A Scottish beauty spot featured in the popular television series Outlander has been put up for sale, with planning permission for site development to cater to the tens of thousands of visitors who descend on the place every year.
Finnich Glen, comprising 23 acres of dramatic countryside near Loch Lomond, and including a 24-metre-deep sandstone gorge, is now available to purchase on a freehold basis through high-end real estate firm Christie and Co.
Carved out by sub-glacial meltwater between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago, the site is steeped in historic spirituality and folklore, and hosts The Devil’s Pulpit, a circular rock formation, alongside a precipitous staircase known as The Devil’s Steps, built around 1860. It is one of Stirlingshire’s most visited natural attractions and is known to some as Scotland’s “Grand Canyon.”
@lindseymk1 Finnich Glen, the Devil’s Pulpit, where moss drapes the stones and time stands still. A place of legends and enchantment, captured in Outlander as the mystical ‘Liar’s Spring.’ It doesn’t feel real… ✨ #scotland #finnichglen #devilspulpit #river #outlander #jamiefraser #clairefraser #dougalmackenzie #nature #unitedkingdom ♬ dance of the druids by bear mccreary – Rebecca⚔️🌸
It is also recognisable from its numerous appearances in films and TV shows, including as St Ninian’s Spring in Outlander, and in Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017).
Located around half an hour north of Glasgow by car, the site attracts around 70,000 people each year and would-be buyers will benefit from approved plans for a visitor centre, café, event space and a 150-space car park. If developed in line with those plans, estimates project an increase in visitor numbers of more than 328%, to over 300,000 per year.
The current owners, whose family have had the farmland since the 1940s, say their aim is to “pass the project onto somebody with the vision and enthusiasm to take it forward.” Echoing that, Mark Lavery, director of retail and leisure at Christie & Co, says the “opportunity will appeal to buyers who want to create a commercial business and unique visitor experience with national importance, against a stunning backdrop.”
He added: “Historically important, and already a tourist attraction with approved planning permission, the development opportunities are exciting, and we encourage interested parties to get in touch.”
It remains to be seen how prospective purchasers will manage local discontent over dangerous roadside parking and littering. Reviewers on Tripadvisor have compared the site to a “glorified toilet.”
Limited emergency access is also a concern. Mountain rescue teams and local authorities have frequently warned the public against descending into the gorge due to eroded staircases and fatal drownings, such as that of a 21-year-old university student who, alongside friends, got into difficulty in a deep section of current in summer 2025. Stirling Council is reported to believe the sale and development project could help address some of these safety and infrastructural issues.
