Shetland series 10: 'Breathtaking' filming locations revealed for BBC One detective drama, and if Lunniswick is a real place
Calder and Tosh investigate the murder of an elderly woman in a remote village
Shetland is finally back on our TV screens with series 10, after what felt like a long and Tosh-less year, and it’s good to see those stunning filming locations again.
In the latest series, Calder and Tosh are called to investigate the gruesome murder of an elderly woman in a remote village called Lunniswick.
The death rocks the close-knit community in the isolated hamlet of Lunniswick. And, not just the locals. The dead body of retired social worker Eadie Tulloch has shocking implications for the police team, too.
So what filming locations did cast and crew use for Shetland series 10, and is Lunniswick a real place? Here’s everything you need to know.
Where is Shetland series 10 filmed?
As the name suggests, the detective drama is filmed in and around beautiful Shetland. Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway. It’s the northernmost region of the UK.
Shetland’s main town Lerwick has featured in every series, as has the much-photographed Lodberries house which was previously the home of DI Jimmy Perez.
Other iconic locations include Bain’s Beach, Lerwick Harbour, Lerwick Town Hall and the sheriff court which doubles as the police station in the television show.
More stunning filming locations used in Shetland include Eshaness and the North Mainland, Burra, and the southernmost tip of Shetland’s Mainland Sumburgh Head. Some of the filming also takes place on the Scottish mainland, most notably Glasgow.
Appearing on BBC News in November, Ashley Jensen said: “The scenery is the main character. The real hero of the series is Shetland itself. But we film during 20 hours of daylight so I have to have my sleeping mask.”
Is Lunniswick a real place?
In series 10, the police team decamp to an isolated village called Lunniswick. But is it real?
Nope, there is not really a village called Lunniswick in Shetland. Instead, the key location for Shetland series 10 was a real life village called Levenwick which crew transformed into the fictional village of Lunniswick.
Levenwick is actually a small village about 17 miles south of Lerwick, on the east side of the South Mainland of Shetland, Scotland.
According to Shetland.org, Levenwick Beach is a popular beach for families “thanks to its gently sloping sands, which makes it ideal for paddling, and its numerous rock pools”.
This is the first time Shetland has taken over a real-life village and transformed it into a fictional one.
‘The fictional village of Lunniswick is typical of Shetland’
Talking about filming in Shetland’s Levenwick, Tosh actress Alison O’Donnell revealed it’s “typical” of Shetland.
Motherwell-born Alison, who plays DI Alison ‘Tosh’ Mcintosh, said: “The fictional village of Lunniswick is typical of Shetland. There are scattered houses lining a beach, and the neighbours are well acquainted with one another and the land they live on. It is rich in history, relationships and secrets which I really loved as a central focus of the mystery.”
She continued: “Lunniswick is actually a place called Levenwick which is on the road between Lerwick and Sumburgh airport. So I’ve driven past it 100 times but had only actually ever been down there once. I remember on a day off I just took a fancy and went down to the beach there.
“It was something different for us, to be in one location for so much of the shoot. Things were very predictable, we knew we were heading to the same place every day for much of it and got into a nice rhythm with that. It’s also a beautiful place so it was very nice to be there.”
The actress credits the stunning filming locations as the key to Shetland’s success. Alison said: “The landscape of the isles is pretty much purpose built for drama. And the breathtaking magic and beauty of the Isles is our USP, no doubt about it.”
Shetland series 10 filming locations: ‘It’s a small community’
Meanwhie, Ashley Jensen – who plays DI Ruth Calder in the detective drama – loved filming on location for the latest series.
Born in Dumfriesshire, the 56-year-old said: “This series, we’ve become a little more insular rather than the expansive locations of last year. We’ve really come into the nucleus of the small hamlet of Lunniswick and used a real-life town as our location. It’s very much a small community where everybody knows each other’s business.
“The series opens with the murder of a woman from this community and, of course, the houses back on to each other. Everybody’s peeping from their curtains and everyone’s kind of involved in each other’s lives – whether they want to be or not.”
Talking about the filming process, she added: “I always like filming on location because it feels more alive. You’re actually in a house, you’re beside the water and you can smell the sea air outside. I find it helpful to feel the damp, feel the cold even though it can be difficult. The fact your hair is going all over the place can add to the wildness of the show. The elements are bigger than you and as much a part of the show as the actors and the storyline.”
The Shetland series 10 filming locations ‘really had to be an intimate, beautiful village’
Actor Steven Robertson, who has played Sandy ever since series 1 in 2013, was actually born in Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. He’s the only main cast member who’s a ‘local’.
Steven, 48, admits taking over a real life village was “amazing”. He said: “When I first read the scripts, I was completely blown away by the ambition. It’s so obvious from the get go, that the location really had to be an intimate, beautiful village with an incredible environment. It actually danced through my head as I first read the scripts ‘I wonder if they’re considering Levenwick to be our Lunniswick?’.
“Whenever I drive past Levenwick on my way back from Sumburgh I always glance down at it because it is a sort of magical, little jewel of a village. It’s got a very different feel to it from much of the rest of the Shetland Isles.
“It feels like you’re really far away, even from the rest of the mainland of Shetland. That sort of mystery and history, absolutely comes across on screen. It’s the perfect location for this storyline.”
Steven can actually drive to work from his own house, which he describes as “an absolute joy “. He continued: “The show has showcased these beautiful isles all over the world, but there is also a cultural exchange in another way – our crew come back time and time again, even when they’re not filming. They’ve made friends and connections which is great. We’ve had many locals involved as extras and working in lots of different departments of the crew. So it shows them that it is possible to work in TV and still live in Shetland.”
‘That’s the magic of television!’
Although Steven Robertson was filming close to his home town, it was a very different experience for Lewis Howden who plays Sgt Billy Mccabe.
Lewis has been in the cast of Shetland from the very start, but has hardly filmed on the Shetland Isles! In series 4, he filmed a scene outside the police station in Lerwick, but most of the time he’s “teased” for “being the one left behind in Glasgow while they’re away on location”.
He explained: “Apart from that one scene all those years ago, all my stuff has been filmed in studio – until this season. So, it was wonderful to spend some time up on the Shetland Isles on location this series and be part of the on location filming experience. The teasing can finally stop now!”
Meanwhile, Amandaland actor Samuel Anderson, who joins the cast as Procurator Fiscal Matt Blake, didn’t get close to Shetland at all!
When asked if he’d ever visited the Shetland Isles before, he said: “No… And I still haven’t! That’s the magic of television! All of my scenes are in the studio in Glasgow. So I didn’t actually go on location to the Shetland Isles. I have said that next series I want to get to the Shetland Isles even if it’s just to hand someone their jacket in a scene. I absolutely now have it on my list of places to visit.”
