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It is not one of the most cinematic or romantic filming locations of Outlander. In fact, it features one of the most brutal scenes on the entire TV show. But the Linlithgow Palace Outlander locations are still 100% worth visiting. Why? Because Linlithgow Palace is such an important Scottish historic monument!
Linlithgow Palace is around 20 miles up the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh and dates back to 1425. It is the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots and was wear James IV married Margret Tudor in 1503, the marriage of the thistle and rose.
In Outlander, Linlithgow Palace portrayed the Wentworth Prison location in season one. Captain Black Jack Randall, the villainous Redcoat, tortures Jamie Fraser, our heroic redhead, in this prison. Thankfully, Jamie’s sassenach wife Claire, his clansmen, and some highland coos save the day.
With its proximity to Edinburgh and significance in Scots history, you should have Linlithgow Palace on your Outlander filming locations bucket list. This guide details the exact episodes and seasons in which the location appeared and explains everything you need to know to plan a trip there!
Where Was Outlander Filmed in Linlithgow Palace?
Wentworth Prison Outlander Scenes at Linlithgow Palace
- “Wentworth Prison” – Episode 15, Season One
- “To Ransom a Man’s Soul” – Episode 16, Season One
The Redcoats recapture Jamie Fraser, our beloved highlander, at the end of season one whilst riding with The Watch. Captain Jack Randall “saves” Jamie from execution by taking him to Wentworth Prison. Claire attempts to rescue him and climbs a tall, winding staircase off Linlithgow Palace courtyard to find him and also down a tunnel.
She finds many prisoners in two rooms acting as jail cells on the bottom floor of the Palace and they help her locate Jamie. But when Jack finds Claire, Jamie submits himself to Jack in exchange for her freedom. When Claire leaves Wentworth Prison, she throws up outside a door, which is the main entrance to Linlithgow Palace.
And those are the Outlander Wentworth Prison locations at Linlithgow Palace!
Other Wentworth Prison Outlander Locations
Linlithgow Palace is not the only location that stood in as Wentworth Prison in Scotland. Nope, Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, England appeared in the same episodes as quick establishing shots via the wonders of CGI. Carlisle Castle in Cumbria, England‘s courtyard stood in for Wentworth Prison’s courtyard where the Redcoats hanged Taran MacQuarrie. And the rescue scene with the cows? All done in a studio!
Lots of people want to know, is Wentworth a real prison? And if so, where is Wentworth Prison? Like many iconic Outlander locations (Castle Leoch and Lallybroch to name a couple), Wentworth Prison is fictional. Diana Gabaldon, the author who wrote the Outlander novel series, based it on other Jacobite prisons at the time like Fort William. Whomp-whomp. Sorry about that, pals.
So but we can guess that Wentworth prison is somewhere in the Highlands of Scotland.
Linlithgow Palace: Planning Your Trip
How to Get There By Car (& Parking)
Linlithgow Palace is a 35 – 40 minute drive from Edinburgh and a 40-minute drive from Glasgow. It is less than 30 minutes from Stirling, too. Use the postcode EH49 7AL for your GPS/Sat Nav. The roads to Linlithgow from either location are motorways and main roads so that’s easy enough.
Parking at Linlithgow Palace is on cobblestones directly in front of the building. It is free but small and limited. An alternative parking option is on St Ninian’s Way which is also free and available 24 hours.
How to Get There By Public Transport
Train – Linlithgow has a train station, which makes it super easy to reach from all over the UK. There is a direct ScotRail service between Edinburgh Waverley Station and Glasgow Queen Street Station which goes through Linlithgow at certain times of the day.
Bus – The X38 bus service travels between Stirling and Edinburgh via Linlithgow, so that is a simple option for those two cities. The journey takes around one hour from Edinburgh and leaves every 30 minutes from St Andrew’s House bus stop. From Stirling, the journey takes around one hour 15 minutes and also leaves every 30 minutes from Platform five at the Stirling Bus Station.
It is a little trickier to get to Linlithgow by bus from Glasgow. The easiest way is to probably hop on the 900 bus service from Buchanan Bus Station towards Edinburgh, then hop on that X38 bus service at Edinburgh Airport.
Opening Times & Ticket Prices
Linlithgow Palace is open from 10:00 – 16:00 every day except closed Sunday and Monday. Full price adult tickets are £7.20. You will not need longer than two hours at Linlithgow Palace because it is not that big a place. And that includes strolling around the grounds, visiting Linlithgow Loch and St Michael’s Parish Church next door.
Check out Historic Environment Scotland for the most up-to-date opening times and ticket prices for Linlithgow Palace.
Book Your Place on an Outlander Tour in Scotland
Of course, you could visit Linlithgow Palace by booking a place on one of the Outlander tours in Scotland as I did! I went on the Haggis Adventures One Day Outlander Trail from Edinburgh and it was amazing. Less than £50 and we visited Linlithgow Palace, Doune Castle, Culross, Falkland and Midhope Castle. Our guide and driver was also fun, energetic and knowledgeable about Scotland we listened to some Scottish folk music on the ride, too.
Some other great Scotland Outlander tours I’ve heard of include Rabbie’s Outlander Adventure One Day Tours from Glasgow or Edinburgh. Plus, Rabbie’s do three-day tours if you want to visit Outlander locations from the books as well as filming locations for Outlander the TV show.
Check Out My Other Outlander Filming Location Guides
Midhope Castle as Lallybroch | Hopetoun House as Helswater (& more!) | Culross as Cranesmuir
Doune Castle as Castle Leoch | Falkland as 1940s Inverness | Blackness Castle as Fort William
Craigmillar Castle as Ardsmuir Prison | Culloden Battlefield
Outlander Filming Locations in Glasgow | Outlander Filming Locations in Edinburgh
And that’s my complete Wentworth Prison/Linlithgow Palace Outlander location guide! Have you visited Linlithgow Palace or watched Outlander? Let me know in the comments below!
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