Jump To Section:
- The Frasers of Outlander
- What is Outlander?
- Was Jamie Fraser a real person?
- Is the Fraser tartan in the show accurate?
- Was Lord Lovat a real person?
- Who really led the Frasers at the Battle of Culloden?
- Does the show get the clan’s motto right?
- Did the Frasers really live at Lallybroch?
- Was there a real Dun Bonnet?
- Outlander Cast
The Frasers of Outlander
If you’re anything like us, you’ve been obsessed with Outlander since it came onto our TV screens in 2016. Since the main man is Jamie Fraser of our Clan of the Month, the Frasers, we thought we’d do a little digging into the show to see how historically accurate it is.
What is Outlander?
If you haven’t seen Outlander yet, you really should give it a watch. Until then, here’s a round-up of the show.
Outlander is a drama series based upon the series of novels written by American author Diana Gabaldon. She began writing a novel in the late 1980s as practice, to learn the process. That novel became Outlander, the first volume in the series, which was published in 1991. Since then, she’s published eight more out of a planned ten novels in the series.
The story focuses on WW2 nurse, Claire Randall, who finds herself time travelling to 18th-century Scotland where she meets Highlander Jamie Fraser. He was inspired by an episode of Doctor Who in which the Doctor meets a Scotsman from the 1740s named Jamie McCrimmon.
Was Jamie Fraser a real person?
As mentioned above, the name Jamie came from Jamie McCrimmon in the Doctor Who episode The War Games, which also inspired the Scottish setting of the novel. Although Jamie Fraser wasn’t a real person, he was inspired by a real person. Gabaldon said that she developed the character after reading the book Prince in the Heather by Eric Linklater. In the book, Linklater describes how 19 wounded Jacobite soldiers hid in a farmhouse after the Battle of Culloden. They were all executed under the command of the Red Coat after two days “except for one man, a Fraser of the Master of Lovat’s regiment, who survived the slaughter”.
It was this proud and brave Fraser soldier who inspired the character of Jamie Fraser.
Is the Fraser tartan in the show accurate?
In the show, the Fraser tartans are shown as being grey and blue. In reality, this is a far cry from the bright reds of the Fraser tartans. There are fourteen different variations of the Fraser tartan, most of which feature a red background with thick navy and green stripes alongside thinner white stripes. Closer to the muted colours in the show are the Fraser Hunting Weathered and the Fraser Hunting Ancient tartans which feature earthy colours, evoking colours that had been battered by the wind and rain.
Was Lord Lovat a real person?
In the second novel and second series of Outlander, we meet Jamie Fraser’s uncle, Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat. Simon Fraser was indeed a real person and it seems that the character’s violent and unpredictable personality on the show is faithful to the real-life Fraser. He was one of the Highlanders defeated at the Battle of Culloden and tried to flee after the battle. Interestingly, it was in the aftermath of the Culloden that Ordnance Survey maps were created, when the Duke of Cumberland realised that the British Army didn’t have a good enough map of the Scottish Highlands to be able to locate Jacobite dissenters like Simon Fraser. Eventually, he was found hiding out on the island of Loch Morar in Lochaber, where he was arrested. He was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered, but this was later changed to beheading. He was executed on 7th April 1747.
Who really led the Frasers at the Battle of Culloden?
In the show, we see Jamie Fraser leading his men in the ill-fated Battle of Culloden. Since he isn’t a real historical figure, who actually led the troops? It was Charles Fraser of Inverallochy who led the Frasers of Lovat at Culloden. He died on the battlefield along with many other Frasers. Outlander fans can find a market on the Culloden battlefield, near Inverness, dedicated to the clan members who lost their life there.
Does the show get the clan’s motto right?
In Outlander, we hear Jamie uttering the words “Je suis prest”. This is indeed the Frasers’ motto, which translates from French to “I am ready” - apt for a family so renowned for their prowess in war! Take a look at our blog on the history of Clan Fraser to find out more about their French origins.
Did the Frasers really live at Lallybroch?
In the show, we see the Frasers make their home at Lallybroch Castle, supposedly near Inverness. These scenes are actually filmed at Midhope Castle, a 16th-century tower house located on the Hopetoun Estate on the outskirts of Edinburgh. However, this castle was never actually in the possession of Clan Fraser. Their seat was Beaufort Castle, or Castle Dounie, near Beauly which is around 13 miles west of Inverness.
Was there a real Dun Bonnet?
In series 3 of Outlander, we see Jamie Fraser retreating to a cave after the Battle of Culloden, where he lived as a recluse, becoming known as Dun Bonnet. This storyline is based on the true tale of James Fraser, who hid in a cave for seven years after the failed Jacobite Rebellion in 1945.
It’s thought that the cave was hidden near the village of Foyers on the eastern shore of Loch Ness. He was taken care of by the locals who brought him supplies and nicknamed him ‘Bonaid Odhair’ (Dun Coloured Bonnet) so they could talk about him without drawing the attention of the troops who had been sent to the area to find fugitives from the battle.
Outlander Cast
If you want to find out more about the Frasers of Outlander, then check out the Outlander Cast podcast, where they discuss different themes of the show every week.
Although much of the stories shown in Outlander are fictionalised, there are actually a lot of details that are based in fact or are inspired by tales of the real Clan Fraser. We’re waiting with bated breath to see what season six of the show brings! What's your favourite Outlander moment? Get in touch to let us know.
