If Shetland and The Loch are up there with your favourite detective dramas, you might have struggled to find another series that’s anywhere near as good, which is why we're here to introduce you to The Island. The BBC drama revolves around Family Liaison Officer Kat Crichton (Sorcha Groundsell) who has a harrowing murder investigation on her hands – and it is, in our humble opinion, truly outstanding.
The Scottish series, which also goes by the name An t-Eilean (in Scottish Gaelic), might have passed you by when it first aired last year, but fortunately, it’s currently being shown on Wednesday nights on BBC Alba with each episode being added to iPlayer immediately after. And it’s worth catching up quickly as a second series is already in production with a whole new mystery to solve and some exciting new cast members.
With two compelling episodes available to stream on the BBC tonight (a third is coming later this week), here’s everything you need to know about the detective drama before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is The Island about?
The four-part series is the UK’s first ever high-end Gaelic drama and takes us to the Western Isles of Scotland. It’s there that we meet Kat Crichton (Sorcha Groundsell) a young Family Liaison Officer, who’s assigned by her boss, DCI Ahmed Halim (Sagar Radia) to a murder investigation on Lewis and Harris, the islands from which she fled ten years previously.
The case is a brutal one; the body of the wife of local tycoon Sir Douglas Maclean (Iain Macrae) has been found at a remote island mansion and, at first, it appears to be part of a botched burglary. But Kat believes there’s more to the story than meets the eye. Kat has past history with Sir Douglas and his wealthy but highly-dysfunctional family - and she’s convinced that, despite having been wounded in the attack himself, the self-made millionaire must be involved.
Over the course of the four episodes, we follow Kat as she gets drawn into the tangled web of the Maclean family, which includes their four grown-up children, Eilidh (Sinéad MacInnes), Calum (Andrew Macinnes), Sìne (Meredith Brook) and Ruaraidh (Sam James Smith). And, as she does so, Kat must confront her own past – and the significance of a lavish New Year party she waitressed at a decade earlier where the dark roots of the mystery seem to lie.
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Sorcha Groundsell explained in a BBC interview that her character Kat’s backstory becomes increasingly important. “Kat is someone who carries a lot of baggage from her early life. She's had to put a lot of effort into rebuilding herself in Inverness after she left the island, and as a result of that, has a lot of things to work through when she returns home,” she said.
“She's very hard working and driven, and has a kind of level of bravery, really, in facing those demons that I kind of admire, but she also has, you know, some downsides, as all humans do. She was fascinating to play, actually, really multi layered. And I think playing someone with that much drive and that much simmering beneath the surface, rage, in a way, was really incredibly satisfying.”
Who’s in the cast of The Island?
The cast of The Island includes:
- Sorcha Groundsell (Shetland) as Kat Crichton
- Sagar Radia (Industry) as DCI Ahmed Halim
- Iain Macrae (Bannan) as Sir Douglas Maclean
- Sinéad MacInnes (Outlander) as Eilidh
- Andrew Macinnes (Lady Maclean) as Calum
- Meredith Brook (Bannan) as Sìne
- Sam James Smith (Seaforth) as Ruaraidh
- Elspeth Turner (Marram) as Lady Mary
Will there be a second series of The Island?
Yes – filming began on a second series of The Island in May. So far, we know that Sorcha Groundsell will reprise her role as Kat Crichton alongside Sam James Smith who returns as Ruaraidh Maclean.
They will also be joined by some new cast members, including Ava Mackinnon, Owen Sutcliffe, Tanith Munro, Aidan O’Callaghan, Debbie Mackay, Yolanda Mitchell, Jamie Quinn, Roxie Mohebbi and Àdhamh Ó Broin. Excitingly, we’ll be getting four new episodes and a major new mystery to solve.
According to the BBC, series 2 will open with Kat, who’s now a sergeant frustrated both at work and home, caring for her ill father and dealing with petty local crime. But when the body of a young woman washes up underneath a local bridge, she’s thrust into the hunt for a killer stalking the islands.
The BBC's official synopsis continues: “As the investigation deepens, it uncovers the hidden lives and devastating secrets of the community’s young people, forcing Kat to confront both the case and her own complicated ties to the place she calls home.
“When Ruaraidh Maclean (Sam James Smith), now running the local youth group, shares his suspicion that there are other missing young islanders he finds himself drawn back in to Kat’s world as the case tightens around those closest to home. What follows is a terrifying and twisted game which leads them into a chilling and dangerous hunt for a serial killer.”
Is there a trailer for The Island?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Island (which is referred to as An t-Eilean in the video) below.
Is The Island any good?
Yes – it’s better than good. It’s a brilliantly tense, twisting story full of lies and long-buried secrets that, of course, eventually get dug up. We should also mention the superb performances from both Sorcha Groundsell and Sagar Radia who have great chemistry on camera. Oh, and we haven’t even mentioned the incredible setting yet!
How can I watch The Island?
Both episodes of The Island series 1 are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
What other detective dramas can I watch now?
For a series that’s up there with Shetland, we’d recommend In the Dark. The drama introduces us to whip-smart yet troubled detective Helen Weeks (MyAnna Buring) who has a number of complex crimes to deal with while also navigating a surprise pregnancy. You can watch In the Dark now on U. If you’re in the mood for something a little cosier, we’d suggest Hetty Wainthropp Investigates. The series stars the late Patricia Routledge as Hetty Wainthropp, a retired, working-class woman from Lancashire, who, on her 60th birthday, decides to become a sleuth. Hetty Wainthropp Investigates is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
