Sometimes people get nervous before an event they’re organizing in case no-one turns up.
Inverness Outlanders are extremely nervous about tomorrow’s annual Outlander Day at the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore.
Not because no-one will turn up, but because thousands might.
The group, formed in the early days of Outlander fever and formally constituted in 2017, is still ‘reeling’ from the shock of creating a little video which ended up going viral online.
Seriously viral: 31 million views on Facebook, 7 million on TikTok.
The reel that captured the world’s imagination was filmed at the Highland Folk Museum.
It’s a short clip of a group of women waulking the wool in the traditional way, singing in Gaelic and banging the cloth on the table to the rhythm of the song.
@inveroutlanders Wool waulking, is a traditional Scottish process of finishing and strengthening newly woven woolen fabric. It featured in Outlander season 1 and guess what? Some of the fantastic ladies from that scene will be again at this year’s Outlander Day in the Highlands! It’s happening on June 10th at the Highland Folk Museum from 11 am to 4 pm. Come and give Waulking the Cloth a try, just like Claire did. But don’t worry, we promise there won’t be any pee involved! Wool waulking is a significant cultural and social activity, often carried out by women in the Highlands of Scotland. The process involves a group of women coming together to work on a large piece of freshly woven wool fabric, typically a tartan or plaid. The purpose of waulking is to shrink and thicken the fabric, making it softer, warmer, and more durable. The waulking process begins by soaking the fabric in a mixture of water and urine, which contains ammonia and helps remove impurities from the wool. The wet fabric is then stretched across a long table or trestles, and the women gather around it. Using their hands, the women rhythmically beat, knead, and rub the fabric while singing traditional Gaelic songs. This collective effort not only helps shrink and tighten the fabric but also helps meld the individual threads together. The songs sung during waulking are known as waulking songs and have a distinctive rhythmic pattern that aids in synchronizing the work. As the fabric is worked, it gradually becomes denser and softer, and any excess water is squeezed out. The waulking process requires strength and endurance, as it can be physically demanding, but it is also a social occasion for women to come together, share stories, and bond. Once the fabric has been thoroughly waulked, it is rinsed, stretched, and left to dry. The end result is a beautifully finished piece of woolen cloth that is suitable for making garments, such as kilts, plaids, or other traditional 📣 Don’t miss Outlander Day in the Highlands on June 10th, 11 am – 4 pm @HighlandFolk! Meet the talented Waulkers from the show and give Wool Waulking a go, just like Claire! No pee involved, we promise! 😄 #Outlander #WoolWaulking #HighlandFolkMuseum
Sinead Robertson of Inverness Outlanders recorded the moment on her phone, walking around the group as they worked and sang.
Little did she know what would happen once it went online.
She said: “Our phones were hopping, we couldn’t believe it.
“We were astonished, it was just a wee video we posted to advertise Outlander Day.”
The group has posted waulking videos before, but none took off like the latest one.
Soon Inverness Outlanders’ Facebook followers jumped from 32,000 to 83,000.
When it was posted on Tiktok, it immediately took off too.
Sinead can’t find a defining moment or explanation as to why it went viral.
She said: “I added some words to it to explain what waulking the wool is all about and I think it resonated with people’s interest in heritage and culture.
Scandinavian links
“We were intrigued when people in Norway and Sweden got in touch to say they have a similar tradition, but it makes sense, thinking of our Viking past.
“The video also showed off more of the village in the background and that’s appealing to Outlander fans who quickly shared it.
“Some people also said it gave them vibes of the film Midsommar.”
Another moment of quiet before a massive Outlander storm played out at the Highland Folk Museum was in 2014, when an episode in the very first series was filmed in the 17th century village section of the mile-long museum.
Joann Hopkins, the museum’s assistant operations manager, had only just taken up her post and remembers that in 2013 a TV company had been in touch looking for a location to film a new TV series.
‘Little did we know what a major international phenomenon it would become’
“Filming started in March 2014, ” she remembers, “and they used the whole township, about a third of the museum.
“The gate was locked so we couldn’t see what was going on but from time to time they would ask us for help for things they needed, like some of our chickens, which we all hoped would be able to take direction on set though we told the director we couldn’t guarantee it.”
“Our local waulking group, Comhlan Luadh Bhàideanach, were there and Caitriona Balfe took part in a waulking scene with them.
“They also used the interior of our tacksman’s house, and filmed in other parts like Rothiemurchus and Ardverikie.
“After about six weeks, they packed up and went, and we didn’t think much about it.
“Little did we know what a major international phenomenon it would become.
“To this day fans come to the township, looking to see where Outlander was filmed.”
The scenes shot at the Highland Folk Museum are in ‘Rent’, episode 5 of the first series.
Longing for Diana to visit
Outlander author Diana Gabaldon hasn’t visited the museum yet while she’s been on one of her Scottish trips.
“We hope she will one day,” said Joann.
The museum staff are also intrigued to see the impact of the Inverness Outlanders’ viral video on numbers tomorrow.
“We usually get around a thousand on the day,” she said.
“There are a lot of international Outlander fans, some of whom might be in Scotland visiting, so you never know.
“The ladies will be demonstrating waulking the wool on the day.”
She added: “Outlander Day is always a lovely day for fans, a chance to dress up, meet fellow fans and friends and take photos.”
Outlander Day 2023 takes place tomorrow at the Highland Folk Museum on Kingussie Road, Newtonmore between 11am and 4pm. Entry is free but donations to support the work of the museum are welcome.
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