An Evening at River Run

Journey back in time with Jamie and Claire as they explore 1700s Hillsborough and visit Aunt Jocasta once again. This event includes two walking tours; one based on the hit series “Outlander” and the Regulator Movement and the other of the preserved Scottish settlement, Ayr Mount.

3-5 pm: Travelers will first enjoy an afternoon walking tour in the historic district of downtown Hillsborough. In the fourth and fifth books of the Outlander Series, Drums of Autumn and The Fiery Cross, as well as in the fifth season of the hit TV series based on the books, the main characters settle in a fictional Scottish community in North Carolina. The story intertwines with that of the Regulator Uprising in and around Hillsborough in the 1770s, making Hillsborough a natural location for this event.

The tour will begin at the Hillsborough Visitors Center and will take you to see many of the sites featured within the Outlander series relating to Hillsborough and the Regulator uprising prior to the Revolutionary War.

5:30 pm: Once concluded, guests can venture to the iconic Ayr Mount for a private house tour at dusk. Similar to Outlander’s River Run, Ayr Mount was built for a prominent Scottish family showcasing their success in merchant and trade. The more than 500 acres served as a working farm and, like River Run, relied on enslaved labor to harvest crops, care for livestock, and work within the household. The 1815 federal masonry edifice was the first of its kind in this once bustling trade town, and thanks to the preservation efforts of many, it remains well preserved with several original family objects on display.

Now owned by Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, tour-goers can explore the site to learn about the design, construction, and use of the estate as well as the very lives of those enslaved and free who crafted, lived, and occupied the home and landscape.

This is an in-person walking tour that includes some uneven terrain and stairs. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a water bottle. Period-themed costumes are welcomed and encouraged!