Outlander stars Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish have said they hope their new show will speak to their views on Scottish independence.
The pair were speaking to the Los Angeles Times about their new show Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham.
Both Heughan and McTavish, who starred together in Outlander, previously backed the campaign for Scotland to leave the UK in 2014, and have been vocal in their support for independence since.
McTavish told the LA Times: “I think, hopefully, the stories that we tell and the love letter that we give to Scotland with the show speaks to our own views on independence without banging a drum about it."
He added: “Scotland is a place to be celebrated if you’re Scottish or if you’re not Scottish, and somewhere to be very proud of.
“I’m not nationalistic in the sense that I think we’re better than someone else. I just think it’s about having a pride in your own country and where you come from, and having a feeling of connection to that. That was really what Sam and I wanted to get across, was our own personal feelings of pride and wanting to share the story of Scotland and what it has to offer.”
Speaking in the same interview, Heughan said: “I’m not a politician … I’m wary of actors being asked of their politics or their stance — but also, why not?
“Especially when we’re doing a show about Scotland and Scottish heritage and culture. It’s something to be proud of …
“Nationalism, I think, is not a good thing and we’ve seen the rise of it in America. But actually Scottish nationalism is slightly different. It’s not about closing borders, it’s about being open to the rest of the world and not being insular.”
Heughan also hit out at Brexit in an interview with the New York Times in February, saying: "Brexit has been a complete mess, complete shambles to my mind, totally ridiculous.
"This insular kind of jingoism that’s been going on — I love Britain, and I’m also proud to be Scottish, but I don’t want to be a backward country that thinks it’s better than everyone else."
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Men in Kilts, streaming on Starz this week, will see the pair tour the Scottish countryside exploring food, drink and culture. No release date for UK viewers has been announced.
