10 Gifts for The Outlander Lover in Your Life

Like many of you, when it comes to Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, I just can’t get enough. I’m currently rereading the saga from the start and enjoying it even more the second time around. It boggles my mind that when I was 14, I found a copy of the first book in my high school’s Lost and Found and gave it only a cursory glance before deciding it seemed “boring.” Oh, what a foolish fool, teenaged Becca. When I rediscovered the series and gave it a shot, I was in my twenties and still had a bit of a crush on William Wallace (how you doin’, man who liberated Scotland?).
There are dozens of reasons to dig Outlander. You can be into time travel, herb lore, Scottish history, witchcraft, World War II, the 1960s, medicine, France, wine, Jamaica, piracy, Colonial America—sex in the outdoors, even! There is nothing these books do not contain. It might be tempting to buy the Outlander lover in your life another Scottish romance novel for the holidays—and by all means, go ahead and do it, I like a kilt-based romance as much as the next girl—but don’t be scared to think outside the box. Here are 10 gifts for the Outlander fan in your world.
The 7 Book Nook Bundle!
A true Outlander fan should never be with quick, easy access to this, their favorite (and arguably the greatest) book series of all time. Give them the gift that keeps on giving: the seven-book series bundle for their Nook! All the story, less of the weight to lug about.
The Scottish Kitchen, by Christopher Trotter
It took me until book two, but when the craving for Haggis and parritch struck, it struck deep. Surprise the nerd in your life with this cookbook that will temporarily convince them that, should they wake up in 18th-century Scotland, they might stand a chance at winning the stomach and thus the heart of a Highlander warrior.
The Scottish Ale Brewing System, by Thomas Thomson
I issue this challenge to each and every Outlander fan out there: Should you be lucky enough to get this book as a gift this holiday season, please see what brilliant names you can come up with for your new ale line. Currently I’m deciding between The Redheaded Giant, Sassenach’s Sip, or Fraser Ridge.
Whiskeypedia: A Compendium of Scottish Whiskey, by Charles MacLean
If you’re a fan of Outlander and still can’t tell your whiskeys apart, or worse still, they all make you grimace and sneer, then you’ve got some learning to do! Let this book open up a world of peat, moss, and alcohol content for you.
A Midge In Your Hand Is Worth Two Up Your Kilt: Scottish Proverbs, by Stuart MacLean
Get your mind out the gutter and into the wacky world of Scottish proverbs. As a fan of strange proverbs (“in the dark all cats are grey,” “stranger things happen at sea”), I’m a huge advocate of amassing as many of them from all over the globe as I can. Bring on the Scottish phrases, me lads!
Learn Scots Gaelic, by EuroTalk
I’m sure your fave Outlander fan is with me on loving it whenever Jamie says something dark in Gaelic and Claire doesn’t understand. Let’s beat Claire at her own game and get our Gaelic up to snuff! Look out, Beauchamp Randall Fraser, we’re coming for ya!
Cardinal and Pine Plaid Candle Tin
Give the ultimate fan in your life this candle, a fuzzy blanket, and permission to spend a handful of hours imagining that they are being sucked into the world of Outlander as the scented candle and vivid descriptions of Jamie’s eyes take them away.
Any Album by Haggis Rampant
Get in the Scottish spirit with any album by this band. Not only does part of their name include the word “haggis,” but they are also a three person bagpipe band. *Drops mic, river dances away*
Natural Herbs Guide, by Rebecca Baxter
Claire has a much, much, much more exhaustive and comprehensive memory than I do. If I were ever to time travel and practice medicine, a guidebook like this to instruct me as to what plants might be useful and which might, you know, kill me, could be exceptionally useful.
The Newlywed’s Guide to Sex, by Richard Smith
I initially ran a search for a book that could instruct you on helpful ways to have safe, comfortable sex in the out of doors (something every fan knows features prominently in these books). Since there wasn’t a book that really dove into the subject, and the Kama Sutra seemed slightly advanced, I figure this newlywed’s guide to sex will help guide all those would-be Claires as they usher their Jamies into the sack for the first time.