Outlander's Sam Heughan says 'undiscovered' part of Scotland 'should be talked about'

Daily Record

a day ago

The Outlander star, who was born in a small hillside village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, has gushed about the area he believes is the 'undiscovered Scotland'
Outlander star Sam Heughan has spoken passionately about a "undiscovered" part of Scotland which he feels deserves more recognition. Originally hailing from Balmaclellan, a quaint hillside village located in the stunning Dumfries and Galloway area, Sam, aged 45, cherishes his Scottish roots.
Aged just five, his family moved from the picturesque village and moved to the nearby New Galloway, situated on the edge of the Galloway Forest Park. There the youngster lived in a converted stable on the grounds of the 17th-centuryKenmure Castle.
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Sam's childhood home was so remote that his primary school contained just 20 pupils. And while he decided to relocate to Edinburgh for a more metropolitan lifestyle as a teenager, he believes more people should be talking about Dumfries and Galloway.
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Speaking on the Travel Diaries podcast, Sam said: I was born and brought up in the South West of Scotland, in a place called Dumfries and Galloway and it's the undiscovered Scotland, I think. It's the part that's not really talked about, but it should be, because it has so much.
"It's kind of remote but wild. It has great scenery, great history, and growing up I was very lucky to grow up in the grounds of an old castle.
"Being alone a lot, because there's not many people that live there. There were only like four children in my class at school, so being alone, creating your own games and environment and playing make believe, that I did a lot, perhaps definitely did influence my career in being an actor.
He added: "It was an amazing, kind of idyllic upbringing, and as a teenager I moved to the bright lights of Edinburgh, which was like, to me, moving to Las Vegas."
Visit Scotland praises Dumfries and Galloway for being a "beautiful" slice of Scotland with an "undulating coastline of rocky shoreline and sandy beaches", offering a wide array of outdoor pursuits, cultural spots, and tempting cuisine.
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The region is a hit among cycling enthusiasts and wildlife buffs alike. It's also the setting for the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO biosphere.
Spanning 9,700km² across southwest Scotland, this varied terrain is the backdrop for roughly 100,000 residents. The biosphere officials aim to foster a "balanced relationship between people and the natural environment".
In 2012, the area earned recognition for its world-class harmonisation of human and natural existence. At its heart lie the Merrick hills and moors, shaped by ancient glaciers.
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The biosphere has been home to a host of communities throughout history, with Stone Age people, Roman soldiers, Viking settlers, and the earliest Christians in Scotland all said to have called the area home. It isn't the only part of Dumfries and Galloway brimming with history however.
But there's more historic allure in Dumfries and Galloway beyond the biosphere. For instance, Caerlaverock Castle stands out as one of Scotland's most distinguished medieval strongholds, with its twin-towered gatehouse still commanding presence despite its ruinous state.
It is said to have regularly featured in the brutal cross-border conflicts between Scotland and England. Although less popular than some of the regions in Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway is still thought to welcome around 490,000 overnight visitors each year.
According to Visit Scotland, tourists bring around £133 million into the local economy. The average overnight visitor spent around £270 each trip in 2023.