OUTLANDER star Sam Heughan has announced his Great Glen Company will be launching a brand new tartan.
The Scottish actor took to social media to make the announcement as he showcased the new Sassenach Tartan in a smouldering snap.
In the pic Sam can be seen modelling the design in a scarf – while another pic declares the “thread counts incorporate Sam Heughan’s date of birth – like a vintage dram it is important to know where, when and hot it was made”.
Sam wrote: “With the release of the wonderful The Secret Life of Tartan by Vixy Rae (available now!) – we are also announcing the launch of the official Sassenach Tartan!!
“A unique new tartan, designed and crafted in collaboration with the brilliant Prickly Thistle Scotland.”
And it looks like fans aren’t the only ones who can’t get enough of the new design, with fellow castmate Duncan Lacroix putting in an early order.
He said: “Not too shabby. I shall expect mine waiting for me in my trailer next week on wrap day.”
Fans flocked to the post with some offering their congratulations to the Scottish actor.
One said: “Another venture, your are everything, congratulations!”
While one follower wrote: “Looking dapper!”
And one Instagram user added: “There is no end to the Sassenach merch.”
Fans of the hit time travel drama will be able to get their hands on the Sassenach Tartan later this month.
We previously told how Sam and Catriona ( Claire ) hailed the new cast members joining the fifth season of the hit time travel drama.
The stars praised the new actors – telling fans that they “knock it out the park” in the new season.
Outlander’s Sam Heughan takes centre stage in teaser for new series
It came after we reported how Outlander scooped the title of most bingeworthy show in the world.
Outlander season five is set to hit TV screens next year – with fans waiting in anticipation for Droughtlander to end.
Daniel Craig will be putting down his martini soon making way for a new actor to take up the mantle. While Tom Hardy has long been slated for the job, a new contender is on the scene : Sam Heughan. Previously, the Outlander star was barely even a contender and was priced a distant 75-1.
Now, he’s raced ahead of the likes of Hardy and the Venom actor’s Peaky Blinders co-star Cillian Murphy to take a spot in the top three favourites
According to Paddy Power, Heughan’s odds have been slashed dramatically from 75-1 to 8-1.
This puts him behind favourite James Norton (2-1) and Tom Hiddleston (9-2).
Meanwhile, Hardy has been bumped to fourth on the list at 9-1.
James Bond: The new 007 actor could be Outlander star Sam Heughan
James Bond: Outlander star Sam Heughan’s odds of taking over as Bond have been slashed
“Forget Sean Connery, it’s more like From Balmaclellan With Love as Sam Heughan’s chances of becoming the next James Bond just shortened massively,” a Paddy Power spokesperson told Express.co.uk.
“He was as large as 75-1 with us this morning, but due to a large, sustained period of bets we’ve had to cut him into 8-1 – putting him amongst the favourites now.”
Heughan, who is best known as Jamie Fraser in Outlander, has previously revealed he would love the chance to bring Bond back to Scotland.
“I think any actor who says they wouldn’t [want to play Bond] would be lying,” he told STV earlier this year. “I think it’s about time we had a Scottish Bond again.
James Bond: No Time To Die will be Daniel Craig’s last Bond movie (Image: EON)
James Bond: Daniel Craig returns in ‘No Time To Die’
“I think Fleming had a good connection with Scotland and I believe James Bond was supposed to have been brought up in Scotland,” the Scottish actor continued.
However, he also acknowledged the number of actors he would have to beat to get the part, saying: “I know I’ve got competition out there, so we’ll see what happens.”
In another interview with The Scottish Sun, Heughan joked he would only play Bond if he was allowed to wear a kilt in character.
Meanwhile, the Outlander favourite has in fact auditioned for 007 before when bosses were casting for Casino Royale — when Craig got the part.
“I didn’t audition for Bond a long time ago when they were redoing it with Daniel Craig when he was Bond 21,” he said on Live with Kelly and Ryan.
“They were going to go younger with him and it was a pretty good experience. It’s about time we got a Scottish Bond,” he added.
To add fuel to the fire, Bond bosses have a history of casting actors who have previously auditioned for 007.
Both Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan were strongly linked to the part years before they ended up taking it.
Heughan has played Jamie Fraser in Starz’s Outlander since it first aired in 2014.
He has starred in the fantasy romance drama opposite Caitriona Balfe for five seasons.
The actor previously appeared in Doctors, The Spy Who Dumped Me and A Very British Sex Scandal.
