THE SPIRIT OF HOME
Outlander heartthrob Sam Heughan talks to Rosie Morton about childhood memories, his passion for the great outdoors, Men In Kilts, Bond rumours and his love for the water of life
Outlander star Sam Heughan gives the lowdown on Bond rumours, Men In Kilts, and his love for the water of life in an exclusive interview with Scottish Field
An inimitable beauty, Scotland has a way of tugging on the heartstrings. Even the biggest names from the silver screen have left a piece of their hearts in our achingly beautiful country, and Outlander’s Sam Heughan – who plays Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in the phenomenally popular time-travelling historical romance series – is no exception. Indeed, the man is a Scot to the bone.
Talking of his upbringing in Dumfriesshire, living in the grounds of Kenmure Castle on the shores of Loch Ken with his mother Chrissie and brother Cirdan, Sam was able to channel his inner Robert the Bruce from an early age. ‘It was a really idyllic setting,’ says Sam, explaining he had just finished a long day of filming in Glasgow for Outlander’s sixth series.
Sixth series. With the seventh on the way. It was at this point that I realised talking with this Highland heartthrob – who has amassed squillions of ‘Heughligan’ fans since Outlander’s inaugural episode in 2014 – was one of the more surreal moments of the past twelve months. This was the king of Scottish acting (as his three million Instagram followers and 700,000 on Twitter will attest).
‘I was very lucky to have Scotland as my playground,’ he continues, giving me a minute to gather my thoughts. ‘My mother really instilled in me a joy of walking and getting outdoors.’
While tourists head up the A9 in their droves on a quest to find Nessie, the south-west remains dear to Sam, offering him miles of unspoiled countryside to explore as a youngster. ‘It always gets passed by,’ says Sam. ‘People go to the Highlands, or to Edinburgh or Glasgow, and it’s kind of on its own but it’s such an interesting part of the world.’
“My mother really instilled in me a joy of walking and getting outdoors
Having Ayrshire’s pearly beaches just a stone’s throw away meant summer holidays were spent plunging into the Firth of Clyde, then warming up in the car with fish and chips while the wind and rain hammered down. ‘Of course, Scottish summers are not summer,’ Sam jests, fondly remembering those ice-cold swims. ‘We would go to The Gaiety Theatre in Ayr, and we used to take trips up to Glasgow to the Citizens Theatre where I have worked in my professional career. We would generally jump in the car and go climb a hill, or go to the coast somewhere. We used to go up to the Isle of Eigg quite a lot. My uncle lived there at the time, so we spent a great deal of time on the island. That was amazing.’
Sam moved to Edinburgh as a teenager where he attended James Gillespie’s and Edinburgh Steiner School, then headed to Glasgow to study drama before living the high life in the Big Smoke for over a decade.
‘It has been challenging and trying, and I’ve learned a lot,’ says Sam of his career. ‘When I got the part on Outlander, I was pretty close to giving up. I was getting older and was still a jobbing actor. I was beginning to think, “Can I sustain this?” It really came at an amazing time.’
His extraordinary career has since taken him to the likes of Hungary, America, France and South Africa. But the Highlands still come a-calling.
‘You can escape and find a cottage somewhere in the countryside,’ he says, noting modestly that despite ‘any fraction of fame’ he has found – that is the understatement of the century by the way; he recently won Best Actor on a Television Series at the Saturn Awards – his Scottish fans largely respect his privacy.
‘I do still go up to the mountains for a hike or go out on my motorbike. It’s a great way to switch off from the madness of the career I have chosen. That’s what I love about Scotland – it’s so easy to be in Glasgow or Edinburgh, and then 45 minutes later you’re in wilderness.’
“I do still go up to the mountains for a hike or go out on my motorbike
The Trossachs and Glentrool are among Sam’s favourites for mountain biking with his brother. Otherwise, he can be found bagging a Munro – ‘I always take a hipflask for a little celebratory nip,’ he says, with a glint in his eye – or ticking off another marathon from his ever-growing list of physical feats. Next on the bucket list is a trip to Torridon and Knoydart, and scaling Ben Nevis as part of a trek along the West Highland Way.
Falling in love with Bonnie Scotland all over again while filming Outlander, Sam was eager to delve deeper into the country’s traditions, myths and legends through adult eyes. Enlisting the help of fellow Scot and Outlander co-star Graham McTavish, the pair set off on the road trip of a lifetime, putting together a quirky travelogue called Clanlands. Rattling around the Highlands in a clapped-out Fiat Auto-Roller Camper – known not-so-affectionately as ‘Fiat Fiasco’ – they visit everything from Cawdor Castle, where they gatecrash a local marathon (quite literally), to Culloden battlefield, employing every kind of boys’ toy imaginable to enliven their time together.
