OUTLANDER star Sam Heughan has revealed his favourite place in Scotland.
The popular actor, who plays Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in the hit time-travel TV series, travelled the length and breadth of the country for his Men in Kilts programme.
Perhaps surprisingly, however, Heughan’s favourite spot wasn’t one of Scotland’s famous lochs, castles or glens, but instead a visitor attraction in the heart of Edinburgh.
The 43-year-old opted for Mary King’s Close - a supposedly haunted close underneath the streets of the capital.
READ MORE: Sam Heughan: Outlander star's five favourite spots in Glasgow
Heughan described his visit as a “terrifying” experience, adding that he loves Edinburgh as a whole.
The street is also home to Edinburgh’s City of the Dead inside the South Street vaults which were only rediscovered in the 1980s and revealed a miserable life for the poorest people who would have lived there.
He said: “I just love that city, the wynds, the closes going off the Royal Mile, especially.
“The city underneath the city, which we actually shot for Men in Kilts, it didn’t make it to the edit, but Mary King’s Close, when they had the city and it’s still there, you can go, there’s streets underneath there and shops and everything.
“It’s terrifying. It’s like something out of Harry Potter, it really is. And if you haven’t been, please visit Edinburgh.”
Heughan has previously opened up about moving to Scotland’s capital as a teenager, saying it was like a “whole new world” for him.
Writing in his memoirs, he said: “After years of living in a quiet community, my mother, my brother and I packed our belongings for what felt like a whole new world.
“Swapping the stable and the castle ruins for a suburban street in Edinburgh, we set about settling in for this new chapter in our lives.
READ MORE: Outlander: Sam Heughan 'fantastic' at learning Gaelic for hit show
“It was a big change, but also hugely exciting for two young lads like Cirdan and me.
“I had just finished at my little primary school, so I started high school at the same time as all my new classmates.
“It was a little overwhelming to begin with, but since I could now see without the dreaded glasses, I soon started to make friends and feel comfortable in a crowd.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel