An t-Eilean: The Real Locations Behind The Gaelic Series

Perhaps the most striking part of brand new BBC mystery drama An t-Eilean is that it’s not in English: it’s in Scottish Gaelic. But it’s the wind-swept white-sand beaches, azure seas and panoramas of rolling hills keeping us hooked. But where was An t-Eilean filmed? We’ve got the details.

Kat Crichton (SORCHA GROUNDSELL) in An t-Eilean. (Black Camel Pictures/BBC Alba/John Murdo MacAulay)

Where Was An t-Eilean Filmed?

An t-Eilean (aka The Island) was filmed in Harris (or Na h-Earradh in Gaelic), the southern and more mountainous part of Lewis and Harris, where the drama is also set. With roots dating back as far as the Vikings (c. 700), Lewis and Harris is the largest and northernmost island in the Outer Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan an Iar). Harris in particular is home to just under 2,000 people – 60 percent of which speak Gaelic. (In contrast, Lewis is home to 18,500 residents with, again, around 60 percent speaking Gaelic.) The Isle of Lewis and Harris is one of more than 50 islands making up the Outer Hebrides, and one of only 15 inhabited islands in the archipelago.

‘It was really wonderful filming in Harris,’ says Sorcha Groundsell, who leads the series as Kat Crichton. ‘We felt incredibly lucky to have five weeks there. Incredible landscapes, incredible people. And such creative value in really being in the locations that are written in the script – to feel completely embedded in the story because you were in those places, you’re in that landscape, you’re on those beaches, you’re up those hills. That adds so much texture to the story, but also to all of our performances too – to feel the truth of it as we’re there. And it was also just a really wonderful time. It’s a really, really lovely place to work.’

‘The island was gorgeous,’ says Sagar Radia, who plays Kat’s boss DCI Ahmed Halim. ‘It was beautiful. It’s pin drop silent, which is lovely, especially when you come from London and you’re used to that sort of cosmopolitan hustle and bustle. I’d definitely recommend anyone to go there.’

However, Harris was not a totally new experience for the whole cast of An t-Eilean: Iain Mcrae, who plays Sir Douglas Maclean, actually grew up there. ‘It is an especially huge thing for me to be able to return to the Isle of Harris and to be able to film there,’ he says. ‘It’s been slightly surreal, I’ve got to confess, getting up very early in the morning, five, six in the morning, and traveling to work and seeing all the mountains and glens and the lochs and the sea beside you as you’re traveling to work, to this huge castle in the middle of nowhere. It’s all been slightly surreal, but very beautiful and very rewarding in its own way. When the opportunity for this came up, I didn’t run towards it, I leapt towards it.’

Kat Crichton (SORCHA GROUNDSELL) in An t-Eilean with Amhuinnsuidhe Castle behind her. (Black Camel Pictures/BBCAlba/John Maher)

Amhuinnsuidhe Castle

Perhaps the most visually impressive filming location in An t-Eilean is the millionaire Maclean family’s huge mansion – where Lady Mary was found murdered. The real location? Amhuinnsuidhe Castle, a real castle on the western side of Harris on the edge of Loch Leosavay. Dating back to the 19th century, this Scottish baronial style castle was originally named Fincastle, but is now a hotel and shooting estate and takes the name of the nearest settlement, Amhuinnsuidhe, half a mile up the road. The castle is located around 8 miles northeast of Tarbert, the largest settlement in Harris, home to around 550 people and a port. As well as filming here, the cast of An t-Eilean lived in Amhuinnsuidhe Castle throughout filming.

‘Amhuinnsuidhe Castle was a character all of its own,’ says Groundsell. ‘It’s so grand and interesting, and it’s got such a fascinating history. And I think the value that we all got from living together, essentially, for five weeks, was immeasurable. I think it really paved the way for a really enjoyable working experience.’

‘I think it’s really important to be in the castle and be on location when you’re filming this type of show,’ adds Radia. ‘We’re trying to put the culture on the map, and if we’re going to do that, we [have] to do that authentically.

‘I remember the driver pulling around [on the approach to Amhuinnsuidhe Castle], and he was almost preparing me for this castle and the impact that it’s going to have,’ Radia recalls. ‘As we pulled around this hill, and saw the castle just appear… It was really quite breathtaking, actually. It was just on the landscape of the water, and you see so much green behind it. It’s an absolutely beautiful location. It’s like something out of a Disney film. It’s gorgeous and has got so much character. There’s so much history there: beautiful paintings on the wall, and the architecture. It’s just a really, really gorgeous place. I’m so happy that we got to film there. There’s so much to explore around that area, the castle and the grounds. It was all gorgeous.

‘You could easily do this on a green screen or in a studio, but I think there’s nothing like filming on location, in the real place, Radia adds. ‘You can’t substitute that. And we need to give the audiences credit for that, because they can tell. It’s really important that we give them, the culture and the area the respect that they deserve, to really sell it in the best way possible.’

WATCH

An t-Eilean airs Tuesday evenings at 9pm on BBC Alba. Catch up on BBC iPlayer.