BBC has announced the latest show for BBC ALBA - their Scottish Gaelic-language channel - and we will be getting some Gaelic language lessons ASAP! The upcoming drama, which will air on the network and on iPlayer, is set to star Shetland actress Sorcha Groundsell - and it sounds seriously good.
The new show, The Island, stars Sorcha as PC Kat Crichton, a police family liaison officer who returns to her home island as part of the investigation into a brutal and inexplicable murder.
The synopsis reads: “[The story sees] four troubled siblings gather at their family home in the Outer Hebrides as their father is questioned over the mysterious death of their mother.”
Keen to watch but don’t speak Gaelic? Don’t worry, the show will be subtitled to make it as accessible as possible to a wider audience. Speaking about the project, she said: “I’m thrilled to be part of this incredible series and honoured to participate in breaking new ground for the Gàidhlig language.
“I have been hoping to find an opportunity to bring this element of my personal life, which means so much to me, into my professional work. I can’t think of a better project than An t-Eilean (The Island) to do so. This show feels like a momentous opportunity for us Gaels to share the language, culture and scenery we love so much with the wider world.”
The actress, who grew up in Ness on the Isle of Lewis, has also starred in the Netflix show The Innocents and His Dark Materials, as well as the hit show Shetland. She is set to be joined by Outlander’s Iain Macrae, who will play self-made millionaire, Sir Douglas MacLean, while Industry star Sagar Radia will play the role of lead police investigator, DCI Ahmed Halim.
Speaking about the show, executive producer Arabella Page Croft said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Sorcha and the rest of the talented An t-Eilean (The Island) cast on this exciting new drama series. Packed full of complex and provocative characters, and set against the stunning Hebridean landscape, we can’t wait for viewers both at home and abroad to be swept away by what we hope is a must-see, ambitious crime thriller.”
The show is filming at the Amhuinnsuidhe Castle in Harris as well as Lewis and Glasgow. The release date is yet to be confirmed, so watch this space!