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Scotland: OutlanderBlackness Castle: Fort William
Due to its bow-shaped walls, Blackness Castle is often referred to as 'the ship that never sailed'. The 15th century fortress guards the Scottish Firth of Forth with its imposing presence. In Outlander, Blackness Castle stands in for Captain Jack Randall's headquarters in Fort William - further north.
The fortress has served as a royal castle, a prison, an armaments depot and of course a film location, featuring not just in Outlander, but also in the movies Mary Queen of Scots (2018) and Outlaw King (2018) as well as in the BBC miniseries Ivanhoe (1997).
Areas accessible for visitors include the main tower (pictured) and the curtain wall.
The castle is open all year but it's advisable to check the specific times online, as they change with the seasons.
Key Scenes
Fort William was an important garrison of the Redcoats in Scotland, and in Outlander it is the stronghold of Captain Jack Randall. It is from here that he conducts his reign of terror over the highlands.
One of the show's most controversial scenes was filmed at Blackness Castle -this is the brutal scene in which Randall whips Jamie Fraser almost to death in the courtyard (Season 1, Episode 6: The Garrison Commander).
Episode 8 of Season 1 was also partly filmed at Blackness Castle. In this episode Jamie rescues Claire from Randall's clutch as he tries to rape her at knifepoint (Season 1, Episode 8: Both Sides Now).
Watch
Season 1, Episode 6: The Garrison Commander
The redcoats take Claire to meet General Lord Thomas, who promises her safe passage to Inverness in the company of Randall. When the General leaves, Randall tries to discover why she is in Scotland. She concocts a story and he describes in detail his vicious whipping of young Jamie. Dougal comes to take her away, but Randall insists that he has to deliver Claire to Fort William the following day. They leave, and Dougal tells Claire he does not have to turn her in if she marries Jamie and so becomes Scottish (source: Wikipedia).
Watch the trailer:
Map
The address is: Blackness, Linlithgow EH49 7NH, UK.