It’s the question all Outlander fans are asking so where exactly is Jamie & Claire’s new home, Fraser’s Ridge? Although no one knows for sure the exact location, Diana has said that Fraser’s Ridge probably lies within ten miles of Blowing Rock or Boone, North Carolina and that it covers land north of the Yadkin River.[footnote]Gabaldon, Diana. “Fraser’s Ridge Question.” MSG: 79801.18. Diana Gabaldon. Books and Writers Community. Compuserve. Published 22 March 2014. Accessed 1 December 2017[/footnote]
If you’ve watched Episode 401.3, The False Bride, Jamie & Claire see a river below Fraser’s Ridge and if the show writers are staying true to Diana’s specifications for the location of Fraser’s Ridge, I imagine this river is the Yadkin. The Yadkin River’s headwaters start near Blowing Rock in Watauga County, not far from the Thunder Hill Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. From there, it flows southeast through Caldwell County before turning northeast and flowing through Wilkes County.
Below are some maps I’ve put together. Please keep in mind, these are not scientific, and we are talking about a fictional location. (OMG!!! Someone please slap me! Did I just say that Fraser’s Ridge is fictional?!?!) Since the headwaters of the Yadkin are located near the Blue Ridge Parkway and based on Diana’s description, I think it’s a safe bet to say that Fraser’s Ridge would be located east of the Parkway. With that being said, Fraser’s Ridge could be located in one or more of the present day counties of Watauga, Caldwell or Wilkes. 10,000 acres covers a lot of ground!
Are you planning a trip to find Fraser’s Ridge? Fraser’s Ridge Homecoming is held each October at the place I think Fraser’s Ridge would have been. I cordially invite YOU to join me and other Outlander fans at this special place for three full days of workshops, learning, music, great food, great friends, fun & adventure. LEARN MORE HERE.
P.S. If you believe Fraser’s Ridge is fictional as I so incorrectly stated earlier (that was before I slapped myself back into reality), you might want to check out this letter written by an unbeliever to Dr. I. Fash, YeKen, Ph.D., and his very timely response.
83 Comments
Well, I’m from that area and I can tell you it’s definitely not Wilkes County nor Caldwell. Blowing Rock and the Blue Ridge Parkway going to Grandfather Mtn in Watauga County are your best bet. No other county has the kind of views they are showing on tv. Many Scottish people settled there and modern Scots have visited that area and said it looks just like Scotland. Probably because eons ago Scotland was part of our continent until it broke away. By the way, I found Scottish ancestors exploring my relatives on ancestry.com. Some of them came from Edinburgh. Oh, I might add I love Jamie Fraser! He is my dream fantasy man…
But there’s nothing in Scotland like the Blue Ridge Mountains !
Jennifer, you are so right!
Are there any references in the show to how far it is from The governor’s palace Frazier’s ridge is? At that time the North Carolina colony extended Cross what is now Tennessee to the Mississippi.
Michael, the geography in the books and the show is a bit off, so it’s not a good reference for location accuracy. It always seems it takes the Frasers a day to travel from the mountains to River Run, but a week or so to get to the coast, where Tryon Palace is located, neither of which are accurate.
As a North Carolina Native and die hard Outlander fan it takes about three and 1/2 hours from Fayetteville NC to Beaufort/Emerald Isle NC (NC Coast-New Bern Tryin Palace area) and about 4-5 hours to get to Watauga County (Blowing Rock/Boone ) from Fayetteville/Raleigh NC I have loved learning about my Scottish ancestry and English ancestry from Outlander
Michael, in addition, in today’s time, Fraser’s Ridge (near Boone, NC) would be approximately 300 miles away from New Bern and Tryon Palace. By car, that takes us 5 hours. By horse in the 18th century, it would have taken about two weeks from what I’ve researched.
After reading all these comments, can anyone trace Fraser’s Ridge by deeds on the land and house?
Hi, Lorraine–there is not an actual Fraser’s Ridge, since the story is fictional. It’s fun to imagine, though, as Beth has written here and given a pretty good reason why the general ares of Wilkes, Watauga and Caldwell counties are a good place to pretend being Fraser’s Ridge.
My husband is a Fraser by his mother’s side.. recently found in family history.. James Fraser is an actual person who moved to north Carolina.. his ancestor.. so has me obsessed l .
