IT is a £50 million hit TV show filmed in Scotland which has attracted a global fan following: this weekend 200 enthusiasts from around the world have gathered in Perthshire to celebrate all things Outlander.
Devotees of the steamy time-travelling romance ventured to Crieff from as far afield as Australia and New Zealand, with fans from US, Canada, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Finland and Denmark also attending the get-together.
The sold-out event - for which tickets cost around £200 - included visits to film locations sites, costume displays and ceilidhs and was organised by fan club Outlandish UK.
Jenny Jeffries, 59, from Auckland, New Zealand, said a trip to Scotland was top of her wish-list this year - and when she heard the Outlander gathering was happened decided to make the long trip from Down Under.
The dedicated fan has a following of people on social media who enjoy her Outlander 'meme' creations - where she dresses up in costume and photoshops herself into scenes from the TV series with humourous captions.
She said: "Meeting other Outlander fans has been a dream come true.
"I have been very welcomed and made to feel part of the Outlander family - it feels like this is a lot of where the Outlander world is."
She added: "I was walking in Edinburgh to go to the railway station and a woman called out my name - and I realised she knew me from the Twitter and Facebook world.
"It has been overwhelming in a way, not only is it exciting seeing all these people, they also know me from my persona I put out there and it is exciting to get to know them."
Jeffries said she became hooked on the Outlander series of books after listening to an audiobook while travelling into work and has now read all of them twice. She is writing a blog about her trip to Scotland and plans to travel the country for another three weeks.
The Outlander series - based on the hugely popular books by US author Diana Gabaldon - is being filmed at studios in Cumbernauld as well as a series of locations around Scotland. This includes
Doune Castle, which enjoyed a 30% boost in visitors last year as a result of the 'Outlander effect'.
Last year tourism chiefs in Scotland launched a map of Outlander locations to capitalise on the interest created by the show.
The story follows married nurse Claire Randall, played by Caitriona Balfe, who is swept back in time from 1945 to the 18th century through some mysterious standing stones, where she finds adventure and romance with chivalrous young Scottish warrior Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan.
The Outlander gathering began on Friday and will end today with a Highland Games raising money for charity and a screening of the latest episode of the TV show released in the UK. Several names associated with the TV series popped in yesterday, including executive producer Ronald D Moore and costume designer Terry Dresbach.
Angela Sasso, one of the organisers of the Outlandish UK Gathering, said around 200 people were attending from 16 countries - almost double the number who had attended the first fan event last year.
She said: "Once you start to read the books you become quite passionate about them.
"There is something about these books which brings people together and makes them want to meet other like-minded people.
"There are intelligently written, very intricate woven stories - they have got sex and violence and adventure and history and everything woven together. Once you become a fan of them, you want to meet other people who like them as much as you do."
She added: "This is a great opportunity for people to get together and talk about the books and the TV series has become a kind of catalyst for getting together."
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