Murder, secrets and a sweeping landscape: this Scottish ‘island noir’ has it all

At a stunning castle on a remote Scottish island, a shooting takes place in the dark of night, leaving one dead and another wounded.

Was it a burglary, or was something else going on at the home of veteran businessman Sir Douglas Maclean (Iain Macrae)?

When the policewoman Kat Crichton (Sorcha Groundsell, whom she knows His Dark Things, Shetland again The innocent and appearing in the drama series Crime, which airs on SBS Wanted) is drawn back to the island he left ten years earlier to help the police investigate a deadly crime, long-buried secrets begin to emerge.

If that sounds like the beginning of a Celtic Noir crack, you will.

“A lot of people have been saying for years, there should be some kind of murder set in the Western Isles. It’s like the place is right,” said Sinead MacInnes, who plays Douglas Maclean’s eldest daughter, Eilidh, in the four-part series. The island (Eilean in Gaelic).

The island filmed mostly on the Isle of Harris, in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, a place of breathtaking yachts, beautiful beaches and impressive scenery. Amhuinnsuidhe Castlewhich not only appeared in the series as the home of a self-made millionaire, but was inhabited by the cast and crew for five weeks, too.

“Filming in a castle, I think, is one mind-boggling thing, but actually living in a castle, well, it’s absolutely crazy… We got to the castle the weekend before filming, and we just got out of bed and sat down, served our food. It was completely magical and unique,” MacInnes said.

What’s unusual about this Noir-ish crime drama, isn’t just the location. It is the first of Scotland’s highest (eg it is expensive!) Gaelic drama, with about 70 percent of the dialogue in Scots Gaelic, was a challenge that MacInnes found very satisfying.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do it in Gaelic, but it was amazing, because I actually was able to … it was a fun thing to do, from start to finish, to feel like I brought up that part of me that doesn’t usually get brought up.”

It was a similar story with Groundsell, who spoke of overcoming his doubts with his eloquence.

“I think this is the right time to do a drama like this, a high-quality Gaelic drama, because there is a love of language and culture that is re-emerging in society and because there is an open mind, in the world today, for dramas in foreign languages, cultures that can be taken for granted. Telling the story of Gaelic,” said Groundsell.

Bringing another perspective to the story is DCI Ahmed Halim, played by Sagar Radia (Industry, Good Karma Hospital), who traveled from Inverness to lead the investigation.

“Halim is a hard-headed, no-BS guy in the DCI force. What’s interesting about him is that [not being a local] He is the eyes and the vision for the audience coming into this and especially when he comes to the island. This is his first time on the island, so I think the audience will watch it for him.”

Who do you think? The island will you apply to ?

“As it sounds, it’s a game that I think is for everyone, and I say that from the point of view that in the end I think the story always comes first, if the story is good, the viewers will come, and we’ve seen that with things like Money Heist. We have seen that Call my agentand we have seen that with Squid game. You know, these are three different shows from three different parts of the world, three different languages. And they finally found an audience. They get a lot of audience.

“So, if we’re lucky enough to have the success that they did, I think we’re in a good place. But ultimately, I think what it tells us is that story is king, and if you get that right, no matter what language it’s in … then viewers will come and watch.

“And I think that, aside from that, representing and speaking about different cultures is very important.” You know, I come from South Asian history, and when we can try to tell South Asian stories every now and then it’s really important because it expands the horizons, the minds, the perspectives of people in the world.

“Some of my most rewarding moments on the show are some of the scenes I did with Sorcha. … I think we have chemistry on camera… The kind of push and pull we have between each other. So, I really enjoyed working with her. It really tested me as an actor and I think it really tested me in this character, trying to break some molds and expand these opportunities in Asian culture. Usually, when you get to play DCI, you get to play characters in a situation of strength, therefore, to play that and opposite an amazing actress like Sorcha was a real dream.

The island location added something special to everyone.

“The Harris area is wild and wonderful and beautiful and raw at times, so filming, actually on location, was amazing,” said Meredith Brook Young, who plays Eilidh’s sister, Sìne.

“I think viewers’ ideas about Scotland will be hammered into their heads with this show,” said producer Kieran Parker. “Because even living in Scotland, you don’t really expect what you’re going to see. It’s a very different version of Scotland. It’s scaled, but it has this rawness, this real exotic beauty.”

As Crichton and Halim chase answers, the castle is haunted, the characters roam the hills and beaches and family dynamics play out, The island will by using up some surprises.

“At its heart I think it’s a family drama about a dysfunctional family. And then if you step back a little, you can almost argue it’s like a monster story. It’s about who did it, finding that monster,” said Radia.

“People can expect to see a very beautiful and dark and exciting story set in the islands, which, in my opinion, are one of the most beautiful places in the world,” MacInnes said.

This article contains material provided by Black Camel Pictures / All3Media International / BBC Alba.

All episodes of The Island are streamed on SBS On Demand.