bloodlands filming locations

Where is BBC crime drama Bloodlands filmed?

Find out all about the filming locations for the James Nesbitt series here…

TV & Film Writer
September 25, 2022

The second season of BBC crime drama Bloodlands is well underway, and we think we speak for everyone when we say we're seriously excited to see what the new episodes hold.

MORE: Bloodlands viewers saying the same thing about series two debut

James Nesbitt has returned as DCI Tom Brannick, and his latest case sees the Dunfolan police force inch closer to unmasking the identity of the legendary assassin Goliath. But where was the series filmed? Here's what we know about the show's scenic filming locations…

WATCH: Are you watching Bloodlands season two?

As viewers will be aware, Bloodlands is set in Northern Ireland and the country is very much front and centre in the drama. Several famous locations in the capital of Belfast have featured on the show, including Queen's University and Strangford Lough, as well as the Mourne Mountains in County Down.

MORE: 5 James Nesbitt dramas that are a must-watch

MORE: James Nesbitt on how he spent time with his father before his death during Bloodlands filming

James opened up about the filming locations for the drama at a Q&A about the show with the BFI last year: "To see Strangford Lough and it's so beautiful there, to be filming down in the Mountains of Mourne, to see in the beginning some of the opening shots, driving through Belfast with that fabulous soundtrack, looking at Harland & Wolff, Tom walking through a busy, a vibrant, youthful, emerging new Northern Ireland – it was very important to me."

Bloodlands is both set and filmed in Northern Ireland

Season two introduces viewers to a few more locations, including the house of a crooked accountant and his widow, Olivia Foyle. Discussing the significance of the new location, writer Chris Brandon said: "The land is a character. It was great to find Olivia's house and it is something away from what you imagine of that area."

Are you enjoying season two of the crime drama so far?

"It cuts through that landscape as a modern Shard. It represents Olivia really nicely," he continued. "We go further down the coast this time and there are some stunning places to look at."

MORE: James Nesbitt opens up about end of his 22-year marriage

Meanwhile, creator Jed Mecurio has revealed that the country's unpredictable weather conditions did make filming difficult at times. 

"It looks amazing on camera but the weather can be quite challenging at times. We all made sure we had our thermals and waterproofs with us," he said, adding that the locations were nevertheless "rugged and beautiful" and perfectly encapsulated "the eerie setting for the series."

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