The Dark on ITV: Filming locations include 'iconic' mountain pass and disused railway station
The landscape is as dramatic as the plot
The Dark is the latest TV thriller to join the ranks of Shetland, Rebus, and Karen Pirie – dark, moody, and with beautiful filming locations as dramatic as the plot.
The six-parter, based on G. R. Halliday’s 2020 book From the Shadows, introduces us to straight-talking and obsessive Detective Monica Kennedy. She is called to investigate when the body of a young man is found “eerily staged” in the Scottish wilderness.
Monica immediately fears this is just the beginning of a terrifying campaign that will strike the heart of a rural community. And, of course, she’s right. As it becomes clear there is a serial killer on the loose, terrifying the usually stoic locals.
So where does the action take place in ITV crime drama The Dark, and what filming locations were used? Here’s everything you need to know.
Where is The Dark set?
The Dark is a Scottish thriller set in and around “the idyllic Scottish wilderness” where the naked corpse of a teenager is discovered. Actor Mark Rowley, who plays Detective Connor Crawford, described the series as “sort of like Fargo set in the Highlands, with a stylish flair!”
Detective Monica Kennedy investigates as the killer embarks on a “terrifying campaign that will strike the heart of the community”.
It is a “tough Scottish environment” where the elements add to the usual complexities of life. The rural location of the Scottish Highlands is surrounded by farms, saw mills, and locals used to physical labour.
Where was it actually filmed?
Production took place in and around the Scottish city of Glasgow, famed for its art nouveau and Victorian architecture. Cast and crew also filmed scenes in Greenock and other rural areas in the Scottish lowlands.
It’s not the first time ITV has chosen Glasgow as a location for a thriller. Cast and crew of Andrew Lincoln’s brilliant Coldwater also filmed in and around the Scottish location.
Talking about the filming locations used in The Dark, Director Gilles Bannier said: “I was always attracted by filming in Scotland. And I wanted to portray a very simple view of the country. I wasn’t trying to make it look beautiful all the time. I wanted it to be less like a postcard and a bit more mundane, to serve the story and the characters. Although I was hoping for rain and tormented skies, instead we had a record-breaking year of sun! It was so bright for September and the sun was so strong. Everyone else was happy other than me. I had to fight the brightness and reinvent a way to film car scenes!”
Meanwhile, the location for Bethany and Barclay’s home was a real working farm. Helen Baxendale described it as “a sodden, isolated place with hundreds of hens wildly running free”. She added: “You had to dodge them as you came up the hill. There were pens of pigs right next to the house and there was a real blasted heath nature to the place. It was really right for that couple – two people who are almost wild themselves.”
Key filming locations used in The Dark
- Cast and crew of The Dark filmed in Greenock, a town in Inverclyde, Scotland. It is located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Locals know Greenock for its dramatic views across the Firth of Clyde, and impressive historical landmarks. It’s a gateway to the western Highlands and the Inner Hebrides.
- Balfron Station was a railway station that served the village of Balfron in Scotland. The station closed in the 50s. Since then, a rural settlement has grown up around the former site of the station. The hamlet is surrounded by some of Scotland’s most beautiful countryside.
- Strathhaven is a historic market town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, about twenty-six miles south of Glasgow.
- Rest and Be Thankful, Argyll Forest, is an iconic 803-foot mountain pass in Argyll, Scotland, offering sweeping views of the Arrochar Alps. Located on the A83 between Arrochar and Inveraray, it gets its name from a stone inscription placed by weary soldiers who built the original military road in 1748. The Rest and Be Thankful is one of Scotland’s most iconic and picturesque routes, linking regions rich in natural beauty and cultural history. This high mountain pass is renowned for its breathtaking views and rugged landscapes.
- Saltcoats is a town on the west coast of North Ayrshire, Scotland. It’s is famous for its wide sandy beach which has excellent views out over the Firth of Clyde and across to Arran.
- In the pivotal finale of The Dark, viewers will see an aerial view capturing the distinctive silhouette of the Trinity College Tower in Glasgow’s West End, originally built as the Free Church College in 1856.
‘There was a gorgeous rainbow that dipped into the valley’
Talking about the filming locations in The Dark, Northern Irish actress Laura Donnelly said: “I loved the atmosphere of the script. There was something about the tone that felt very eerie. One of the first things executive producer Ben Stephenson said to me was that we wouldn’t be filming in a police station like a typical crime procedural. That felt so interesting to me.”
She added: “I love working in Scotland, but it was freezing! I studied in Scotland, and lots of my family live there. It was so lovely being based in Glasgow again. I genuinely feel at home in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, so it was a huge part of the reason for doing this job. Everything felt instantly familiar, and that helped to ensure that the subject matter didn’t weigh too heavily as well.”
Additionally, Laura described a particular scene that stuck with her. She revealed: “One of the scenes I remember most vividly is Monica seeing the first body in the valley. We were in this stunning landscape on a beautiful day, where it had been raining and then the sun came out. There was a gorgeous rainbow that dipped into the valley and it provided an amazing contrast to this very stark image of the body. There was something quite other worldly about that day, it really stands out in my head.”
The Dark filming locations: ‘I traded buses for sheep and wild stags’
Scottish actor Mark Rowley, who plays Detective Connor Crawford, was thrilled to be working in his home country. He explained: “I’m from Paisley originally, but I went to London after graduating from drama school but have since moved to the Highlands. I’m a better human being here, because I can switch off a lot easier and we’re away from that constant hustle mentality. I traded buses for sheep and wild stags! So it’s really nice to have a TV show about this place.
“When the sun is out it’s the best place ever. We were based in Glasgow for most of this shoot. We have such a beautiful country, it’s great that so much filming is happening here now. If you don’t spread the art around the country it becomes political, and people become polarised. If you make art accessible for everyone and give exposure to different parts of the UK then the landscape starts to change. It would be nice to make a big award-winning Scottish show, given that we created the television!”
The Dark filming locations: ‘A universal story that just happens to be set in Scotland’
Fellow Scot Emun Elliott, who plays Barclay Adams, remembered shooting at the location for Bethany and Barclay’s farmhouse. He said: “It had a strange energy and left me with a weird feeling. The art department and locations team completely nailed it, because there was a sense of both isolation and claustrophobia there. It was the only house within miles, in the wilds of Scotland and yet you felt this weird claustrophobic pressure.”
As a proud Scot, Emun “loved living on location for a few weeks”. He added: “As I’ve got older, I’ve found a real pride in working closer to home. Most Scottish shows are about being Scottish or Scotland itself, so it’s great to see a universal story like The Dark that just happens to be set in Scotland, that’s really important too. Scotland has that sort of folklore and mystery to it, as well as a feeling of isolation, so it’s the perfect place for a thriller.”
Helen Baxendale plays Bethany Adams. She started her career in Scotland, working at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. Talking about going back there, she said: “I have very good memories of being in Glasgow, the city was very good to me. I met my husband there, and I did my first telly job up there too, Cardiac Arrest. I love Glasgow, it’s such an amazing city. The buildings and the architecture are wonderful and it’s a really beautiful, vibrant place.
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