Hi I thought all the filming was done in Scotland..so it wouldn’t look like anywhere real in the US.
Yes, Rosie, filming is done in Scotland, and some of the scenery–forests, as well as some plants–will look similar to North Carolina, but not everything. They are having to use computer graphics for some of the big scenery.
We would to know more about February please my folks where from Tennessee Thank you sooo much for your time and help
Hey there, Robin! Are you talking about the release date for Season 5 of Outlander? If so, it starts February 16 on STARZ. You will need a STARZ subscription. Check out Amazon for a free trial of STARZ through Amazon Prime Video.
Also Direct TV has a free trial for 3 months.
Did you know that there is a physical address :
Fraser’s Ridge Ln., Newland, NC? I am curious to find out who lives there.
And you can see the big ridge from the satellite map.
Enjoy and I’ll see you soon un Fraser’s Ridge!
? Can’t wait ?
Hi, Patty–we’ve seen that! Book-related? Maybe–maybe not. But who wouldn’t want to live on Fraser’s Ridge Lane? 🙂
I just saw the whole season 5 on Hulu….but then I’m not sure what year you meant when you said fifth season coming in February. Do you happen to know if there is season six? I would love to know. Love the show but the love scenes were a little too much for me. This story did not need that at all. Does anyone else feel like I do? If not I don’t want to offend anyone, again it’s such a great show it would have done great without that
Hi, Lorraine! This article was written in November 2018, so yes, there is a season 6 since this was published! We are breathlessly awaiting season 7! Did you only watch season 5? Have you read any of the books?
Who doesn’t love Jamie ❤️
As a guy…Who doesn’t love Claire
I’ve never been to North Carolina as of yet, but I will visit soon. I agree with your last thought you had. I love Jamie Fraser and he is absolutely a Fantasy Man!! WOW!! SEXY and so Romantic! This is a movie to watch and learn!
I’m a Fraser, my only sibling is James (Jamie) Fraser, but our Fraser grandfather (Cecil Fraser) was from Nova Scotia. Our grandmother was a Halliday and her great-grandfather a red coat that went to Nova Scotia after the war!
The image depicted in the show isn’t hilariously fake. Much of the mountain scene B roll often doesn’t look like tbwas taken from the vistas in this area either. Ive spent my whole life exploring the area around Boone, and yes I am a descendant of the pioneer Bri tells Jamie about. Anyhoo, the area isn’t so special that I’m frustrated with the fake image they created. It’s just not authentic tinthe territory…more like an image from Lord of the Rings.
So cool that you are a descendent of Daniel Boone. When I saw your name before I read your comment , I wondered if that was the case. Yes, the CGI is pretty awful. I think they could have done so much better than that. The stock footage is good but it’s stock footage.
Um, Emily, I live here too and I recognized the NC scenes they used immediately. One is of “The Blowing Rock in Blowing Rock, NC. The other views can be found repeatedly by driving up and down the The Blue Ridge Parkway. I know this because I have lived here 25 years and have a lot of company.
Stephanie, they did use a “little” stock photography for the show – emphasis on the word “little”. They didn’t film here but Scotland looks a lot like the NC mountains – or so I’m told. I haven’t had the pleasure of going to Scotland yet. I think what Emily is addressing is the scene where Jamie & Claire are looking out over the valley below when they first get to Fraser’s Ridge. That was CGI and looked awful.
I am a decendant of the Fraser clan. My last name is Frizzell. Idk about Frasers ridge but i do know my ancestors settled in macon county way before 1770s. Jamie Fraser was not a direct decendant of mine and im not sure where he fits in but i do know my ancestors came 70 plus years before culloden.
I have been able to Trace my direct male lineage on my fathers side all the way back to 1300s.
Hi – I am Sharon Fraser. I live in CA near the Napa Valley. I am trying to trace the Fraser family history and have only been able to go as far back as 1920’s, when my husband’s grandfather came here, through Canada, from near Edinburgh, Scotland. How did you trace Frasers in Scotland?
THX!
Sharon Fraser
Ancestry.com has a European version also. Traced mine back to England in the 1600’s. Have to buy the European version to go further and I never did.
