Claire and Jamie’s separation is one of the most heartbreaking aspects of the Outlander story. In the books and TV show, Claire accidentally travels from the 18th century back to the 20th century, leaving Jamie behind. Their separation lasts for 20 long years, with both believing the other may be dead.
Claire travels back to the 20th century
In the Outlander books and show, Claire travels back in time from 1945 to 1743 Scotland. There she meets and marries Jamie Fraser. They live a happy life together for 3 years, until the Battle of Culloden. To try to save Jamie’s life and prevent the destruction of the Highland clans, Claire returns to the standing stones at Craigh na Dun to travel back to her own time.
Claire hopes she can return to Jamie after spending a brief time in the 20th century. However, when she passes through the stones, she ends up in 1948 – exactly 202 years after she left Jamie. She is heartbroken to realize Jamie lived the rest of his life believing she died or abandoned him.
Jamie lets Claire go
In the Outlander book Dragonfly in Amber, Jamie takes Claire to Craigh na Dun before the Battle of Culloden. He intends to send her back through the stones to safety, even though it breaks his heart. Jamie wants Claire and their unborn baby to survive, even if it means losing them.
Jamie begs Claire to go back for the sake of their child. He says goodbye with these painful words: “I will find you. I promise. If I must endure two hundred years of purgatory, two hundred years without you – then that is my punishment, which I have earned for my crimes. For I have lied, and killed, and stolen; betrayed and broken trust. But there is the one thing that shall lie in the balance. When I shall stand before God, I shall have one thing to say to weigh against the rest.”
Claire tries to move on
Once back in the 20th century, Claire does her best to build a new life. She reunites with her first husband, Frank Randall. Though their marriage is strained, they raise Jamie’s daughter Brianna together. Claire also becomes a surgeon, fulfilling her career dreams from before her travel through the stones.
Still, Claire never stops missing Jamie. She spends years studying history books to learn about his fate after Culloden. She learns that some of the Highland clans were destroyed, while others survived. But she finds no definite record of Jamie’s death – giving her a slim hope that he may have lived.
Jamie suffers without Claire
Jamie survives the Battle of Culloden, though he is gravely injured. He lives in hiding in a cave for several years, longing to reunite with Claire. Even when he is pardoned by the English and starts a new life at his family estate of Lallybroch, he continues to hope Claire will return.
Jamie marries again and has more children, but he never stops loving Claire. On each anniversary of the Battle of Culloden, he returns to the hillside where they said goodbye. He hopes against hope that one day Claire will come back to him.
Claire returns to the 18th century
In the beginning of the third Outlander book Voyager, Claire discovers evidence that Jamie may have survived Culloden. She cannot bear to live another day without him, so she makes the difficult choice to leave her life and daughter behind in the 20th century.
Claire travels back through the standing stones, hoping beyond hope that she will find Jamie. After many trials and tribulations, Claire and Jamie reunite in Edinburgh. Their 20 year separation is finally over.
Key Facts About Claire and Jamie’s Separation
- Claire originally travels from 1945 to 1743
- She marries Jamie Fraser in 1743
- Claire returns to the 20th century right before the Battle of Culloden in 1746
- When she travels back, Claire ends up in 1948 – exactly 202 years later
- Claire and Jamie are separated for 20 years total
- Each believes the other died in the Battle of Culloden
- Claire reunites with her first husband and raises Jamie’s daughter in the 20th century
- Jamie survives Culloden but lives in grief and solitude
- Claire discovers evidence Jamie may have lived, and travels back to find him
- They reunite in 1766 when Claire returns to the 18th century
Why does their separation last 20 years?
There are a few key reasons Claire and Jamie’s separation in the Outlander story spans 20 long years:
- Rules of time travel – Claire can only travel to a certain time period relative to when she leaves. She ends up exactly 202 years in the future from when she left Jamie.
- Believing the other is dead – Both Claire and Jamie assume the other died at Culloden. They have no reason to try looking for each other earlier.
- Obligations in their own time – Claire feels obligated to raise Jamie’s daughter in the 20th century. Jamie rebuilds a life at Lallybroch.
- Lack of control – Neither can precisely control when or where they time travel. Claire has to wait years to discover clues about Jamie’s fate.
- Dramatic effect – The 20 year separation makes their reunion more emotional for readers/viewers.
The length of their separation makes it all the more poignant when Claire and Jamie finally reunite. Their enduring love and lifelong bond adds to the drama and romance of the Outlander story.
How does the separation affect Claire and Jamie?
Claire and Jamie are both devastated and forever changed by their 20 year separation. Here is an overview of how it impacts each character:
Effects on Claire
- Heartbreak and longing for Jamie
- Feeling of displacement in the 20th century
- Struggles to reconnect with first husband Frank
- Raising Jamie’s daughter, Brianna, without him
- Having a successful career as a surgeon but feeling unfulfilled
- Obsessing over Scottish history to learn Jamie’s fate
- Never losing hope of finding Jamie again one day
Effects on Jamie
- Physical and emotional trauma from Culloden
- Hiding in a cave near death for seven years
- Imprisoned and tortured at Ardsmuir prison for three years
- Loneliness and isolation at Helwater estate
- Marrying again but still longing for Claire
- Visiting Culloden each year on the anniversary, hoping Claire will return
- Never giving up hope he will see Claire again
The separation shapes the rest of their lives. Each remains incomplete without the other. Claire and Jamie carry the weight of their loss until their reunion.
How and when do Claire and Jamie reunite?
Claire and Jamie reunite in the print shop scene in Voyager, one of the most emotional scenes in the entire series. Here are the key details:
- Takes place in 1766 in Edinburgh, 20 years after they parted
- Claire sees Jamie’s name printed in a newspaper and suspects he survived Culloden
- She makes the difficult choice to travel back through the stones to find him
- Claire researches and finds Jamie’s printing shop in Edinburgh
- Jamie faints when he first sees Claire, thinking she is a ghost
- They embrace, kiss, and talk through the night, reconciling after 20 years apart
This long-awaited reunion scene is a cathartic and romantic moment for both characters and readers. Claire and Jamie pick up their relationship right where they left off, demonstrating their unbreakable lifelong bond.
Key Quotes About Their Reunion
“Once more she lay wide awake, until the small sounds faded and there was only the beat of the blood in her ears, echoing the beat of her heart. The slow thud of life, going on.”
“Twenty years dissolved, and twenty years of yearning. Twenty years of dreaming of him in the long, lonely nights. Twenty years of imagining how she would feel at this moment, if ever it came; of how he would be, the touch of his hands, the feeling of his arms around her.”
“He was shaking so hard that it was a moment before she realized that he was crying.”
“I thought you were dead.” Now his face twisted, bitterness marking it. “I wished ye were!”
Conclusion
Claire and Jamie’s 20 year separation in the Outlander series is heart-wrenching but also proves the depth and endurance of their love. Their long-awaited reunion is made even more emotional and cathartic after suffering two decades apart, believing the other was gone forever. Their epic love story simply could not be contained by the bounds of time or death.