Is time travel accidental in the Outlander universe? These details prove otherwise

Starz's Outlander, a fantasy historical series, intricately weaves time travel into its storytelling.

The show, adapted from Diana Gabaldon's series of books, premiered in 2014 and will conclude its decades-spanning saga with an eighth and final season in 2026.

The show features Claire's adventure, an English nurse in 1945 Scotland, who is transported to the past in 1743 after touching the stone circle at Craigh Na Dun. While there are no set rules of time travel explained in Outlander, we know that Craigh Na Dun is not the only time-traveling portal.

While time travel might look accidental or even coincidental in Outlander, it is not. Claire and Jamie's undying love and connection to each other suggest that she was always meant to find him in the past. Furthermore, Roger's accidental trip to 1739 in Season 7 literally confirms that destiny plays a major role in characters' adventures, and they are transported to where they are needed most.

The intertwined relationships suggest that time travel is not just accidental but also shapes Claire and Jamie's relationship, and destiny plays an important role in the universe.

More on this in our story.

Outlander Season 7 proved that time-travel is not accidental

While time travel is left ambiguous in the show's universe, this one incident proved that it is not accidental or coincidental. Destiny always plays a major role, as it did in Roger's adventure in Season 7.

In Outlander Season 7, Roger and Brianna's son Jemmy was kidnapped by Rob Cameron, and the couple believed that he had taken him to the past (in the 1770s). Roger and Buck quickly headed out to save Jemmy, but were accidentally teleported to an altogether different time period.

Since Brian Fraser was still serving as the laird of Lallybroch, Roger realised that they had actually landed in 1739. While this initially looked like a mistake, Roger soon realised his trip had a larger purpose.

Roger and Buck learned about a certain 'fairy man' roaming the Highlands in unusual clothing, who was later revealed to be Jeremiah "Jerry" MacKenzie, Roger's father. Roger gave Jerry a gemstone and helped his father get back to his own time. At the end of this adventure, Roger also realised that his son was not in 1739, and he was sent there to help his own father.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood opened a door of opportunities

While these small details proved that time travel was more than a variable in Gabaldon's universe, the prequel series has opened a door of opportunities, even revealing that Claire inherited the time travel gene from her parents, Julia and Henry.

It is quite beautiful how the prequel series has aided Outlander's world-building by bringing Julia to Castle Leathers. Julia's friendship with Jamie's father further proves that her daughter was meant to find her soulmate in Jamie through time travel. Claire and Jamie set couple-goals in Outlander, but Julia and Brian's friendship and the latter's efforts to reunite Jamie's parents suggest that our time-traveling heroine was always meant to find her soulmate in the Scottish Highlands.

The interconnected universe and relationships between characters feel so much deeper than being coincidental and accidental, which proves that time travel is more than just a plot device in the show. Additionally, Claire's secret brother in Blood of My Blood hints that a major revelation is on its way, which might shake the roots of this universe.

The prequel series also reiterated that Claire's time-traveling adventure was certainly not accidental or coincidental. Destiny had already planned her meeting with Jamie, and she even played an active part in Scottish history. While she could not change major history in her favour, minute changes suggest that her adventures are meant to fit the bigger picture in Outlander.

While the show always had complicated narratives and introduced surprising characters, it would be interesting to see how the makers will conclude this tale of romance and friendship that transcends both space and time.

Outlander Season 8 will premiere on Starz in early 2026.

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