Outlander season 4 spoilers: First Nation Canadians go to Scotland to film North Carolina scenes

Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) in "Outlander" season 3. Starz

A tantalizing first glimpse of Outlander season 4 has just been issued with new set photos showing First Nation Canadians on set in Scotland.

According to the Radio Times magazine, which published the first look set photo, over 100 First Nation Canadians went to Scotland to film scenes that are actually set in North Carolina in the TV show.

The First Nation Canadians have been cast as members of the Cherokee and Mohawk Nations, who Jamie and Claire encounter in North America, the setting for much of Outlander season 4.

Outlander's Executive Producer Matthew B Roberts told the Radio Times that the showrunners were working hard to make the next season 'authentic' to the period.

'Every department, from Production design to costume and hair and make-up does a huge amount of research to ensure we create a world that feels authentic to the time and place,' he said.

'To build our Native American world, they have learned traditional techniques, from canoe building to hand weaving and, to populate that world, we have welcomed a great team from Canada to play both the speaking and supporting roles of the Cherokee and Mohawk Nations in Outlander season four.'

In other exciting news, Radio Times revealed that Lord of the Rings star Billy Boyd, who fans of the movie will know comes from Scotland, has been cast to Outlander season 4 as Gerald Forbes, a wealthy lawyer working for Jocasta Cameron.

Jocasta is herself a new character to the show. She is Jamie's aunt and will be played by Maria Doyle Kennedy.  Another new face next season is Ed Speleers, formerly of Downton Abbey, who is joining the next season as villain Steven Bonnet.

Season 4 of Outlander is based on Diana Gabaldon's book, Drums of Autumn, and fans of the TV show who have also read the book will know that Bonnet does terrible things  to Brianna but we don't know for sure how the book will be adapted for the TV version. 

We'll find that out when Outlander Season 4 returns to Starz in November.