Outlander: 10 Facts About Dougal MacKenzie From The Books The Show Leaves Out

Dougal Mackenzie is one of the main characters in the first season of Outlander and let’s admit that he was the person who played cupid between Jamie and Claire.

When Claire first ran into these highlanders, Dougal insisted she come with them and that’s how Claire and Jamie locked eyes for the first time in this timeless love saga Outlander. The matchmaker of these two, Dougal also has a very crucial role in his clan and the initial storyline. Here we shall be sharing ten facts about Dougal that you might not know about. Let’s start!

10 Origin

Dougal Mackenzie was born in 1694 to Jacob Mackenzie and Anne Grant. He was born and brought up in Leoch, just like his other siblings. He is related to Jamie by blood. Jamie is Dougal’s own nephew and that way both Jamie and Dougal can claim the Laird’s throne for Leoch and Lallybroch.

9 Real Laird

Originally, the Laird title of Leoch belonged to Dougal. In around 1712, when Dougal’s father was still alive, Colum met with a couple of accidents. In the first, he broke his femur, which didn’t heal properly and then he broke his other leg too. When their father died, Dougal was to become the next Laird, but couldn’t because of the way he handled his sister’s elopement.

8 Malicious

In the series, we saw Jamie living with the guilt and regret of having seen his sister getting sexually assaulted by Black Jack. He is shown agonizing over that painful incident several times. Who had told this lie to him?

Dougal was the person who had told Jamie that Jenny was pregnant with Captain Jack Randall’s child and that she was living with another English soldier.

7 Family

Dougal is one of the six siblings Ellen, Colum, Dougal, Janet, Flora and Jocasta, born to Jacob Mackenzie and his wife Anne Grant. Ellen had run away from home to marry Jamie’s father. Colum and Dougal both were deeply hurt by this, especially Colum. The family was well bonded with each other and overall they were a normal average family.

6 Early Struggles – The Great Gathering

Dougal was intended to be the lord of Leoch, but, when his sister Ellen eloped from home, he handled it very badly. So, it was decided at The Great Gathering that although Colum did not have the physical strength to lead an army, Dougal did not have the required judgement abilities. Hence, no one supported him and Dougal’s claim was dropped. Colum was made the Laird and Dougal was instead made the War Chieftain of the Mackenzie clan.

5 How Dougal Looks Like In Books

In the series, Dougal is a muscular, bald and tough man with a stare to match. The books paint a different picture though. Dougal from the books is a handsome man with russet (reddish brown) hair, reddish beard and bushy eyebrows. He has a large chest with well-built shoulders and a charming voice.

4 Real Reason Why Dougal Picked Jamie!

In the first season, Dougal picked Jamie to marry Claire so that the British army could not lay hands on her. The show does not explore the how and why of this. The books explain this in much detail.

Jamie is a potential laird of Leoch after Colum . Dougal wants the throne to himself and sees Jamie as a threat. Now since Claire is British and Leoch’s people will not accept anyone who has a Sassenach lady as the Lord, this is why Dougal pushes Jamie to marry Claire.

3 Character Analysis

Dougal is brave and has an inherent leadership quality. He is loyal to an extent, to his brother Laird Colum Mackenzie, but, he keeps secrets of his own. He is secretly securing funds for the rebel cause of Bonnie Prince.

He keeps plotting and scheming various plans, one of which is getting a hold on Lallybroch too(which is why he wanted Claire to marry him). Dougal sleeps with Geilis outside of his own marriage. Geilis is also not the only woman with whom Dougal sleeps.

2 General Trivia

Dougal was supposed to have a full head of russet hair, bushy eyebrows and light-ish voice, but, Graham Mactavish, the actor who played the part has been styled a bit differently. The Dougal from the show has a heavy manly voice, very masculine handsome personality and light eyebrows. Despite them, Graham has given an incredible performance to the role.

1 Death

When Jamie and Simon Fraser go to meet Charles Stuart to request him to release their men, Dougal accompanies them too. At the church, where Claire, Jamie, Dougal and his men are waiting the battle out, Dougal overhears Claire talking to Jamie and planning to poison Charles. He gets furious and tries to kill Claire. In a deadly fight with Jamie, Dougal gets murdered by his own nephew.

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