for the first time. pic.twitter.com/0FxYfaOgMl

— Ronald D. Moore (@RonDMoore) November 16, 2013

And in true Daily Mail style, here's some set photos from a part of the series being filmed in Pollock Park in Glasgow. According to Outlander TV News, these are the first photos released to show 1743 Claire. You can see the full set of photos here.

Catriona Balfe as Claire Randall during filming of Outlander.

STV also ran an article on the closing of Doune Castle in order for shooting to take place. The castle is being used as Leoch, seat of the Mackenzie Clan and will be closed until November 22, then again sometime between February and April 2014. The article also touches on the impact that Outlander will have on the economy, employing a local crew of 200 and a supporting cast of 2400. The castle was originally built in the 13th century, but then damaged during the Scottish Wars of Independence. It was rebuilt in its present form in the late 14th Century by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (c.1340–1420), the son of King Robert II of Scotland, and Regent of Scotland from 1388 until his death.

Finally, here's a link to a plethora of pictures from Falkland in Fife, where the 1940s section of the book was shot in October. At New York Comic Con earlier this year, the production team stated that events in 1940 before Claire goes through the standing stones were to be expanded for the television series. It's unclear if Falkland is meant to be Inverness or not.

Outlander shooting in Falkland. Image courtesy of Falkland Palace and Gardens.