OUTLANDER & THE LOVAT SCOUTS
Any true Outlander fan will know the name Jamie Fraser. But they might not know that he is in fact the fictional grandson of a real person: Simon ‘The Fox’ Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat (who was played by Clive Russell in Series 2). For anyone who hasn’t heard of Outlander, it’s an award-winning TV series based on novels by Diana Gabaldon about a WWII military nurse in Scotland who, in 1945, finds herself transported back to 1743 (just in time for the Jacobite Risings of 1745!)
Read on to find out about the fascinating connection between Jamie Fraser, the Lovat Scouts, and the Highlanders’ Museum!
WHO WAS SIMON FRASER, 11TH LORD LOVAT?
Born in 1667, Fraser was the Chief of Clan Fraser of Lovat, and a well-known Jacobite. He is remembered as a particularly violent man, alongside his tendency to change allegiances. To give you a taste of his character, in 1698 he was sentenced to death for forcibly marrying dowager Lady Lovat, however, he was later pardoned by William III. But it doesn’t stop there – he failed to show up at his trial, and was once again outlawed. So he fled to France. After various episodes of treachery, betrayal, and prison escapes, he somehow secured the Lovat title in 1730 and complete possession of the Lovat estates in 1733.
Fraser spent the Jacobite risings pretending to fight for the Jacobites, but secretly supporting the Stuarts (he even forced his son Simon to join the rebels). Eventually, Fraser was found out. He was condemned by the government and was sentenced to death – he was executed on 18th March 1747 on Tower Hill in London. Interestingly, he was the last man in Britain to be executed by beheading (although the practice was not formally abolished by law until 1973!).
He made his return to the spotlight in 2014 as Jamie Fraser’s Grandfather.
WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO DO WITH THE LOVAT SCOUTS?
Fast forward to 1899, and we’re now on 14th Lord Lovat, who was also called Simon Fraser. Also known as Major-General Simon Joseph Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat and 3rd Baron Lovat, KT, GCVO, KCMG, CB, DSO (now that is a mouthful), he was born in 1871 and was grandson to 11th Lord Lovat.
Responsible for founding the Lovat Scouts, he rallied together the stalkers, shepherds, and gamekeepers of the northern Highlands to fight in the Second Boer War. They assembled and trained at Beaufort Castle. It was felt that the skills of the Highlanders would be necessary to tackle the Boers in South Africa. The unit was disbanded soon after the war, but was reinstated the following year. The new Lovat Scouts consisted of 1st and 2nd battalions; from these Scouts, a sharpshooter unit was formed and formally become the British Army’s first sniper unit.
The Highlanders’ Museum has a fascinating array of objects relating to the Lovat Scouts. From an ornate drum used during the Second Boer War, to skiing equipment and ski school badges and flashes from mountain warfare training in Canada, be sure to check out the Lovat Scouts Room at The Highlanders’ Museum on your next visit!