Try Roots Canada…I am Sharon Fraser as well! My ancestors settled in Nova Scotia in Canada. Also the LDS Church keeps everyones records….that is where I found my ancestors. Good luck
Wow! Jessica that is so awesome…how did you research it? Did you just use ancestry.com or any other forms of research? I stumbled onto this sight lol, I love the story, it is very intriguing 🙂
*site
Jessica, my great grandmother was a Frizzell. Her great grandfather was Francis Frizzell, born about 1790 in North Carolina. He’s my Frizzell brick wall, thou ghost, as I can’t find any information about him earlier than early 19th century church records from Tennessee, as he and his family moved there from ND.
Autocorrect hates me, too. “Thou ghost” should be “though” and ND should be NC…..
Oooh big speech…
MY husband is also a descendent of Daniel Boone! Joseph Boone was his 5th great grandfather.
If I’m not mistaken some of Daniel Boone’s family (maybe his father or grandfather) and other Boone family are buried in Kentucky. I’ve been there and seen the grave site which is fenced now. I thought that the jets on living i. That land said it might be his dad but not for sure.
Hello fellow Outlander Fan. My Dad is from Lenior, NC. His Grandmother ran a B&B during the civil war visible on 321. I have a booklet showing our ancestry and relation to Daniel and Rebecca Boone. I live in VA but still visit what’s left of my family. My maiden name is Robbins.
You have no clue what untouched lands may have looked liked back in the 1700’s though and it is I am sure great for tourism in that area . Lol regardless it us nice to dream of places like that.
Oh my, how autocorrect did interfere with what I wrote, haha. The CGI Fraser’s Ridge IS hilariously fake and the actual area IS so special…
LOL! I understood what you meant the first time. Don’t you love autocorrect?!?!
Then you’re related to me husband and my children. His grandmother is a straight descendent from Daniel Boone. Her last name was Boone before marrying into the Buzzella family.
In the episode blood of my blood when Jamie and his son are touring his land Jamie points out what is the king’s land and what is the natives land so this would mean Fraser’s ridge goes to the North Carolina border which probably puts it more in Watauga County
As I recall ,Claire can see Black Mountain from the Ridge, which should help locate the actual site. In the same section, Roan Mountain is mentioned. (I read the first 6 books, but memory is hazy on which book mentions this area). I live at the foot of Roan Mtn. and figure the location pf Frasier’s Ridge is further west than the speculation so far would indicate. Maybe in Pisgah National Forest area. In any case, it’ s a terrific story. The comments on the distance to the coast are what I thought, but artistic license is out there for a reason and it works for me.
A great trip is to the NC/Tenn state line at Carvers Gap. There’s plenty of mountain scenery and trails to find, to make you think of FR. Ask around about the trails. And go up the mountain on the path from the carpark, lie down in the grass, and you will feel that you can reach out and touch the sky. But be sure to leave parking space for me. Thank you in advance.
( I’d put in a pitch for lunch in any of the small mtn. community, but it might not be acceptable. Covid has done a number on the touristy spots in the mountains).
My mom lived near the S Toe River. It’s at the bottom when you cross the Parkway coming up from Marion, going down to Micahville. It’s indeed rough country, and beautiful. (now squatted mostly by “Gentleman Golfers” but the mountains (thats the main point, here, isn’t it? ) are quite ridgelike, guess that’s what kept the white settlers out (and the Cherokee IN) in the first place.
The Black Mountain ridges (Mt. Mitchell and associates) run, oddl,y, perpendicular to the ridges from Blue Ridge to the Allegenies. One can see, especially in the Smokies (East Tennessee) and NW Georgia a real picture of what a “ridge” IS!
In Virginia, the ridges are long but sometimes the river’s cut across them.
So back to Fraser… it could have been ANYWHERE! (Don’t forget 1760 state borders were NOTHING like they are today. Georgia continued to the Mississippi. Cherokee land went to the Ohio River. W. Virginia wasn’t even a concept. )
John Ross: Native, elected representative, with a contingent of 1,000 Cherokees pulled a fast one and doubled back into these mountains, to avoid Andrew Jackson’s unconstitutional and genocidal “trail of tears”. OTHERWISE ALL remaining Cherokees would be in Oklahoma.