While the frontrunners in the race for the new Bond seem to change every day or two, Heughan’s meteoric rise into the top three is interesting to note as Craig’s exit draw closer.
No Time To Die will be released in UK cinemas April 3 2020.
As far as underrated holiday destinations go, Scotland is on the list. It’s known around the world for its whisky, tartan and bagpipes but often overlooked by British travellers who opt for the sun-kissed sands of Spain or otherworldly scenery of Iceland.
Thankfully, we’re here to show you just how wonderful this UK beauty spot really is by bringing you the amazing things and unique experiences you can only have in Scotland… 1. Take a tour of the Outlander film locations
Unique Outlander tour
– see Lallybroch , ancestral home of Jamie Fraser ( Midhope Castle)
– hear Jamie Fraser guide you around Castle Leoch ( Doune Castle )
Outlander has been filmed exclusively in Scotland and there are a growing number of film locations. Number one on the list has got to be Lallybroch ( Midhope Castle ) , ancestral home of Jamie Fraser . Design your own Outlander tour – phone 0131 549 9785 for more details or contact us online . Take the Jamie Fraser Outlander tour to visit Lallybroch, Fort William and Wentworth Prison . Tours are run daily and prices start at just £150 per tour .
2. Take a tour of the Highlands
The scenery of the Highlands is amazing and a must see for any visitor to Scotland . Our Highlands tour features a visit to Glencoe, Buachaille Etive Mor, Black Mount and Rannoch Moor. This private tour of the Highlands features a drive through the beautiful scenery of Loch Lomond National park , passing Loch Lubhair and Loch Lubnaig and going through Crianlarich and Tyndrum .Phone 0131 549 9785 for more details or contact us online . Tours are run daily and prices start at just £250 per tour .
Scotland tours , Eilean Donan Castle, the Highlands , Scotland , The castle sits on an island in the middle of three lochs
3. Ride the Glenfinnan Viaduct like Harry Potter
Florida and Hertfordshire have the fancy studio tours and rides but Scotland has the real-life Hogwarts Express in the form of the Jacobite Steam Train, one of the greatest railway journeys in the world.
The train, which you can experience during a four-day tour this summer, runs from Fort William to Mallaig, crossing the 21-arched Glenfinnan Viaduct and running through rugged mountains and past stunning lochs.
4. Land on the beach at Barra
The world’s only scheduled beach landing is located right here on this Outer Hebrides island, where you’ll get to tick an incredible flight landing off your bucket list. You’ll land between tides on the beautifully white, sandy beach Traigh Mhor, a runway like no other.
When a take-off or landing isn’t expected, you can stroll this unique airport runway to admire Barra’s Caribbean-esque sands – but be sure to check that the airport sock isn’t flying as this is when public access isn’t permitted.
3. Meet Highland cows
These icons of Scotland are cute, photogenic and very hairy. Highland cows, or coos, are often seen lazing and grazing all over the country.
You’ll spot them in picturesque locations like the Cairngorms National Park, Stirling Castle or during a rail trip through the Highlands. On our Highlands tour we stop outside Callendar to see a couple of huge Highland cows.
4. Spot marine life on the UK’s first whale trail
Scotland’s newly launched Hebridean Whale Trail is a must for wildlife fans, with its 30 unique sites across the west coast where you can look out across the sea and watch for whales and dolphins.
The wildlife spotting trail includes lighthouses in the Isle of Lewis, Isle of Scalpay and the mainland, as well as beaches in the Highlands, the Isle of Harris and Ullapool.
5. Take off from the water with the UK’s only seaplane airline
Now this is one way to see Scotland! Seaplanes might be common in the Maldives but you don’t have to venture to the Indian Ocean to experience one for yourself, as there’s a seaplane airline operating in Loch Lomond.
Loch Lomond Seaplanes will pick you up from the shores of the loch for a tour of the breathtaking national park as you take in the famous mountains, glens and lochs.
Tours of Scotland – Seven unique experiences you can only have in Scotland . Phone 0131 549 9785 for more details or contact us online . Tours are run daily and prices start at just £150 per tour .
Private tours Edinburgh phone 0131-549-9785Private tours of Scotland 0131-549-9785 seven days a weekPrivate tours Edinburgh 0131-549-9785 . Looking for day trips Edinburgh ? How about taking an Outlander tour from Edinburgh to visit Jamie Fraser’s home in Scotland’s amazing Outlander film locations ? For tour information call +44131-549-9785 now *** check availability now for our unique tours of Scotland +44131-549-9785 seven days a week
Preston Mill stood in for Lallybroch , the Highland home of Jamie Fraser when the Redcoats came calling during the first season of the hit drama Outlander.
