Some business ideas are born in boardrooms. Others, born in places that feel older than memory. Stone castles. Wind-swept hills. Gardens of wild herbs that have been used for healing long before modern medicine ever had a name.
For Dr. Julie Montgomery, a Doctor of Natural Health and founder of Holistic Therapy Services, the connection between healing and place is not theoretical. It’s experiential. And in July of 2026, she’s inviting others to step directly into that experience with an immersive journey through Scotland that blends holistic medicine, herbal wisdom, and the cultural phenomenon that is Outlander.
The result is something far more interesting than a tour. It’s a living classroom, an immersive tour, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And, in many ways, a return to the roots of healing itself.
The Woman Behind the Journey
Dr. Montgomery has spent more than 25 years studying the human body and the energetic systems that influence it. Her work spans multiple disciplines — homeopathy, aromatherapy, functional medicine, emotion code work, aura-soma therapy, and advanced energetic modalities including B.E.S.T. (Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique) and QRNR. That’s a long way from the sterile hallways most people associate with healthcare.
Her approach is comprehensive, layered, and deeply rooted in the belief that the body is designed to heal when the right systems are supported. Patients seek her out not just for symptom relief, but for deeper understanding of what their bodies are communicating. And in a world increasingly dominated by quick prescriptions and digital diagnostics, her work taps into something older, something intuitive.
Something surprisingly familiar to anyone who has watched the character Claire Fraser practice medicine in the Outlander series. This is exactly where the inspiration for her newest venture began.
When Fiction Meets Ancient Medicine
Fans of Outlander know Claire Fraser as a time-traveling physician whose knowledge of herbs, plants, and historical medicine often proves just as valuable as modern science. For many viewers, it’s entertainment. For Dr. Montgomery and more serious “students” of the Outlander series, it’s something else entirely. It’s a poignant reminder that many of the healing traditions portrayed in the series are rooted in real historical practices that modern medicine has largely forgotten.
Her upcoming Sassenach System Scottish Outlander Experience blends those worlds together. For eleven days in July 2026, participants will travel through Scotland visiting many of the locations made famous in the series while also learning about traditional herbal wisdom, historical healing practices, and the role plants have played in medicine for centuries. Think less “tour group.” More immersive, historical and wellness-inspired expedition.
Castles, Clinics, and Claire Fraser-Style Herbal Wisdom
The itinerary reads like something pulled directly from the pages of a historical novel. Guests begin their journey at Dalhousie Castle, the ancestral home of Clan Ramsay, where they’ll dine in the castle dungeon — a location mentioned in the Outlander episode “La Dame Blanche.” From there, the days unfold across Scotland’s most iconic historical landscapes:
- Holyrood Palace.
- Surgeons’ Hall.
- Rosslyn Chapel.
- Doune Castle — known to fans as Castle Leoch.
- Linlithgow Palace.
- Blackness Castle.
- The medieval village of Culross.
Participants will even visit Falkland, the filming location that served as Inverness in the show’s earliest episodes. But woven throughout the castles, harbors, and historic villages is something much deeper than sightseeing or meeting actors from your favorite show. They’ll learn herbal lore, ancient plant medicine, and historical healing techniques that predate modern pharmaceuticals by centuries.
Under Dr. Montgomery’s guidance, travelers will explore the kinds of botanical knowledge that would have been commonplace in Claire Fraser’s time — and in many cultures long before, knowledge that still matters today.
A Retreat for the Modern Sassenach
The experience is designed not just for Outlander fans, although they will certainly feel at home. It’s equally compelling for people interested in:
- Herbal medicine
- Ancestral health wisdom
- Experiential travel
- Holistic healing traditions
- Cultural history
Participants stay in historic hotels and castles, travel together across the Scottish countryside, and dine in some of the region’s oldest pubs and gathering places. There’s falconry at Dalhousie Estate, visits to ancient stone circles. They’ll even spend time in St. Andrews for the Dragonfly Experience, where attendees will meet cast members and creatives connected to the Outlander universe. It’s part fan celebration, part historical deep dive, and part wellness retreat. And yes, you will absolutely eat like a laird along the way.
Healing as Experience, Not Appointment
What makes this trip even more unique isn’t simply the destination. It’s the philosophy behind it. Dr. Montgomery believes healing isn’t something that happens only in treatment rooms or clinical settings. It happens in environments that reconnect people to the natural rhythms their bodies evolved alongside. Scotland, with its ancient landscapes, herbal traditions, and centuries-old cultural practices, provides a perfect backdrop for that reconnection.
Participants won’t just hear about herbs. They’ll see the landscapes where these traditions grew. They won’t just learn about history. They’ll walk directly through it. And along the way, they’ll gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between nature, culture, and the human body.
The Return of Old Wisdom
In many ways, the Sassenach System experience reflects a broader shift happening across healthcare and wellness today. People are asking new questions about food, health, and medicine.
Practitioners like Dr. Montgomery are part of a growing movement working to reconnect modern health science with traditional healing systems that predate it. Her Scotland journey isn’t about romanticizing the past. It’s about remembering the healing traditions that still have relevance today, especially when paired with modern knowledge. Sometimes the best classroom for that rediscovery isn’t a conference hall. It’s a windswept hillside in the Highlands. Preferably with a cup of tea… and a few herbs Claire Fraser herself might recognize.
