Outlander's Sam Heughan reckons his 'lonely' childhood in Scotland led to him becoming an actor

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Sam Heughan has revealed that his “lonely” childhood in rural Scotland led him to become an actor.The Scots star was born in Balmaclellan, a tiny village in Dumfries and Galloway, and grew up in the grounds of nearby Kenmure Castle, just outside New Galloway.

The 43-year-old moved to Edinburgh at the age of 12 where he enjoyed something more of a city life, but attended Kells Primary School in New Galloway before relocating.Opening up on his experiences in a recent interview with BBC Radio’s Saturday Live, the Outlander actor recalled how he believes his idyllic but quiet upbringing led to his decision to pursue his chosen career.He said: “There were four people in my class at school—and I would say I was perhaps a bit of a loner in some ways—maybe just because you spend a lot of time on your own.“I was very fortunate to play in the forests or the grounds of an old castle where we were brought up and raised and I think that being alone and using your imagination really sparked something inside me.

I think it perhaps also gives you the drive as well.”Sam lived with his mum and brother in converted stables at Kenmure Castle, which was built in the 13th century, meaning his links to Scotland’s epic history started young.

The star, who now has a legion of fans thanks to his role as Jamie Fraser, in hit time-travel drama Outlander, admitted that when he moved to Scotland’s capital, he had a passion for exploring, and he believes that moving around a lot as a youngster helped shape him and made it easier to pursue a career in the often unstable world of acting.