The appearance of 200-year-old Preston Mill on TV networks around the world has helped ensure its wheel will keep turning for a few more years at least.
Outlander news from Private tours Edinburgh . Book your Outlander tours to the original film locations , including Lallybroch on +447305294773 .
A crowdfunding appeal sent out by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) after the iconic building’s waterwheel ground to a halt has been a raging success with donors digging deep to help pay for repairs, which have now got it moving again.
And it was the Outlander connection which help the fundraising effort smash through its £12,000 target, with an American fan of the show matching donations made by others.
A working mill until 1959, the historic Preston Mill in East Linton, East Linton, has a curious Dutch-style, red-tiled conical roof and is an architectural oddity which attracts thousands of tourists each year.
The engineer and millwright Andrew Meikle, who invented the threshing machine, was once a tenant and until September last year its machinery – powered by the River Tyne – was still turning.
It is now used to give tour groups an insight into the gruelling life of a 18th century miller, and is also beloved by painters because of its unusual design.
The mill stood in for a part of Lallybroch Castle in Outlander, in a scene where star Sam Heughan was fixing its wheel when Government troops came looking for Jacobites.
He plunged under the water to hide while time-travelling heroine Claire Fraser, played by Catriona Balfe, talked her way out of trouble.
Other scenes at ‘Lallybroch’, which the series places in Inverness-shire, were actually filmed at Midhope Castle, located between South Queensferry and Linlithgow on the edges of the private Hopetoun Estate.
But real life imitated art when the wheel stopped working last year, with the NTS appealing for help getting it moving again.
Book your Outlander tours to the original film locations , including Lallybroch on +447305294773 .Private tours Edinburgh 0131-549-9785 . Looking for day trips Edinburgh ? How about taking an Outlander tour from Edinburgh to visit Jamie Fraser’s home in Scotland’s amazing Outlander film locations ?Private tours of Scotland 0131-549-9785 seven days a weekPrivate tours Edinburgh 0131-549-9785 . Looking for day trips Edinburgh ? How about taking an Outlander tour from Edinburgh to visit Jamie Fraser’s home in Scotland’s amazing Outlander film locations ? For tour information call +44131-549-9785 now *** check availability now for our unique tours of Scotland +44131-549-9785 seven days a week
Looking for things to do in Edinburgh ? How about taking a tour from Edinburgh of two ancient castles and the Kelpies ?
Our Kelpies and castles tour features a visit to the amazing Kelpies in Falkirk and two ancient Scottish castles in Stirling and Doune .
The Kelpies and castles tours are available daily seven days a week .The tour spends up to an hour at each location .
Normal pickup point is Edinburgh city centre . Five hour private tour around Falkirk for up to four passengers. Tours start at 10 am weekdays . Explore the famous Kelpies in Falkirk .
Itinerary
5 hour private tour group day trip around Falkirk and Stirling
Explore the world famous Kelpies , a unique tribute to the Clydesdale horses that used to pull barges along the canals of Scotland
visit Doune Castle and find out about its five claims to movie fame
visit Stirling Castle , home of Mary Queen of Scots and the Stewart kings of Scotland
Take in unique views of the historic Stirling and Doune Castle
Small private group tour with a maximum of 4 people
The world famous Kelpies
The Kelpies sculptures are the largest works of art in Scotland, and the largest equine sculptures in the world, designed by Andy Scott.
The Kelpies sculptures are the largest equine sculptures in the world and they have become Scotland’s best known cultural landmark with over one million visitors .
The Kelpies are 30 metre high sculptures of Clydesdale horses , a unique tribute to the work horses of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the freight barges and coalships along the canals of Scotland in the nineteenth century . Canals shaped the geographical layout of the Falkirk area. The Kelpies are the centrepiece of the Helix Park in Falkirk .
The Kelpies have become the most famous equine sculptures in the world . But now they have been given another name to make them more attractive to Chinese tourists.
VisitBritain, which markets the UK abroad, has dubbed them ‘Kai Po Ju Ma’ in promotional literature in China – which translates as “glorious armoured giant horses”.
2 Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle is one of Scotland’s most impressive castles due to its imposing position and impressive architecture. The castle was the home of Mary, Queen of Scots and the Stewart kings of Scotland .
