{"id":336823,"date":"2025-12-09T22:09:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T22:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/balvaird-castle-how-to-visit-castle-leathers-from-outlander-blood-of-my-blood-2025\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T22:09:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T22:09:19","slug":"balvaird-castle-how-to-visit-castle-leathers-from-outlander-blood-of-my-blood-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=336823","title":{"rendered":"Balvaird Castle – How To Visit Castle Leathers From Outlander: Blood Of My Blood (2025)!"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\u22c6\u02d9\u27e1\u2661\ufe0e This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy<\/a> for details. Thanks for your support \u22c6\u02d9\u27e1\u2661\ufe0e<\/p>\n

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Hey, Outlander fans. Did you know that you can visit the Castle Leathers filming location from Blood of My Blood<\/em> in Scotland?\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s called Balvaird Castle, and it\u2019s a REAL historic castle that existed in the Jacobite era.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a huge fan of Outlander and the new prequel, visiting Brian Fraser\u2019s family home was surreal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It felt like I had been transported back in time, and you must go if you\u2019re a fan.<\/p>\n

Here is how to visit Balvaird Castle or Castle Leathers from Outlander: Blood of my Blood.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Castle Leathers<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

What is Castle Leathers in Blood of My Blood?\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Castle Leathers is the home of Simon Fraser, also known as Lord Lovat.<\/p>\n

He is the father of Brian Fraser, who will eventually become the father of Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Brian lives here with his mother and housekeeper, Davina Porter, and they are sworn enemies of Clan MacKenzie of Leoch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Castle Leathers features heavily throughout the show, especially after Julia starts working here following her separation from Henry.<\/p>\n

I would say more, but I don\u2019t want to spoil the story for you. You\u2019ll have to watch it for yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Is Castle Leathers a real castle in Scotland?\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Yes, Castle Leathers from Blood of My Blood is a real castle in Scotland.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s called Balvaird Castle, and it\u2019s a historic tower house in Perthshire protected by Historic Scotland.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This fortress existed during the Jacobite era and was owned by the wealthy Murrays.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Fun fact: <\/strong>Castle Leathers is also the name of a real Scottish keep near Inverness. It was home to a Major James Fraser in the 17th century, who was an ardent Jacobite! What are the chances?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Balvaird<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Balvaird Castle history\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Balvaird Castle was first constructed in the late 15th century.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The name Balvaird means Baile a\u2019 Bh\u00e0ird<\/em>, or \u2018Township of the Bard\u2019 in Gaelic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was home to Sir Andrew Murray, who became a wealthy landowner through his marriage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This prosperous match allowed him a comfortable living, and his sons made significant renovations to this castle over time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1658, the Murrays left Balvaird and moved to the more luxurious Scone Palace near Perth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The tower house remained inhabited mostly by tenants and farm workers, but was eventually abandoned in the 20th century.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was owned by the Murrays until 2017.\u00a0 Then, it was sold to an American entrepreneur, Brady Brim-DeForest, who is now Baron Balvaird.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite the ownership, it continues to be protected by Historic Scotland, who manage the site.<\/p>\n

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\"Balvaird<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Visit Balvaird Castle from Outlander: Blood of My Blood\u00a0<\/h2>\n

The great news for Outlander fans is that today, Balvaird Castle is open to the public.<\/p>\n

So, it couldn\u2019t be easier to visit the Castle Leathers filming location in Scotland.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to know that they didn\u2019t film any interior scenes at Balvaird Castle, and so you cannot go inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But, fans will still love visiting the exteriors and recreating their favourite moments from the show!<\/p>\n

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How to visit Castle Leathers in Scotland\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Balvaird Castle is located in Perthshire in the Ochil Hills of Abernethy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As it\u2019s in a remote location in the countryside, it\u2019s more convenient to drive. You can access the castle off the M90 or A91.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s close to the city of Perth (20-minute drive) and the town of Glenrothes (25-minute drive).\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not driving, you can take a community bus service 55 (heading to Kinross) from the city of Perth to the Bein Inn, Glenfarg.<\/p>\n

The walk is then around 1.5 miles or 30\/40 minutes to get there. But the route requires walking on a main road.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s better to ask your hotel to book you a taxi, as this castle is truly in the middle of nowhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just make sure to book a return, as you don\u2019t want to be stranded.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Opening times & prices<\/h2>\n

Castle Leathers is open 24 hours a day and all year round in Scotland.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also completely free to visit, which makes it a great budget activity for Outlander fans on a road trip.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Balvaird Castle parking\u00a0<\/h2>\n

There is a gravel car park near the entrance of Balvaird Castle that you can use to visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Parking here is completely free, but as it\u2019s a small car park, space is limited.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Luckily, the Castle Leathers filming location is not that popular (yet), so you should be fine finding a space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If they have locked the main car park, you can park just outside the entrance gate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Please remember to park with consideration and don\u2019t block any gates that would restrict farm access.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The walk to Castle Leathers<\/h2>\n

After you\u2019ve parked, you can follow the short pathway up to Balvaird Castle.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an easy walk and only takes a few minutes, but it\u2019s surprisingly steep. So, make sure to have some sensible shoes on.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Also, I would pack a layer as the headland can get windy. In October, it was absolutely freezing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As I started walking up the path, it was so exciting to see Castle Leathers slowly come into view.<\/p>\n

Once you arrive, you\u2019re free to walk around and explore as you please.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Balvaird<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Can you go inside Balvaird Castle?<\/h2>\n

No, you can\u2019t go inside Balvaird Castle. But you can visit the exteriors.<\/p>\n

This includes the tower, inner courtyard, outer garden and wider grounds.<\/p>\n

Although the keep is mostly a ruin today, what\u2019s left is seriously impressive. I loved seeing all the crumbling staircases and old carving work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some information boards give you an overview of the history and what life here would have been like years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But, for me, it felt surreal to finally visit Castle Leathers in real life. You feel like you\u2019ve stepped into an episode of the show.<\/p>\n

On my visit, they were setting up for filming the second season, which was so exciting.\u00a0That\u2019s why there\u2019s some set construction in the photos.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t wait to see what they have in store for us and to watch the story unfold next year.<\/p>\n

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Find Blood of my Blood filming locations\u00a0<\/h2>\n

There are so many filming locations that you can find at Balvaird Castle from the series during a visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It features in nearly every episode of Blood of My Blood and in most of the important scenes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To avoid spoilers, I won\u2019t go too much into the story, but you\u2019ll instantly recognise the tower house where Brian lives with his father, Simon Fraser.<\/p>\n

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In the first episode, we\u2019re introduced to Brian Fraser and Murtagh MacKenzie Fraser sitting on a tree stump on the grounds.<\/p>\n

You may be surprised to know that this stump is real and can be found on the outer grounds in the castle walls.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The castle also features in the backdrop of scenes with Julia attempting to run away, gathering herbs, or having secret conversations with Brian.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The outer walls are also well worth exploring as this is where other intense scenes were filmed starring Julia, Henry and Balloch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As I mentioned, they didn\u2019t film any of the interiors of the castle here. These were all filmed in private houses and a studio.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s so fun finding all the filming locations around the estate.<\/p>\n

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How long do you need at Balvaird Castle?<\/h2>\n

You could spend anything from 30 minutes to a couple of hours at Balvaird Castle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It really depends on your interests and what the weather is like on the day.<\/p>\n

For Blood of my Blood fans, you could spend hours recreating your favourite scenes.<\/p>\n

For most visitors, around an hour should suffice. You can\u2019t go inside, but it\u2019s a lovely castle with lots of history and lush grounds to explore.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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My top tips for visiting<\/h2>\n