A new state of fandom is about to the grip the nation - and most of you are as yet unaware of what is about to hit you.

For Outlander will officially start screening in the UK via Amazon Prime Instant Video on Thursday - and once you tune into the pilot, the chances are you'll be hooked.

 

Just ask Lisa Lyall, from Kelso, who is one of the original founders of the Outlander fan group Outlandish UK.

The group came together through social media around 18 months ago after it was announced Scottish hunk Sam Heughan would be taking the lead role of Jamie Fraser in the US Starz network show, which tells the story of Claire Randall, played by Caitriona Balfe, a married World War II nurse who is thrown back in time from 1945 into an unknown world, set in 1743.

Many of the Outlandish UK fans got to grips with the story through the books by American author Diana Gabaldon.

Lisa explained: "We knew the show was going to start filming and because Sam Heughan was the first character to be announced, we started talking to each other on Twitter.

"It kind of went from there, and it has grew arms and legs. There is fans all over the world."

This group, however, don't just talk the talk, they mean business - they even have an official card and badge.

Lisa said: "Come September, 2013, Some of us talked about getting together in Edinburgh, the second book takes place in the Royal Mile and it's got the Holyrood Palace and certain sites on there.

"We thought we would all meet in Edinburgh for a wee drink and wee walk round the sites.

"Before we knew it, we had 120 people in Edinburgh for a whole weekend event and through that process we developed into Outlandish UK.

"We have got nearly 1,300 members on Facebook and 3,000 on Twitter.

"It's fantastic because we are going to turn it into charity because we already fundraise on behalf of Caitriona and Sam's charities."

Fans is a term not be used loosely with the Outlandish UK group because many of the members travelled from around the world to attend the show's UK premieres in Glasgow and London on Monday.

And at the Glasgow premiere, their dedication to the show was proven when they recognised Jasper the dog, who is the on-set mascot as owner Marina Campbell is assistant to producer Ron D Moore and the writers. The pooch even has his own Twitter.

 

So why the obsession with Outlander?

"I think it's the characters that Diana has written.

"You get to know them so well through the story.

"The story is really intense because it's not just a normal boy meets girl plot, it takes you to places and leaves you with emotions I have never found in a book before.

"You get angry at it then you love it then you cry at it.

"There is a lot of hard things to read too but you get emotionally involved in it and I think that is why people love it so much."

The group's love of Sam Heughan may also have a little to do with their dedication to the show.

 

 

"Sam was the first character to be cast and the fact he was Scottish because it was an American production was a good thing.

"There was a bit at the beginning oh who are they going to cast? So it was great to hear it was a Scottish actor," Lisa explained.

She added: "He seemed to get involved with the fans immediately. He was on Twitter talking to us all and I don't think he realised how big the fan base was so it was just fantastic.

"We even got to meet him. He came to meet about 40 fans in Inverness last January. He is such a nice guy, really down to earth and he has really thrown himself into the role."

But the show isn't all about Jamie Fraser as Lisa and the Outlandish UK fans only know too well, "Caitriona, you know she is the star of the show. She is just amazing as Claire.

"Claire is what the story is about it is not about Jamie Fraser. It is about Claire and her journey. They couldn't have picked a better actor."

The group hope that people will embrace the hype surrounding Outlander while it is still being filmed in the UK.

Lisa said: "Our work is all for the support of the show, Diana and the cast. The books move on. Scotland is only in the first three books then it moves on to France and America so while it's here we will give it everything we've got to keep supporting it and hopefully by doing that we can raise money for the charities as well.

"I have some friends who are from Canada and America who moved here years ago because of the story.

"They came to find out more about Scotland and stayed

"It's been a tourist pull for a number of years but because of the show it is going to explode."

If you find yourself hooked on Outlander you can contact or join Outlandish UK on Facebook or Twitter.