‘Outlander’ Stars Say You Can Feel “The Ghosts” on the Lallybroch Set

Outlander on Starz finally returned to Scotland last week, albeit the Scotland of the 1970s. While Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) narrowly escaped death when their colonial era homestead exploded, Brianna (Sophie Skelton) and Roger (Richard Rankin) found themselves piecing together what happened in the past thanks to a chest of letters set aside for little Jemmy centuries before. Once they realize that Brianna’s improvised 18th century matches ironically saved Claire and Jamie from a fated death, the couple decides to save yet another part of their family’s legacy: Lallybroch.

Jamie first took Claire to his parents’ humble Scottish estate Lallybroch, or Broch Tuarach, all the way back in Season 1. It was there we met Jamie’s sister Jenny (Laura Donnelly) and her husband Ian (Steven Cree). Lallybroch represents the heart and soul of the Fraser clan, so when Brianna — who first visited it when she time-traveled to the 18th century — discovered that it was for sale…she and Roger leapt at the chance to buy it.

In Outlander Season 7 Episode 4 “A Most Uncomfortable Woman,” we learn that by 1980, Brianna and Roger are still struggling to find the funds to fully renovate Lallybroch. They’ve updated the kitchen, kept an iconic sword slash, and spent years living in a camper van with their kiddos…but it’s just not done.

Outlander executive producer Maril Davis revealed that the idea for the camper van came from necessity. “Yeah, this was a tough season because we had so many different time periods and they were all taking place at Lallybroch,” Davis said. “We knew early on that art department could only do so much. And out of that came this idea actually of the trailer that you see outside of Lallybroch, where Brianna and Roger are living.”

“If you’ve ever redone a house before, it takes time. It takes twenty times that amount of time in Scotland. And so we decided to play into that idea and take a little bit of the pressure off our art department. So they would only, there were certain sections of the house they would do, and then we’d play a lot in the trailer.”

While Outlander fans will be coming home to Lallybroch this season, one of the show’s main stars was excited to visit the iconic location for the first time.

“I was so excited to be [there] because I’ve never been,” Richard Rankin told Decider. “I was just filled with absolute wonder and excitement because these guys have all been there. It’s a family estate and, you know, Jamie Fraser’s home.”

Sophie Skelton revealed that although Bree had been there before, Season 7’s Lallybroch storyline was still poignant for her and her character.

“I think for Bree, that was the one of the first places she went when she came back in time. She met her family there and Brianna has never really had much family. So it’s a very special place,” Skelton said. “There’s actually a lovely scene later on where we actually talk about that, don’t we? The kind of the ghosts — feeling the ghosts in that place and just feeling home because of it.”

Before they can feel those ghosts, Bree and Roger have to clear out the cobwebs. Something that, as evidenced by said camper, hasn’t been going that easily. Still, Rankin and Skelton find the renovation storyline “fun.”

“It’s fun for them to just build that new place together. They’ve not really had their own little settlement, have they?” Skelton wondered aloud.

“They’ve got a great kitchen,” Rankin said. 

“Yeah, they do. It’s a big place!”

“A lot of our cookware is Le Creuset,” Rankin said, namedropping the couple’s bougie pots and pans. “And I’m like, they can’t be struggling for money that much.”

“I know, I was thinking that,” Skelton agreed.

“Yeah, very expensive, French, crockery, cookware.”

“But it’s just nice to have a safe place for the kids as well, isn’t it?” Skelton said. “Having raised Jemmy on the Ridge where there’s — just it’s not super safe. It’s nice to have a house and a kitchen to cook in and dance around in isn’t it?”

“Yup. A bit of dancing, a bit of shopping,” Rankin said. “A bit of dadding, did some dadding.”

Besides being safer, Rankin and Skelton revealed there was another bonus for Roger and Brianna in the 1980s: the fashion.

“Ah, my checkered shirt. It is just so cool,” Rankin said. “The ’80s stuff is always gonna be cool, I think. I mean Bree’s got some nice little—”

“Brianna might have a little hair. I like Brianna’s little haircut. It’s cool,” Skelton said. “But Brianna, I think, just feels more…she’s such a modern woman that I think to be constricted by a corset all the time just feels so against her character.”

“So I think the ’80s feels way more just homey and comfy, you know? And she’s always been a bit of a tomboy. Jeans, little t-shirt, just get on with it, hands dirty, let’s go. 

“Yeah, Roger doesn’t look much cooler in the 18th century, I think,” Rankin said.

“Well, he was cool in both,” Skelton countered. “It’d be good if it was like proper ’80s, though. In terms of Fresh Prince of Bel Air and that stuff. Yeah, just really cool like Stranger Things style. I wanted Bree to have like big, curly hair and hoops and stuff. So, you know, maybe next time.”

There’s still one more season left of Outlander after Season 7 comes to a close in early 2024, so there’s still time for Brianna to get those aquanet curls and hoop earrings.