Fuñy thing is: British and Italian movie makers don’t have a CLUE. I love North Carolina, but if they’d wanted some awe inspiring shots of beauty, they’d done well to head over to Tennessee; Great Smokey Mountain Nat. Park (Telikow Plaines)!
Now THEMS some mountains… and some ridges!
Indeed I agree, North Carolina was very thin in comparison and included most of what is now Tennessee. Also taking into account they were roughly a 3 to 4 day ride from Wilmington it could have also been what is now northern South Carolina. Also the comment made that the Mohawk lived in New York (approx. 700 miles away) . I have a friend that is native Mohawk(Iroquois ) and his tribe was from Syracuse, NY. Mapping that out would put Fraser’s ridge west somewhere between Wilmington and Lumberton, NC.
There is a real McKenzie Ridge. It is in Ohio. It is where my Father was born in 1905, and raised. I believe it is Racine, Co.
The new book says on page 181 of the hard cover, “we have a place near the treaty line in Rowan county”!
In the book Claire mentions looking out at Roan Mountain. That’s in Tennessee. So I would think they would possibly be a little closer to the Tennessee state line. Can you see Roan Mountain from Boone? I’ve not been to Grandfather Mountain (other than driving through) in awhile, but when I did I didn’t think about still seeing parts of Tennessee from there. I know Rock City claims views of 7 states, so it’s possible. Just a thought.
Part of Roan Mountain is in North Carolina now. The Overthemountain Men traversed Roan Mountain area to get to the battles of the Revoluntionary War going on in upstate SC and toward Charlotte. King’s Mountain and Greensboro battles were a few that they fought in late in the war. I am a McDowell from Asheville and the history of the family places ancestors in Marion (Pleasant Plains, Old Fort area) during the Revolutionary War. McDowell County was then part of Burke County and the now McDowell County was named for one of the many McDowells who fought in the Revolution. We have a place near Burnsville at the north end of the Black Mountain ridge of mountains. Mt. Mitchell is part of this chain. As soneone said, it does run perpendicular to the Blue Ridge. I was glad to read that the mountain scenes were from Scotland and not western NC. The scenes do not do the Blue Ridge, Black Mountains and Grandfather Mountain area justice.
In the later books, Diana’s characters can see Roan Mountain. Roan Mt is on the TN-NC border in Mitchell County, NC. There is a Roan Mt State Park on the TN side. But I doubt if you can see Roan Mt from the Blowing Rock area . . .but I haven’t looked when I was there. According to the US Forest Service “Roan Mountain is actually not one mountain, but a high ridge about 5 miles long. It ranges from a height of 6,286 feet at Roan High Knob to a low of 5,500 feet at Carver’s Gap. ” It is in a National Forest – a beautiful area.
I, too, am a Scot – McIntosh & Graham – but from MO.
By husband is from an area in NC near King’s Mountain (SC) and had 5 kinsmen in the KM battle – 3 patriots and 2 royalists. All survived. But they didn’t remember seeing Jamie.
The south side of Roan Mt is also in NC in Mitchell county. The book also mentions being able to see Black Mt. The Black mountains are actually in Yancy County southward. I don’t think you can see either Roan or the Black Mountains from Blowing Rock unless you are on a very high peak in clear weather. I believe Frazier’s Ridge is more in Avery County near Linnville …
Hey Stacey. That’s a great observation. I think you probably could see Roan Mountain from Grandfather although I don’t know that for sure. It’s certainly high enough and you can see Charlotte from some of the adjacent mountains. I only figured it was east of Grandfather, Boone, Blowing Rock because of the references to the Yadkin River that Diana has made but honestly, it could be anywhere in the North Carolina mountains. Thank you for commenting.
So interesting. You can see Roan Mountain from close to Banner Elk and I wonder if they are using the Elk River? Banner Elk is closer To Grandfather and almost to Tennessee. We just bought a house in the area so this is super interesting.
My husband and I are going to NC for a few days next week and it would be so cool to find a place similar to Fraser’s Ridge. We both love the show.
Hey Katie! Get on the Blue Ridge Parkway around Boone and drive towards Grandfather Mountain and beyond. You’ll be heading south on the parkway but you will see some amazing views and trails and overlooks!!! Enjoy your trip here to this wonderful state! You’re in for a treat! If you find Jamie, let me know. I’ve been looking for years!!
