karen pirie

Where was ITV drama Karen Pirie filmed? All you need to know about filming locations

The three-part drama is set in a historic Scottish town

TV & Film Writer
October 9, 2022

After three gripping episodes that have kept us glued to the sofa, Karen Pirie is set to reach its conclusion on Sunday evening.

MORE: Will there be a second season of ITV drama Karen Pirie?

While viewers have been left engrossed by the ITV drama, they've also been wondering where the series - which is set in the beautiful Scottish town of St. Andrew's - was actually filmed. We've done some investigating, and here is everything there is to know about the show's shooting locations…

WATCH: Outlander's Lauren Lyle leads the cast in new ITV drama, Karen Pirie

Filming for the three-part series did indeed take place in the university town northeast of Edinburgh in Scotland, which is known for its medieval bottle dungeon and counts royals Prince William and his wife Kate, Princess of Wales, among its alumni.

MORE: Karen Pirie: Is the new ITV drama based on a true story?

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Scenes were shot at the town's Catherdral, harbour and university, and when asked about what it was like to film in and around the historic town, lead star Lauren Lyle revealed that they actually shot during lockdown, so it was "really empty" rather than bustling with students and tourists as it is usually.

© Photo: ITV

The three-part drama was filmed in the historic Scottish town of St Andrew's

"We were really lucky because Emer [Kelly, producer and writer] wrote a five star hotel into the script, so we all had to stay there! Me and Emer would have breakfast and dinner together every day, just discussing the character and the whole show, exchanging ideas, it was a real joy."

However, the production crew also used other parts of Scotland to bring to life the world of Karen Pirie, which is based on the based on the best-selling novel by crime writer Val McDermid. They also shot in Deas Wharf in Kirkcaldy and the Pends, Market Place, and Loch Lomond in Glasgow.

© Photo: ITV

Production took place during lockdown last year

Lauren said that this afforded her the opportunity to show off some of her native country's most stunning beauty spots to her castmates who were not so familiar, revealing that in downtime between shoot days, they climbed Be A'an.

MORE: Karen Pirie: Where you've seen star of new ITV drama Lauren Lyle before

"It's beautiful having the series set in Scotland, some of the landscapes we have are phenomenal, up in Loch Lomond and in the mountains," Lauren continued. "A friend of mine has watched some of the series and kept asking if we'd used CGI. I kept saying, 'No, that's just Scotland!'"

Her co-star Chris Jenks added: "The Scottish scenery really gives the drama a nice feeling and the whole series is a great advert for Scotland."

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