Dozens of costumes and props from the hit TV series Outlander will go on display in Edinburgh this week in an exhibition being staged ahead of their sale at auction.
Costumes on show at Bonhams showrooms will include the kilted outfit worn by hero Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan, in scenes depicting the Battle of Culloden and a stunning red ball gown worn by Caitriona Balfe as Claire Fraser.
Included in the exhibition will be a model of the fictional Craigh na Dun standing stone circle created by the Outlander Art Department for the first ever series.
The stone circle is thought to have been inspired by the Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis, with the diorama model even featuring a miniature Claire.
Other exhibits include the wedding dress worn by Sophie Skelton as Brianna MacKenzie from her marriage to Roger, played by Scots actor Richard Rankin, and “Black Jack” Randall’s red coat uniform, worn by actor Tobias Menzies in scenes of hand to hand conflict with Jamie.
Claire’s teak medical chest with surgical supplies, a painted Scottish standard, a prop model of time traveler Otter-Tooth’s skull and Jamie’s will, together with a signed script and a clapperboard from the very last episode in the final season are among the other highlights going on show.
The exhibition, to run from Tuesday until Sunday, will be a unique opportunity for Outlander fans to see iconic objects from all eight seasons in Scotland before they are auctioned this summer.
Nearly 400 lots will go under the hammer in two Bonhams sales, “Outlander: The Auction”. The online sale running from July 20 to August 6 and live sale at Bonhams’ New Bond Street London showrooms on August 5 are expected to raise a total of upto £300,000.
Jamie’s Culloden outfit including his Fraser tartan kilt, estimated at £1500-2000, will feature in the exhibition directly opposite the British military “red coat” uniform worn by his sadistic nemesis Randall, which could fetch £1000-1500 this summer. Both outfits feature wear to show the intensity of the “battle”.
Claire’s red ball gown from Season 2 episode “Not in Scotland Anymore”, could make £3,000-5,000, while her tartan corseted dress from season 1 episode “Lallybroch” – also on show – is estimated at £2,500-3,500.
The Craigh na Dun standing stone set created by the Outlander Art Department for Season One could fetch £800-1,200. Craigh na Dun is central to the plot as the site where Claire, Brianna, Roger and Geillis all travel back in time.
In the show, prop standing stones made from polystyrene and rendered in a stone-like surface with decorative moss, were set on private farmland in Kinloch Rannoch in Perthshire, after a long search for a suitable location.
Brianna’s wedding dress, seen in Season episode “The Fiery Cross”, could fetch £2,500-3,500, while the Raven dress as worn by Geillis Duncan, played by Lotte Verbeek, in Season one’s “The Devil’s Mark” is expected to sell for £2,000-3,000.
Rebecca Anthony, Bonhams’ Head of Sale, said: “When it comes to historical fantasy, Outlander is unmatched in its power of escapism, drama, and romance.
“Scotland and Outlander are inextricably linked so we are delighted to launch the sale in Edinburgh.
“The auction room exhibition opening will give fans in Scotland the chance to see the amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail that have gone into creating the world of Outlander up close.
“The outfits, which will be seen together in Scotland for the last time, were painstakingly made by Outlander’s costume teams.”
The critically acclaimed Sony Pictures Television series is based on the bestselling books by US author Diana Gabaldon, which have sold over 50 million copies worldwide.
First airing in the UK in 2014, Outlander follows Claire Randall, a former World War II nurse who travels through a mysterious stone circle to 18th-century Scotland, where she falls in love with Highland warrior Jamie.
It has captivated audiences worldwide, with Claire and Jamie’s story transporting devoted fans from the Scottish Highlands in the lead up to the Battle of Culloden to the streets of Paris, and later to the Caribbean and colonial North Carolina.
The “Outlander Effect” has seen a surge of tourism in Scotland, with fans dubbed “set-jetters” flocking to filming locations as well as real historical sites connected with the story, including the Culloden battlefield.
Bonhams will host a special free exhibition of highlights from lots offered for sale at its Edinburgh showrooms from May 26-31 and its showrooms in New Bond Street from July 20-August 5. The online sale will run from July 20 to August 6 with the live sale at Bonhams’ New Bond Street London showrooms on August 5
* Book a free ticket at Bonhams Edinburgh: The Outlander Auction.
