Outlander and the Battle Between Tourism and Green Energy

The Starz series Outlander (2014- ) reconstructs its 18th century settings with a keen eye towards authenticity. Despite its fantastical time travel plot, the series strives for historical accuracy in its portrayal of characters, both urban and rural settings, and historical events, such as the Jacobite uprisings of the 1740s. This authenticity extends to the main character Claire's (Caitrona Balfe) nursing profession and its natural medicinal herb roots. Claire's gathering of natural medicines becomes a plot point in many of the series' episodes, but it also emphasizes her character's connection to the natural world.

Nature and culture are interdependent in the series. Humanity has not yet fully dominated the natural world and must battle its curses (such as small pox) and relish its benefits (such as Claire's herbal medicines). It comes as a surprise, then, that the author of the novels on which the series are closely based opposes the green energy of a wind farm because it would obscure the natural beauty of the Rannoch Moores of Scotland.

A May 2015 article in the Independent explores what they call a "battle raging over the future of the rugged landscape, pitting the American novelist behind the series against a Dutch company which wants to build an “industrial-scale” windfarm in the area." Although some do support the wind farm because it contributes to Scotland's goal to move its energy away from fossil fuels and focus exclusively on renewable sources, most object to the farm because it may hurt the country's tourism industry.

Outlander is one reason for these objections. According to the article, "the novel's series author Diana Gabaldon said it would be 'insane' for Scotland to position the proposed 24 400ft-high wind turbines in one of its most beautiful regions and has called on the country’s official tourism body to intervene." The novels and television series Outlander brings tourists to Scotland, and these potential consumers seem to trump renewable energy, at least for now.