Who Plays Simon Fraser on ‘Outlander’ Season 7? ‘Braveheart’s Robert the Bruce Angus Macfadyen

Outlander Season 7 Episode 6 “Where the Waters Meet” introduced us to some key Redcoat characters including a real life Brigadier-General with the last name Fraser. Angus Macfadyen, a Scottish actor most famous for playing Robert the Bruce in both Braveheart and 2019 film about the historic Scottish king, appears as Simon Fraser. Outlander book readers and history geeks alike will likely already know the pivotal role Simon Fraser will play in the upcoming Battles of Saratoga, but for now, he’s merely a keen strategist who crosses paths with Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) illegitimate son William (Charles Vandervaart) at Fort Ticonderoga.

Starz‘s Outlander did a nifty thing when they cast Angus Macfadyen as Simon Fraser. For decades, Macfadyen has appeared in projects as varied as Titus Andronicus, Californication, Saw IV, and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, but he’s best known for playing Robert the Bruce opposite Mel Gibson’s William Wallace. Braveheart has forever linked Macfadyen with Scottish history in the eyes of his audience. Casting him as Simon Fraser in Outlander Season 7 signals to the audience the character’s gravitas and authority in the story.

Note: This Simon Fraser is not the same Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat aka “The Old Fox” (Clive Russell), or his son Simon (James Parris) whom we met all the way back in Outlander Season 2. Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, was also a real historic figure, but in the Outlander series, Diana Gabaldon contrived that he was also Jamie’s grandfather. The Simon Fraser that Angus Macfadyen plays in Outlander Season 7 is based on Simon Fraser of Balnain, whom Gabaldon says is a distant cousin of Jamie.

But who exactly was Simon Fraser of Balnain? And what could it mean for Outlander that we’re meeting him in an episode that also calls out Daniel Morgan (Barry O’Connor) and the upcoming Battles of Saratoga?

**Potential spoilers for Outlander and, uh, history ahead!**

Who was the Real Simon Fraser, the Redcoat Angus Macfadyen Plays in Outlander?

Simon Fraser of Balnain was born in 1729 in Inverness-shire, Scotland, but is best remembered in history for when, where, and how he died. The British general served the Crown in both the French & Indian Wars and the War of Independence. As we heard in last week’s episode, Fraser was leading the vanguard of troops that took Fort Ticonderoga in July 1777. He would go on to win two smaller skirmishes that year at Hubbardton and Freeman’s Farm.

However, Fraser was struck by one of Daniel Morgan’s rifle men during the pivotal Battle of Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777, which is what ended the Battles of Saratoga in favor of the Continental Army. Fraser was specifically targeted by the Americans because he was considered such a good commander. He died later that evening and the British eventually surrendered.

Given all that, could it be conceivable that we’ll see him die in a similar manner in a future episode of Outlander? We’ll have to wait to watch more of Outlander Season 7 on Starz to find out…