This 600-Year-Old Pub in Scotland Almost Closed, Until 'Outlander' Fans Saved the Day

There's nothing "Outlander" fans love more than an underdog winning.

If there's one thing Outlander fans love, it's when the underdog wins. And that makes it little surprise that they'd come to the rescue of a beloved but struggling pub in Fife, Scotland.

The Red Lion Inn, located in the middle of where Outlander was filmed, has been a local institution for some 600 years. However, it came under threat when the previous owners considered selling it. According to The Herald, the community feared it would be yet another historic spot to be turned into a B&B, or worse. But thankfully, Mike Brown, who worked at the pub for 23 years, stepped in first.

"When it was decided to do the buyout, I was asked if I would be interested in leasing it as I'd worked there 24 years," Brown shared with the Daily Record. "We managed to secure the funding and took over on July 4."

:Pull Up a Seat to the Oldest Pub in Scotland

But, it wasn't a mega investor or even a bank who came in to save the day with funding. Instead, it was members of the local community and mega fans of the Starz show.

To make up for the significant debt that needed to be paid before he could take over the bar, Brown put together a fundraising campaign on Crowdfunder, which allowed anyone to become a shareholder in the bar. In total, 213 donations were made, many of which, Brown said, came from Americans.

"A lot of shareholders are Americans, they love Outlander. We get a lot of people who want to stand at the bar and take photos," Brown added.

Those shareholders and fans may want to pay the bar a visit in real life too. According to Brown, "The village itself dates back to 1510, and there's around 400 people living here. We are very busy with tourists — even in December, January, [and] February." That includes the occasional pop-in by the cast and crew of the show. "The Outlander cast are in and out of the village quite a lot."