Outlander 'hotspot' at Culloden Battlefield cordoned off

A "hotspot" for Outlander fans at Culloden Battlefield has been cordoned off.

The Fraser Stone has been sealed off because the ground around it has become muddy and slippery due to the numbers of people visiting it, and wet weather.

Clan Fraser fought for Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden and Jamie Fraser is a key figure in the Outlander stories.

The National Trust is now looking at how that part of the battlefield can be better protected.

It said visitors still have full access to the site, near Inverness.

Fought on 16 April 1746, Culloden saw Jacobite forces loyal to Bonnie Prince Charlie defeated by the Duke of Cumberland's government army.

It involved the deaths of about 1,600 men - 1,500 of them Jacobites.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) manages the 273-year-old battlefield near Inverness.

It said the Fraser Stone along with other nearby stones at the battlefield were symbolic markers, rather than grave markers, but there are mass graves in the vicinity of the stones.

An area around the Fraser Stone, a designated Scheduled Ancient Monument, has been cordoned off temporarily.

Raoul Curtis-Machin, NTS' operations manager at Culloden said the trust was in the process of finding a "robust, practical solution" to preserve the site.

He said: "The area around the markers had been suffering wear and tear because visitors had been walking off the main footpath to take a closer look at the stones.

"Worst hit recently is the area around the Fraser Stone, which has become a site of pilgrimage for Outlander fans.

"Last year, this was not really an issue bcause the ground stayed hard in the dry weather, but this year it has become very muddy with the heavy rain.

"Visitors still have full access to the whole area - we have just cordoned off the worst patch immediately in front of the Fraser Stone."

Mr Curtis-Machin added: "We will be topdressing and re-seeding the area in the meantime, according to the Scheduled Ancient Monument consent which has been granted, and we are exploring other solutions with Historic Environment Scotland."

The Outlander stories by author Diana Gabaldon follow Claire Randall, a World War Two nurse swept back in time from 1945 to 18th century Scotland, where she encounters Scottish soldier Jamie Fraser.

Their adventures take them to France and North America.

Scenes for the television series have been filmed at locations across Scotland, including Glasgow, Cumbernauld, Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, and Newtonmore and Glen Coe in the Highlands.