Outlander dress travels through time to Culross Palace

The Royal Burgh of Culross, along with many other places in our care across the country, has been used as a filming location for the hit television series Outlander. As it enters its eighth and final season later this year, we’re celebrating this global phenomenon by displaying a real costume that brings a piece of the story to life for fans and visitors alike.

The character Geillis, played in the series by Lotte Verbeek, is first seen in Season 1 wearing a dress with a felted wool bodice and a heavy wool-weave skirt. Geillis’ costumes were deliberately designed to reflect her 1960s life, creating a sense of disorientation in the audience that she was out of place in the 18th century, before it was revealed that she was a time traveller. The dress, designed by Terry Dresbach, costume designer for Outlander Seasons 1–4, is on display within Culross Palace, accompanied by its white undergarment, corset, and underskirt.

Geillis Duncan, also known as Gillie Duncan, was a real person. She was accused by magistrate David Seton of witchcraft in 1590, and her forced confession fuelled witchcraft accusations in Scotland, contributing to the North Berwick witch trials and allegations against more than sixty people.

Anna Rathband, Filming Manager, said: ’We’ve had a great relationship with the production of Outlander for more than a decade. Six out of its eight seasons were filmed at Trust places, including Culross Palace, Falkland Palace, the Hermitage, Newhailes House & Gardens, and Preston Mill.

’Hundreds, if not thousands, of Outlander fans have already come from across the world to engage with the story and to learn more about the history of our country. We’re excited to bring a piece of Outlander to Culross Palace and make Geillis’ dress available for the public to see up close. Many fans of the series will recognise Culross as the fictional village of Cranesmuir in seasons one and two, and the village, Culross Palace, and the Palace’s garden have featured in a variety of scenes throughout the series, so it will give them a chance to stand in the Outlander world and connect with a piece of its history.’ 

In the Outlander story, Geillis first appears in 1743 and befriends the main character, Claire Randall. Eventually, Geillis is tried and executed for witchcraft, revealing her real name is Gillian Edgars, a Jacobite who deliberately returned to Scotland before the 1745 uprising, to try and change the course of history.

Dozens of the Trust’s special places serve as the backdrop for film and television projects, including Skyfall, Outlaw King, and Mary Queen of Scots, amongst many more. VisitScotland’s 2023 visitor survey revealed that 36% of European visitors and 37% of long-haul visitors were inspired to visit Scotland due to films, TV shows, and books featuring the country, indicating that engaging in film tourism resonates with people from around the world.

Film tourism supports our vision to care for, protect, and share Scotland’s nature, beauty and heritage for everyone, as outlined in our 10-year strategy, launched in 2022.

Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore of Tall Ship Productions, Maril Davis, Toni Graphia, Luke Schelhaas, Andy Harries of Left Bank Productions, Jim Kohlberg of Story Mining & Supply Company, Caitríona Balfe, and Sam Heughan serve as executive producers on Outlander, which is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Left Bank Pictures and Story Mining & Supply Company, in association with Sony Pictures Television.

The Outlander television series is inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling books, which have sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, with all nine of the books gracing the New York Times best-seller list. The Outlander television series has become a worldwide success with audiences, spanning the genres of history, science fiction, romance, and adventure in one amazing tale.