National Trust for Scotland Archives | Destination Made Known

Introduction

Day 13 was another beautiful road trip day along Scotland’s northeast coast as we made our way toward Inverness. We stayed in a nice little flat in Banff the night before, right by the North Sea, which gave us a peaceful start to the day.

Day 13: Coastal Drives & Outlander Connections

Jerry and I took a quick morning stroll to the beach while Dave and Karen got ready to hit the road. The weather was unusually warm at 75 degrees — we felt very lucky!

Our first stop was Bow Fiddle Rock, a striking natural sea arch. The warm sunshine and waves made it a highlight of the morning. From there we continued to Elgin Cathedral, another impressive ruined cathedral with interesting artifacts and architecture. It has more surviving medieval memorials and effigies than any other Scottish cathedral.

For all the fans of the show Outlander, we made sure to stop at Clava Cairns. This site, with its standing stones surrounded by tall trees and farmland, was captivating and atmospheric — it’s widely believed to have inspired Diana Gabaldon’s Craigh na Dun. The nearby Culloden Viaduct (pictured with yellow flowers foreground) made the whole area even more scenic.

We also made a quick stop at Culloden Battlefield. While it was quite commercialized and busy with tourists (a bit of a contrast to the quieter sites), it was still a thought-provoking place to visit.

We finally arrived at our cottage just south of Inverness in the late afternoon. After a long day we made lettuce-wrapped tacos for dinner, then headed into Inverness for a quick look around and to catch the sunset.

Helpful Tips for This Route

• Bow Fiddle Rock is worth the stop — especially on a sunny day.

• Clava Cairns is free and relatively quiet compared to other popular sites.

• Culloden Battlefield can get crowded, so early or late in the day is better if possible. **Note that it is managed by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), so an NTS membership gives you free entry here (while the Historic Scotland Explorer Pass covers most of the other sites on this day).

• The Historic Scotland Explorer Pass is very useful for historic site entries.

Fun Facts

• Bow Fiddle Rock: This dramatic sea arch gets its name because it perfectly resembles the tip of a violin or fiddle bow. Formed by the relentless force of the North Sea waves, it stands about 50 feet tall and is a favorite for photographers on the Moray Coast.

• Elgin Cathedral (known as the “Lantern of the North”): Founded in 1224, this was once one of Scotland’s most magnificent cathedrals. It features a well-preserved octagonal chapter house and intricate medieval carvings.

• Clava Cairns: These Bronze Age burial cairns are around 4,000 years old, with passage graves aligned to the winter solstice. The standing stones and woodland setting inspired the time-travel site in Outlander.

• Culloden Viaduct: The longest masonry railway viaduct in Scotland (about 1,800 feet long with 29 arches), opened in 1898 and still in use today — a stunning landmark near Clava Cairns.

• Culloden Battlefield: Site of the last pitched battle fought on British soil in 1746. The Jacobite defeat here in under an hour changed the course of Highland history.

• Banff: A historic royal burgh with roots in the 12th century, once a busy North Sea trading port famous for exporting salmon to Europe.

Final Thoughts from Day 13

This day had a great mix of natural beauty, historic ruins, and Outlander nostalgia. Bow Fiddle Rock and Clava Cairns were especially memorable. We were starting to feel the pull of the Highlands and were excited to explore more around Inverness in the coming days.