The Scots actor, who shot to fame playing Jamie Fraser in the hit Starz series, said he is still thankful for being brought up in the Scottish countryside.
Actor and author Sam Heughan has reflected on his childhood in Scotland(Image: Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images)
Outlander’s Sam Heughan has reflected fondly about his “idyllic childhood” growing up amid the ruins of a derelict castle in Dumfries and Galloway.
The Scottish actor expressed how grateful he was for his upbringing in Scotland. Not a far cry from Jamie Frase‘s way of life, he was brought up in converted stables near the remains of Kenmure Castle, parts of which date back to the 16th century.
Heughan painted a vivid picture of his hometown in Galloway as an “an undiscovered world” and a “remarkable place”. Speaking ahead of his next business venture, he unveiled plans to launch his own vodka using the “finest ingredients” from Galloway, including wheat, apples and brambles.
The Outlander star has previously launched his own gin, crafted with locally-foraged botanicals from the area. At the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Heughan shared memories of feeling “homesick” while living in London as he strived to establish himself as an actor.
However, he assured fans that landing the role of Jamie Fraser in Outlander, which he began filming in 2013, had made him “really fall in love with Scotland all over again.”
Sam Heughan portrayed Jamie Fraser in Outlander for over a decade(Image: STARZ)
As detailed by The Herald in his new book, The Cocktail Diaries, Heughan wrote: “Back in my early twenties, I was newly-located to London and feeling overwhelmed by the big city and lack of work.
“I was a ‘jobbing actor,’ auditioning in the day and working a basic bar job by night – or whatever else I could find to support myself, whether delivering sandwiches by bicycle, selling women’s perfume or working as a receptionist in a psychiatric hospital.”
Heughan and his Outlander co-star Caitriona Balfe wrapped their final scenes for the globally celebrated programme last autumn, with the eighth and final series set to debut next spring.
The actor has explored various other ventures since his debut in the time-travelling historical romance, including his hit travel show with co-star Graham McTavish, releasing several publications including an autobiography, and establishing his own distillery business five years ago.
Heughan was born in the village of Balmacellan, in Galloway in 1980, but spent most of his childhood in the converted stables in the grounds of Kenmure Castle, before his family moved to Edinburgh.
He later joined the youth theatre company run by the Royal Lyceum and then secured a placed at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.
The actor, who owns a countryside retreat in a converted farmhouse north of Glasgow, was quizzed by actress Nicola Roy, who hosted his book festival event about whether he missed the “chilled, relaxed, idyllic life.”
He responded: “I think growing up in Galloway has given me a lot. It’s rural Scotland, it’s kind of out of the way, but it really was an idyllic childhood. I did grow up in the grounds of a castle.
“I know we don’t all get to grow up in that environment, but I’m just very thankful for it. That’s why I do go back to Galloway and why I’m celebrating Scotland in everything that I do as well.
“I think Scotland’s got so much to offer. It’s why so many tourists come here as well to visit because it’s this amazing country.”
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