I am visiting from Germany and I am a huge fan of Outlander. I am on book #5. I am here in NC visiting for Thanksgiving in Huntersville. I hope to take a day trip up to “Fraser’s Ridge”
Hope you can, too, Kathy! I think you should be able to stop on any ridge on the BRP and find a view that the Fraser’s would’ve enjoyed!
I’m watching episode “Free Will” right now and he says of Roan/Rowan County, and I did a double take, as that’s where my genealogy has led me– though mine are Quakers from there. Interesting though! I’ve never been to the Carolinas, but once travel becomes safe again, I’d love to road trip!
You’ll love it, Jess! Hopefully we’ll all be able to travel again. Thanks so much for stopping by!
I grew up in Salisbury, NC, which is Rowan County. When the TV series mentioned Rowan, I was amazed and mentioned to my wife, “That’s where I grew up!”. Rowan County is in the Piedmont area (middle of the state, just north of Charlotte) and no where near where this web page is placing Fraser’s Ridge, far up in the mountains, near where my brother went to college (Mars Hill). I don’t know if the books place it in Rowan County or maybe thsi is just the TV show.
Rowan county is one of the original counties the piece was shaved off of it to form the western part of Guldford county and Burke county was formed by the western edge of Rowan county. Many other western counties of NC find their roots in the massive original Rowan county.
I was excited to hear that the city of Hillsborough, NC was a part of this show because my husband works in Hillsborough. We live about 10 minutes away in Alamance County. It was neat to hear about the Alamance battle, tragic as may be, simply because I’ve not seen any movie or TV show reference it before. My in-laws also live in Jacksonville, NC…very close to New Bern and Wilmington. We visit those areas often with my kids. So very cool to hear them mentioned during the timeline. Grandfather Mountain is but a few hours from my house as well, and I’ve been there countless times. The views from the show, depending on the season you visit, are very similar. I’ve loved Outlander since it was created but now I live for it!!! <3
I used to live in Hillsborough – two different times. I dearly love the town; it’s the only other place in NC I would live if I had to leave the mountains. The history of the area is so rich and fascinating! Streets paved during the Revolutionary War by Cornwalis’s soldiers. George Washington really did sleep there. Friends of mine used to own the historic home and ten acres in the middle of town – “Burnside” – where six Regulators were hung from four giant oak trees in the yard in 1771. The Regulators were an important time in America during the series. Gives you goosebumps to see the site where it happened over two hundred fifty
I have enjoyed so much, reading all the comments above. I live in Tennessee , upper East Tennessee. We are not that far from North Carolina. My husband and I are huge fans of the show and will wait until we have a whole season we can watch a couple episodes every night until we eventually get to the final one. We do this because we can not stand to wait a week in between for the next episode. I think is is best summed up by Michelle when she says ” I live for it”!
I live near Chattanooga, Tenn. on Lookout Mountain. I spent many summers at residential camps in N. C., attended the Scottish Highland Games on Grandfather Mtn. near Linville, N.C., and backpacked /camped all over the area. Also, my daughter went to Appalachian State in Boone. The state of North Carolina is indeed one of my favorite places to be. It is a thrill to hear of the areas of which I’m familiar being depicted in the series. There is nothing like the mountains! I’m a true OUTLANDER fan.
I accidentally sent my comment before finishing. I was about o write, “over two hundred and fifty years ago”.
Yesss Wanda! Don’t know ya but I can already tell we’d be instant friends! I have family living in Columbia, TN. Visiting them is always a treat, as the hilltop terrain is indeed a picturesque landscape. I think I speak the mind of everyone on this thread when I say BRING ON OUTLANDER SEASON 6! Frasers Forever!! 😉
We are also devoted fzz as ns of outlander we are bearing the end of season 5. BRING ON Season 6!
Hi I’m from U.K. I’ve watched all the series and I’m definitely hooked on Outlander. Because we are now in so-called Droughtlander and in lockdown here I decided to buy and read the books on my kindle. The books are so much better for watching the series as I can use the images from them.
I visited Virginia some years ago, we took a rental car and drove down the parkway from north beginning as far as Big Stone Gap and then turned back through Abingdon and Roger Mountains, we took a little detour to say we had entered North Carolina I think through Independence – we had decided to explore the area around Williamsburg on the coast or otherwise we could have ventured further into your state. At that time I hadn’t heard of Outlander.
