With Season 6 airing, perhaps all of your current Outlander needs are satiated. But with only three more episodes until the next Droughtlander, it's never too soon to start thinking about the next season of Outlander. And you're in luck. Because Outlander Season 7 has begun filming with Starz officially announcing it on April 6.
When Outlander Season 6 was in production, Starz shared the news in February 2021. But, if you were paying attention to certain clues on social media, it was clear that the gang at Fraser's Ridge had assembled before that. Based on some evidence again on social media from unofficial channels, it looked like the same thing was happening again with Season 7, as Survived the Shows documented. But blissfully, before the speculation got too out of hand, Starz made the news official on social media with a photo of Sophie Skelton, Caitríona Balfe, Sam Heughan, and Richard Rankin in costume on the Ridge as Brianna, Claire, Jamie, and Roger.
Seeing these four on the Ridge confirms a few things for book readers — particularly about how Season 6 won't be ending. But there's been even more clues out there about what will happen in Season 7 thanks to the unofficial updates. Here's how diligent fans knew Season 7 was in production before the news officially broke.
1Bike1World's Battlefield Updates
1Bike1World, the viral Instagram account documenting cyclist Dean and his cat Nala biking around the world, is currently staying at John Muir Alpacas in Dunbar, Scotland. While there, the 1Bike1World account shared in its Instagram Story that Outlander was filming next door. Thanks to the Outlander Chronicles, these Stories were saved for posterity, including the above video of wagons in a field and a photo of the alpacas checking out a bunch of tents. Sure looks like Jamie will be taking the battlefield in the American Revolution for Season 7. My guesses are this could be the Siege of Fort Ticonderoga or the Battle of Saratoga.
A Ship Sailing In
Multiple social media accounts that are not affiliated with the show, including the Twitter account for the site Burgh.Buzz above, posted images of the ship the Phoenix early in April and claimed it was being brought to the harbor of Burntisland, which is right over the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh, for Outlander. (Click here to see the ship in action courtesy of artist Leo du Feu.) The ship has the British Red Ensign flag on it and book readers know that Jamie and Claire land on a British ship (or two or three) in Book 7, An Echo in the Bone.
The First Assistant Director's Scrape With The British
For more evidence that the ship is for Outlander, it looks like a former first assistant director is back in Season 7 since Nick Heckstall-Smith shared a selfie on Instagram with that very ship behind him with the caption, "Shit, the English are after me."
Outlander SoCal Edition's Sleuthing
Some of the gang from fan group Outlander SoCal Edition made a stop at the Outlander studios in Glasgow. As confirmed in the comments, there was a small sign that indicated Season 7 was filming.
John Bell's Shaved Head
When it comes to the actors, John Bell gave a hint that filming has perhaps already begun during his Instagram Live on March 30 following the airing of "Hour of the Wolf." Someone asked when Season 7 was filming (around 21:58) and he dodged by saying, "I don't know. Who knows when Season 7 might be filming?" while emphasizing his shaved head. "Maybe just keep an eye out for an announcement soon," he added. Previously on the IG Live, he said he has to shave his head to play Young Ian. (And when I interviewed Bell over Zoom on March 24 he had a beard and hair on his head — so he hadn't been filming then apparently.) Again, at 23:21, someone else asked about filming and the fact that he was bald. He pantomimed keeping quiet but then enthusiastically mouthed, "I can't say anything, but yeah!"
Alexander Vlahos's Trailer Video
The Allan Christie actor was particularly good at dropping filming tidbits in Season 6 and seems he's back at it for Season 7. On Vlahos's Instagram Story on April 6 ahead of Starz dropping the news, he shared a video of trailers on set with a rainbow in the background while he said, "Shit goes down." Another person can be heard joking in a thick accent, "I've seen wee Malva chopping them fingers off, so she's up to no good." If that wasn't enough to make you realize they were on the Outlander set, Bell's name is visible on one of the trailers. So thank you to Vlahos for cementing a few hours early that filming had truly begin, but book readers want to know — why the hell is Allan Christie in Season 7?!
In sadder Season 7 news, a tipster on the gossip site DeuxMoi (above) submitted that there will be an announcement in the next few weeks that Season 7 is the last. But that's far from official. So, for now, rejoice that Jamie, Claire, and the gang are back at it for the extended 16-episode Season 7!
Images: Starz