UK fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the resulting TV show, Men In Kilts, which is currently being shown in the US. It is a journey of historical trivia and self-discovery – and though tested by Sam’s penchant for white knuckle rides (and Graham’s backseat driving), their friendship is cemented by a generous helping of our national drink.
‘I wanted to make it quite like The Adventure Show that we have here in Scotland, or like an outdoorsy show – I’m really into that, Graham is a lot more interested in the historical side,’ says Sam. ‘Then, of course, I realised that he’s a big pussycat and it made me really excited to wind him up. It’s a great dynamic.
‘We laughed a lot. Graham’s such a great character. He’s reliably grumpy and also great fun. He loves to dine out and eats great amounts of food – and he doesn’t stop. He literally will have a big breakfast, get in the campervan, and within minutes he’s talking about how hungry he is.’
Of course, no trip round Scotland would be complete without sampling the local fruits de mer. With the help of one trawlerman ‘Captain Kirk’ – ‘there are a great many puns,’ laughs Sam – he and Graham reeled in lobster and langoustines, and cooked them on the beach with celebrity chef Tony Singh.
In an attempt to burn off some of their excesses, a whole episode of Men In Kilts is dedicated to Scottish sport. The pair tee off at St Andrews’ Old Course, test their skills on surfboards, and prove themselves relentlessly competitive at a Highland Games. One of Sam’s enduring memories, though, was visiting Murrayfield Stadium and spending the day with two rugby legends. ‘We met Chris Paterson and Al Kellock, and they were just brilliant fun,’ he says. ‘We had a blast. I was running around like an idiot. It really was a bit of a dream come true.’
Though he laments never being able to give rugby a go as a schoolboy, Sam never misses a Scottish match, and has found 2021’s Six Nations tournament as thrilling as ever. ‘The Ireland game was a classic Six Nations game. There’s something about the Six Nations that fills me with excitement. It’s the time of year when Spring is coming, and you can look forward to something each weekend. And you never know what’s going to happen. I’m really excited to sit in the stadium again.’
“The pair set off on the road trip of a lifetime
He admits his kicking skills are unlikely to land him a place as Scotland’s next fly-half, but Sam is no stranger to a rigorous training schedule. For his latest movie SAS: Red Notice, which was released in March this year, he trained with South African Special Forces in Krav Maga to make his appearance as a psychopathic SAS operative as authentic as possible.
Based on the book by Andy MacNab, an SAS veteran himself, Sam spent a great deal of time with this self-confessed ‘good psychopath’. ‘He was undercover in Northern Ireland, he worked in Belize, and overseas on quite nefarious missions,’ he says. ‘At first I questioned, “How do you play a character that doesn’t have emotions?”. But then meeting him I realised he’s the most charming, engaging man I’ve ever met. And funny. I realised that it’s all learned behaviour. So, then I realised the character could be as charming as I wanted him to be.’
Sam’s performance is already being lauded, begging the question: could this charismatic Scot with a knack for combat fighting fill the shoes of one Daniel Craig?
‘I think it’s a great comparison – they’re in the same world,’ says Sam, who particularly enjoyed Timothy Dalton’s dark portrayal of Bond in The Living Daylights. ‘I think SAS is way more authentic – it’s based on reality. It’s a piece of fiction but we’ve tried really hard to make this as accurate as possible. I think Bond is a different animal. It’s a lot more heightened. But the characters are quite similar. I would guess Bond could be slightly psychopathic.’
Sam may take his martini very dry with a twist, but could he be persuaded to trade that in for 007’s classic? ‘I would jump at the chance to play a character like that,’ he says. ‘But I feel SAS has its own franchise and its own story. I’d love to do another one of them.’ Rumours aside, there is little doubt that Bond – with his roots firmly in the Highlands – would enjoy a wee dram of Sam’s own whisky, The Sassenach: Spirit of Home, which was released at the tail end of 2020.
‘Wherever you are in the world, it should transport you back to Scotland,’ says Sam. ‘The first time I tried whisky and it really had an effect on me was when I was living in London. I was pretty homesick and was sitting one Christmas in a bar with a friend and we decided to try a single malt. We had a Speyside. It just tasted delicious and reminded me of Scotland and how much I love the country and how much I missed it.’
Working in an industry full of Hollywood glamour, Sam’s down to earth approach to his career and private life is nothing short of remarkable. He is as grounded and giving as his online presence would suggest. To put it simply, his devoted clan of ‘Heughligans’ can officially register their latest recruit. Where do I sign?
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Could this charismatic Scot with a knack for combat fighting fill the shoes of Daniel Craig?