BBC has just unveiled its most daring and atmospheric crime drama yet — and it’s already being called the “most haunting murder mystery since Shetland.” Titled The Island, this gripping new series will air on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer, starring Shetland and The Innocents actress Sorcha Groundsell as a police liaison officer pulled into a case that hits dangerously close to home.
A Gaelic-language thriller with global ambition
Set in the raw, windswept beauty of the Outer Hebrides, The Island is not just a crime drama — it’s a deep dive into grief, secrets, and the unspoken tensions that can tear a family apart. And in a bold move by the BBC, the series is filmed in Scottish Gaelic, with subtitles ensuring a wider audience can follow the mystery.
Sorcha plays PC Kat Crichton, a police family liaison officer who returns to her childhood island home as part of the investigation into a brutal and inexplicable murder. But this isn’t just any case — the victim is her mother, and the prime suspect? Her father.
As Kat joins the lead detective — played by Industry star Sagar Radia — the emotional walls start to crumble, and what’s unearthed is far more disturbing than anyone imagined.
Four siblings. One dead mother. And a castle full of ghosts.
The drama centers on four troubled siblings reunited at the family estate, played by a mix of rising stars and Gaelic screen veterans. Outlander‘s Iain Macrae plays the family patriarch — a self-made millionaire now under suspicion.
But it’s not just a whodunit. Each sibling harbors their own secrets — infidelity, mental illness, betrayal, and a past crime no one talks about. When the first episode ends with a shocking confession, viewers are left wondering: Was it really the father… or is someone else hiding in plain sight?
From Shetland to something darker…
Sorcha Groundsell, known for her breakout roles in The Innocents and His Dark Materials, says the show is a deeply personal milestone:
“This is more than a show — it’s a piece of my identity. Bringing the Gaelic language to life on screen through such a powerful story means everything to me.”
Filmed across Lewis, Harris, Glasgow, and the stunning Amhuinnsuidhe Castle, the series oozes atmosphere. Every scene is drenched in mist, memory, and menace.
When and where to watch
While a specific release date hasn’t yet been confirmed, The Island will premiere later this year on BBC ALBA and stream on BBC iPlayer, complete with full English subtitles.
