'Outlandish' Ross castle's TV role
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A ROSS-SHIRE castle will feature on a television programme tomorrow night about the hugely successful Outlander novels and smash-hit TV series.
In an exclusive interview to be shown on BBC Alba, author Diana Gabaldon reveals to Cathy MacDonald that viewing an old episode of Dr Who showing men in kilts was "powerful and compelling" and the author had no prior knowledge of Scotland or its history.
"I didn’t expect that anyone would read this novel, let alone publish it," Diana Gabaldon tells Cathy.
"I didn’t know anything about Scotland but the image of the men in kilts stayed in my head.
"I then wanted to have a strong female character to create a sexual tension and I decided to have an English woman to create conflict.
"Then as I started writing the character of Claire Randall she just wouldn’t speak like an 18th century Englishwoman at all. She was speaking in a modern tone of voice and after wrestling with her for a few pages I hit upon the idea of having her travel back in time."
Cathy explores the facts behind the fiction and finds out about the Highland folklore drawn upon in the novels.
She visits some of the locations featured in the book and TV series such as the real current seat of Clan MackKenzie at Castle Leod in Strathpeffer, which becomes Castle Leoch in the book.
Cathy also visits Culloden of which Gabaldon says: "I’ve walked on a lot of battlefields. Most of them are not haunted. That one is."
Diana talks about readers’ reactions across the world to the Scottish imagery in the book and the "Outlander effect" that has been drawing hordes of enthusiastic fans to Scotland.
The Outlander series of books have gone on to sell more than 27 million copies worldwide.
• Sàr-sgeoil: Outlander, produced by Caledonia TV, will be broadcast on BBC Alba tomorrow Thursday September 29 at 9pm until 10pm. It will also be available to view on BBC iPlayer.