On our travels I didn’t see any wild mountains more like big hills? We stopped at Roanoke and went to the lookout on the ridge overlooking the town. As I read the fourth book I’m looking on google maps to try to identify the area that Diane describes. That’s how I came across your site. Thanks for the info above. Would you say that the area around Boone is mountainous and could have been as wild as Diane describes? Wished I’d been able to visit.
Hi, Barbara–looking from the “big star” over the city of Roanoke is great, isn’t it? Roanoke is actually at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, so you’d have only seen them from a distance. The Highlands and mountains of western North Carolina can definitely be considered “wild,” as it is a rural area–though not as wild as it was in the 18th century! Boone is mountainous for sure, as well as the Wilkes County area discussed here.
We just finished our visit to Boone NC. The view from Erwins view at Linville Falls looked like it could have been the waterfall in the view of Frazers Ridge.
I also am a descendant of the Fraser Clan my mother’s side family name is . Teeden Taylor is listed under the Fraser clan, great- grandmother and great-grandfather and families were from Scotland Edinburgh Glasgow Scotland and England
Fraser’s ridge, I live in Hickory about 45 min from Blowing rock and the Blue Ridge Parkway. In one of the closing shots the sun is setting at the right of the scene and the river is flowing away from the Ridge. What fits for me is they are standing looking toward the south west to Tennessee with the river flowing to the west. I base that on the waterfalls which could have been inserted. There are lots of waterfalls along the escarpment but the river would need to flow toward them to flow to the sea. But if the producers just flipped the images and the waterfalls would fit the escarpment and water flowing into the Yadkin and it is a sunrise not sunset. Guess we will never know.
Susan, I’ve not seen all the episodes, b/c I didnt have have tv when the series come out and no extras like Starz now, and so on and so forth. I read all the books, though. Reading comes naturally to me and I see the scenes in my head. Your analysis is interesting. I wonder if I would have spotted what you saw. As I recall the ending, I think I’d rather see the granddaughter rushing toward her loved ones with her too red haired doll in her hands……but the mountains at sunset are certainly worth camera time–though i suspect there had been sunset/sunrise views before……..
It’s filmed in Scotland so you would be better heading over here all locations are in Scotland around where I live
According to Diana Gabaldon Fraser’s Ridge is 10 miles any direction from Boone.
Is it “jump” to think that the Lost Colony of Roanoke might have ended up at Fraser’s Ridge? after all the colonist headed west? Maybe the one-offs (skull) and the regulator that did not help Claire ? Where or what time did those people go thru some stones…remember Roger stumbled upon some stones….and then later Roger and family failed when attempting to go thru…so there must be some stones around.
Really we can only speculate where around Blowing Rock & Boone would have been suitable. Did diana ever visit Blowing Rock? But when visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway, please park at the Moses Cone Homestead Park, Milepost 294. The 19th C home is to the east of the Parkway, you can see how the lovely original farm was laid out on the slopes with a pond & creek. But on the west side of the Blue Ridge Parkway walk up the tractor/horse path a mile or 2 to the Fire Tower, the path past hay fields & woods & wildflowers is so reminiscent of all we read in the books. Lovely views from Outcroppings. Then I came around a bend and saw 3 horse-riders, It took my breath away! OMG, from 100 yards, it could have been Claire, Jaime & Ian!! Have a walk or ride there yourself!! I hope to post my photos on the Outlander NC FB page 🙂
It is fun to look at Google Earth Pro and search for place names containing Fraser. There are several including Fraser’s Ridge at 81°17’38.13″W, Fraser Creek Road and Fraser Knole in NC about 1.5 hours drive west of Boon. It is also interesting to overlay a map from 1733, although there are few places with names in this area. The name may be confounded by the species of tree called Fraser Fir which is used for Christmas trees.
Correction: not West of Boon but EAST of Boon.
Latitude 36deg 32min24sec North,
Longitude 81 degrees 17 min 38 sec West.
The Fraser fir was named for the Scottish botanist John Fraser who explored the Appalachian Mountains in the early 18th century. It doesn’t look like there were a lot of places named for Frasers in NC, so maybe not as many Fraser settlers as we might think, in spite of the many Scots who migrated here.