The Ridge on BBC Two: All the stunning filming locations in New Zealand, and if Te Koi Ridge is a real place
Actress Lauren Lyle actually has a deep connection to both countries
The Ridge on BBC Two is described as “a modern gothic fairy-tale in the dark woods of New Zealand” and the filming locations are breathtakingly beautiful.
As the thriller plays out, your jaws may well be dropping for several reason – the twisted plot, and the stunning background scenery.
Like The Wives on Channel 5, which was set in Malta, and the recent The Rumour which used Budapest in place of Sussex, one of The Ridge’s biggest draws is its beauty.
So what filming locations were used in The Ridge on BBC Two? Is Te Koi Ridge a real place, and why actress Lauren Lyle has a special connection to New Zealand.
Where is The Ridge set?
The Ridge was filmed on location between New Zealand and Scotland. The six-part thriller was made with the support of New Zealand On Air, the NZ Screen Production Rebate and Screen Scotland.
In the series, Lauren Lyle plays Scottish anaesthetist Mia, who travels to New Zealand for her sister Cassy’s wedding. On her arrival, she is devastated to discover that her sister is missing. Tragically, she is later found dead.
Although mostly shot on location Down Under, the show also flits back and forth to Scotland – where Mia’s old life remains.
The cast and crew filming in Scotland were based in and around Glasgow.
What filming locations were used in BBC drama The Ridge?
The New Zealand filming locations for The Ridge include the rural town of Clevedon, which is located southeast of Auckland city on the North Island.
Clevedon poses as the small town in which Cassy’s fiancé Ewan lives. In fact, Clevedon is a rural town on the outskirts of Auckland. It is perhaps best known for its dairy industry.
The rural town is located along the Wairoa River, and close to several popular beaches and bays, including Umupuia Beach and Kawakawa Bay. The Duder Regional Park is found between these two beaches.
It is surrounded by hills and ranges, such as the Hunua Ranges.
![Clevedon is just outside of Auckland on the North Island [Credit: BBC]](https://cdn.tvguide.co.uk/uploads/2025/10/Untitled3.png)
‘Cuillin Ridge and Portree were key inspirations’
According the Scottish newspaper The Herald, The Isle of Skye “heavily influenced” the new murder mystery series set and filmed in New Zealand.
According to the paper: “The Cuillin Ridge and Portree were key inspirations for the six-part psychological thriller focusing on a troubled Scottish anaesthetist trying to unravel the mysterious death of her estranged sister Cassie in a small mountain town.”
The Cuillin Hills are a mountain range in Scotland, consisting mainly of jagged rocky mountains on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Meanwhile, Portree is the picturesque capital and largest town of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Portree has a harbour, fringed by cliffs, with a pier designed by Thomas Telford.
The Ridge filming locations on BBC: New Zealand is a ‘second home’ to Lauren Lyle
Talking about her role in The Ridge, Karen Pirie actress Lauren Lyle revealed that she had a little-known connection to New Zealand.
In answer to what drew her to the role, she explained: “The strangeness of the character. I loved the idea of playing someone a bit evil and manipulative. I also loved the weirdness and spookiness of the way the story plays out.”
The 32-year-old added: “New Zealand is a bit of a second home to me, too. I finished high school there and spent some formative years making lifelong family friends. So I couldn’t pass the opportunity to blend both of my lives now I am more of a grown up.”
Talking about returning to New Zealand to film The Ridge, she said: “As I say, I lived in New Zealand for around four to five years finishing high school there and it has really become home. It’s the most amazing lifestyle and the people really are some of the coolest. The New Zealand crew are also some of the best I’ve ever worked with – such positive, funny, talented people who really made me as the outsider most welcome. We’d sit and have beers at the set’s unit base on all the camera/costume trucks on Fridays after work. It was one of the best traditions I’ve ever been a part of.
“There is something to be said for working in the sunshine, in insane landscapes to help a day’s work feel good. I had the coolest commutes to work being driven up a mountain through the bush hanging out a pickup truck at 7am – episode four gives you a glimpse into that.”
Jay Ryan returned ‘back home’ to play Ewan
Actor Jay Ryan, 44, was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but actually lives in Australian. He has appeared in both Kiwi and Aussie TV shows, as well as US projects.
He admits: “I couldn’t refuse a trip back home for this production. It brilliantly weaves New Zealand and Scottish cultures and folklore together in a tense and riveting series.”
Talking about the series, he explained: “The scripts were gloriously unnerving and exciting to read. There is a gothic tone that really seems to sit well in the rural New Zealand setting. And the final twist of the story had me screaming aloud. I really did not see it coming.”
While Lauren filmed in both New Zealand and Scotland, Jay had hoped he’d get to film in Scotland, too. He said: “I actually thought I’d get to film in Scotland also! But not this time. I adore Scotland. I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside some of your greatest actors… James McAvoy, Peter Mullan, and now Lauren Lyle!
“My maternal side of the family is Scots. I grew up in my grandmother’s home in NZ, full of Scottish trinkets, stories and treasures from the ‘old country’. Scotland has always been present in my past. I was lucky enough to perform my one man show many moons ago during a Summer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The Ridge gave me an excuse to look back into my Scottish roots. They are in there somewhere!”
Of course, some readers will know that Scotland and New Zealand have a deep connection through historical migration, with Scots forming a significant portion of European settlers, especially in the South Island.
The Ridge filming locations on BBC Two: Is Te Koi Ridge a real place?
In The Ridge on BBC Two, much of the action happens on Te Koi Ridge – hence the name of the series. Viewers see Mia and Ewan on The Ridge Lookout during some emotional and dramatic scenes.
However, Te Koi Ridge is not a real location. It’s a fictional area made up for the purposes of The Ridge. While the place isn’t real, the name is.
Te koi is a combination of “te” – meaning “the” – and “koi” which has several meanings in Māori, the indigenous language of New Zealand. It can either mean sharp, or beware. Which is quite apt in this case!
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