Stirling castle tours
From Stirling Castle’s ramparts, visitors can take in views of the Forth Valley and Ben Lomond , as well as two of Scotland’s most important battle sites – Stirling Bridge (1297) and Bannockburn (1314). The castle is at the head of Stirling’s historic old town.Like Edinburgh Castle , Stirling sits on a volcanic rock dominating the city skyline .
Stirling Castle is not only one of Scotland’s grandest and most imposing castles, it was also a real favourite with Scotland’s kings and queens. And their investment in it demonstrated just how much they loved to use it, as well as their desire to ensure it both impressed all who visited it, and represented a statement of their power and wealth. James IV created the Great Hall, the largest medieval banqueting hall ever built in Scotland, and James V’s Royal Palace, with its lavishly decorated Renaissance façades, was a masterpiece of the period.
Major conservation work has been carried out at Stirling Castle over many years to preserve the attraction as a major national and international monument. The refurbishment of the Great Hall was completed ten years ago . A particular feature of the Great Hall is stained glass windows featuring clan crests . A number of banquets and concerts are held in the Hall throughout the year .
Phone 07305-294773 for availability and bookings or contact us online .
Doune Castle – featured in Game of Thrones and Monty Python
Game of Thrones castle tours
Doune Castle is unique in that it actually has five claims to movie fame
Game of Thrones ( Winterfell )
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Outlander ( Castle Leoch )
the Outlaw King
Mary Queen of Scots
Your guide will give details of the history of the castle , information about the Game of Thrones filming plus all the other films made at Doune Castle including Monty Python and the Holy Grail .
Behind the scenes access
Visitors to the castle can get details about Game of Thrones filming in the Great Hall and courtyard of the castle .
Insider access
Take the audio tour of Doune Castle , narrated by Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Outlander’sJamie Fraser ( Sam Heughan ) .
The castle was used as the set for Winterfell in the TV series Game of Thrones (2011–present), an adaptation of the A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels by George R. R. Martin. The castle was also used as “Castle Leoch” in the TV adaption of the Outlander series of novels.
The Great Hall is 20 metres by 8 metres , and 12 metres high to its timber roof, again a 19th-century replacement.The hall has no fireplace, and was presumably heated by a central fire, and ventilated by means of a louvre like the one in the modern roof. No details of the original roof construction are known, however, and the restoration is conjectural.Large windows light the hall, and stairs lead down to the three cellars on ground level.
The hall is accessed from the courtyard via a stair up to a triangular lobby, which in turn links the hall and kitchens by means of two large serving hatches with elliptical arches, unusual for this period.
The kitchen tower, virtually a tower house in its own right, is 17 metres (56 ft) by 8 metres (26 ft). The vaulted kitchen is on the hall level, above a cellar. One of the best-appointed castle kitchens in Scotland of its date, it has an oven and a 5.5-metre (18 ft) wide fireplace. A stair turret, added in 1581 and possibly replacing a timber stair, leads up from the lobby to two storeys of guest rooms. These include the “Royal Apartments”, a suite of two bedrooms plus an audience chamber, suitable for royal visitors.
The Kelpies and Castles tour costs £195 .
Check availability by phoning us now on 07305-294773 or contact us online Toll free number 1-866-233-2644
Private tours Edinburgh – unique tours of Scotland 7 days a week – phone 0131-549-9785Private tours Edinburgh 0131-549-9785 . Looking for day trips Edinburgh ? How about taking an Outlander tour from Edinburgh to visit Jamie Fraser’s home in Scotland’s amazing Outlander film locations ?Private tours of Scotland 0131-549-9785 seven days a weekPrivate tours Edinburgh 0131-549-9785 . Looking for day trips Edinburgh ? How about taking an Outlander tour from Edinburgh to visit Jamie Fraser’s home in Scotland’s amazing Outlander film locations ? For tour information call +44131-549-9785 now *** check availability now for our unique tours of Scotland +44131-549-9785 seven days a week
Availability for tours 2020
Check availability by phoning us now on +44-131 549 9785 / +44-7305-294773 or you can now check availability for tours on our online booking calendar
Our new James Bond tour of the Highlands of Scotland features film locations Eilean Donan Castle , Glencoe and Ardverikie in the Highlands plus a visit to a selection of Bond cars .Phone 07305-294773 for more details . Your guide will take you to the best spots for taking pictures of Eilean Donan Castle and the beautiful scenery of Glencoe and the Highlands . Phone +44 131 549 9785 / +44+7305-294773 for more details and bookings .
