6 things Outlander changed from the real Battle of Prestonpans

Photo Credit: Outlander/Starz Image Acquired from Starz Media Room

#1. There was no “shot nor shell”

At one point, one of the British officers shares that the Scottish aren’t afraid of “shot nor shell.” This is slightly inaccurate for the time period, unless they meant another meaning to “shell.” We don’t actually see any shells being used in the battle and it’s easy to overlook the comment, but it is a slight goof for the show.

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The British didn’t use shell until 1787. It was only developed three years before that by Henry Shrapnel, who is the namesake for the fragments that come from shells. Shrapnel was a young Artillery officer, who helped to move British weaponry forward considerably in a short space of time. Maybe the officer was a traveller and accidentally mentioned “shells” despite them not being around. Long show, I know!

However, all the weaponry used within the episode is museum standard replicas. This means they’re all made with materials from the time! Clearly the line really was just a goof in the writing and easy to overlook.