Outlander's Dougal MacKenzie's life and brutal exit ahead of Blood of My Blood

The anticipation is building for the upcoming prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, set to premiere this summer.

The drama will centre around two couples: Highlanders Ellen MacKenzie (portrayed by Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) in the 18th century, and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) during WWI.

The Outlander prequel will also reintroduce some familiar faces from Outlander, albeit younger versions, including Jocasta Cameron (Sadhbh Malin), Colum MacKenzie (Seamus McLean Ross), and Dougal MacKenzie (Sam Retford).

As we await the new 10-part series, premiering on August 8, let's delve into the tragic backstory of Dougal, reports the Scottish Daily Express.

Dougal and his elder brother Colum had a complex relationship as they jointly managed Clan MacKenzie after their father's demise.

Dougal held the position of the MacKenzie Clan War Chieftain, while Colum was the Laird.

However, Colum relied heavily on Dougal as his right-hand man due to his debilitating disease, Toulouse-Lautrec Syndrome, which caused him severe pain and rendered him unable to walk.

Essentially, Dougal was the muscle to Colum's intellect in the management of Clan MacKenzie.

As depicted in Outlander, rumours circulated that Dougal was having an affair with Colum's wife Letitia Chisholm (Aislín McGuckin) and was the biological father of his son Hamish MacKenzie (Roderick Gilkison).

The situation became more convoluted when Colum appointed Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) as Hamish's guardian over Dougal.

Blood of My Blood will delve into the early lives of Colum and Dougal, before the events of Outlander.

The brothers were fiercely protective of their sisters Jocasta and Ellen, following the deaths of their other sisters, Flora and Janet MacKenzie.

Colum and Dougal disapproved of Ellen's relationship with Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and attempted to prevent the pair from uniting.

They had hoped for a more politically advantageous match for Ellen to bolster the clan's standing.

However, love prevailed as Brian and Ellen managed to be together, tying the knot in a handfast ceremony after she fell pregnant.

Reluctantly, Colum and Dougal accepted the marriage once it became clear that Ellen was expecting and could not be wed to another.

Tragically, Dougal met his end on the eve of the Battle of Culloden, a conflict he passionately wished to partake in, convinced of Scotland's triumph.

He overheard Claire (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie discussing plans to assassinate Bonnie Prince Charlie (Andrew Gower) in a desperate bid to alter history.

Enraged by the treasonous conversation, Dougal flew into a fury, vowing to kill Claire, whom he deemed a traitorous witch.

He cautioned Jamie that he had been enchanted by Claire before launching an attack on her.

Jamie intervened, leading to a fatal confrontation between him and his uncle, who labelled Jamie a traitor.

The conflict reached its climax when Jamie fatally stabbed Dougal with a dirk, resulting in a gruesome demise.

This violent altercation between Jamie and Dougal was the impetus for Claire's journey back through the stones to the future, ensuring the safety of their unborn child.

Despite Dougal's death, he made a surprising reappearance in season seven. This occurred when Roger MacKenzie, portrayed by Richard Rankin, travelled back through the stones in search of his son, inadvertently journeying further into the past than intended.

Outlander season 7 is available to buy now on Digital and is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video now

Outlander: Blood of My Blood premieres on Starz on August 8 and on Prime Video via MGM+ on August 9