Sam Heughan Edinburgh book festival demand proves Outlander success is no fading force

The final season of hit TV phenomenon Outlander may be due to air early next year, but the hype around the series and its male lead shows no signs of abating.

The lure of Outlander has been a massive tourism drawcard for Scotland.

And nowhere was the appeal more obvious than at an event that has been one of the hottest tickets of the Edinburgh International Book Festival – despite a slightly tenuous link to literature in the form of a publication about cocktails from around the world.

Tickets to the festival event featuring Outlander star Sam Heughan – the book’s author – sold out within 15 minutes. But that didn’t stop fans travelling from the likes of Belgium, Rome and even the US – some without tickets – just to catch a glimpse of 45-year-old Heughan.

Sam Heughan (right) and Caitriona Balfe star in a scene from Outlander.placeholder image
Sam Heughan (right) and Caitriona Balfe star in a scene from Outlander.

“We can’t believe we’re going to see him,” American-born amateur bagpipe player Lucia Snyderman said. “He seems like a really lovely person.”

Outlander may not be to everyone’s tastes, but Scotland can certainly raise a glass to its enduring appeal.

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