Historian Hailey Beaupre is widely known within the Outlander fandom for her show-themed tours of Scotland, deep knowledge of the series and viral videos. But she wasn’t even a viewer of the Starz hit for its first four years on the air. “My mom was like, ‘You should watch this show! It takes place in Scotland,’” she told Parade in an exclusive interview. “She just didn’t sell it very well so I just kept blowing her off.”
At the time, Beaupre was studying Education at Keene State College in New Hampshire. “I remember it was finals week and after some studying I messaged my mom, ‘What was that show you told me to watch?’” she recalled. She had a trip to Scotland planned in two weeks and figured it would be a good time to give the series a try. “I stayed up watching until 4:30 a.m.”
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Then a convert, Beaupre decided to take an Outlander tour called Highlander tours while on her meticulously planned trip. “And let me tell you, that [tour] changed everything,” she said. “This switch just went on and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I want to do this for a living.’”
She returned home and, within a week, changed her major to History—with a focus on Scotland, of course—dumped her then boyfriend and got a therapist. She also kept in touch with her Scottish tour guide, Andy McAlindon, a.k.a. Andy the Highlander, who eventually became a sort of “mentor” and “father figure” to her.
But despite her near-instant clarity, Beaupre’s path to where she is today—running her own successful tour guide company, Sassenach Historian Tours, which specializes in tours of Outlander filming locations—was anything but a straight line. In 2020, the pandemic abruptly ended her study-abroad time in Scotland; and not long after that, the death of a friend sent her into a deep depression.
“I was just launched into this really dark state,” she told Parade. “I could barely get out of bed. If it wasn’t for my passion for Scotland, my absolute adoring love for Outlander and having the inspiration and the courage given to me by having Caitriona Balfe [who plays Claire] as a role model, I would not be here.”
She also would not have found her “own Jamie,” her now fiancé, Grant, whom she met on her travels. “I got proposed to at Lallybroch,” she said, referring to Jamie Fraser’s estate on the show (which, in real life is Midhope Castle, a 15-century tower). “And I’m getting married at the same church [Glencorse Old Kirk] that Jamie and Claire got married on the show.”
Related: Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe on Why Their ‘Outlander’ Love Story Is ‘Endless and Boundless’ (Exclusive)
With the second half of Outlander Season 7 underway, Beaupre spoke with Parade about how she achieved her dream job.
Congratulations on your success. [Outlander author] Diana Gabaldon knows you by name now right?
I met Diana first at an event in October 2023, and I actually ran into her at a hotel earlier before the event. I was like, “Hi, Diana. I’m Hailey. Thank you for everything you’ve done. You changed my life. And she goes, “Oh, I’ve heard all about you. I know exactly who you are. I see you on Twitter all the time.” She goes, “I think what you’re doing is amazing.” And at that point I start to cry and she grabs me and gives me this huge, big hug. She was like, “It’s okay to cry. There’s no shame in that. It’s okay to show your emotion.” Diana even wished me luck on getting cast on Season 8, because getting cast on the show [would complete] my entire Outlander life bucket list. Being on the show as an extra is the only thing I have left. [Editor’s note: We can’t give any specifics, but we can say that Hailey did give us an exciting update on this bucket list item.]
Related: ‘Outlander’ Author Diana Gabaldon Weighs in on the Trials Jamie, Claire and Young Ian Face on their Return to Scotland
Courtesy: STARZ
You’ve mentioned Caitriona Balfe being significantly important to you. Have you also met her?
She is a woman I aspire to be like. I think people look up to her and declare their love for her so much because of the type of woman that she represents. I look up to Claire, of course, but also Caitriona. There’s just something about her [that] makes me want to be a better woman. I talked to her during a virtual Q&A and hugged her at the 2023 BAFTA’s after sharing how I felt with her. We met again after that, but I want to keep that moment to myself. We were having a proper heart-to-heart and she just gave me this extraordinary advice. Listened to everything that I said and was just there for me in that moment. It was everything I could have hoped it to be.
Is there a dream person you would want on your tour?
Oh my God, I mean, anyone from the cast would just obviously be crazy. Or Diana. It would be cool to travel to these locations with any of them.
Do you do tours unrelated to Outlander?
I do more than just Outlander tours, but obviously those are the most popular and my favorite ones to do. I launched first my brand-new witchcraft tour [“Toil & Trouble,” which delves into the Great Scottish Witch Hunts] in July. It was my first time really developing my own tour, like this is something I’ve created entirely on my own, which I don’t think anyone else has done.
So that’s what I do in my time off, is I’m I’m doing research and traveling, getting content, exploring and then posting about it and whatnot. And we make connections with people who own, like, Airbnbs and bed and breakfasts and distilleries and things like that.
How much does a tour cost?
I get a lot of solo traveling women and I’m not going to charge them the same price I charge a full family. That’s not going to be fair, you know? So the daily rate depends on how many people. But my starting would be, right now, for a solo [traveler], like 450-to-500 pounds for the entire day. But that’s eight hours.
Are you profitable? Are you making money off of this or is it kind of still a dream project?
I just entered year two, so it’s still very new. Anyone who opens a business knows it takes a long time to really get a profit. But I’m starting to see a difference. I’m finally reaching the point where I’m seeing a difference and it’s only going to get better for me. I’m not doing this to be rich. I’m doing this because it’s what I want to do it. And it’s fun and I love it.
How can people book a tour?
Everything is still done through social media, like Instagram and Facebook, which has been working really well.
Are you worried about your business after the Outlander TV show ends and the books finish?
People still come here in masses to do Harry Potter stuff, and that ended years ago. And all these locations are always going to be here even when the story is completed. So, no, I’m not worried about that at all. The Outlander effect is definitely here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Related: ‘Outlander’ EP Maril Davis Teases What Will Happen in the Final Season
