As Bloodlands returns to BBC1 this September, many fans have wondered where the show is filmed and set.
Bloodlands takes place in Northern Ireland, but does the show actually film there?
And where exactly in Northern Ireland is the crime drama set?
Here’s what we know…
Where is Bloodlands filmed?
Bloodlands is filmed right where it is set – Northern Ireland!
Filming took place across Belfast and the village of Strangford Lough.
Scenes at the university where Tom Brannick’s daughter studies medicine were filmed across Queen’s University Belfast and also Belfast Metropolitan College.
The iconic Mourne Mountains were used as a filming location for many of the rural scenes.
Cast and crew also filmed on location in the town of Ballyclare, including the car explosion scene in series 1.
The infamous island where the bodies of Goliath’s victims were found was filmed on Island Taggart, one of the largest islands on Strangford Lough.
James Nesbitt, who plays the lead DCI Tom Brannick, loved filming in Belfast.
He says: “Belfast is an exciting, wonderful, vibrant place; it’s a cosmopolitan place.
“But it also bears the hallmarks of a place that went through the Troubles.
“The last number of years has seen Belfast really emerge since the Troubles and, because of the success of the film industry there, it’s had a boost for tourism too.”
He added: “It was great to film there because Northern Ireland Screen make it so easy.
“There have also been great film crews and studios and within 20 miles there’s seaside and urban landscapes.”
Another famous BBC crime drama, Line of Duty also filmed in Northern Ireland, with many of the sets of the show reused for Bloodlands.
Read more: Bloodlands series two on BBC One: How many episodes will it be and when’s the start date?
Is Strangford Lough a real place?
The show is set in Strangford Lough, a real village in the inlet of Strangford Lough.
The show’s creator, Chris Brandon, grew up in the area himself.
He shares: “I spent part of my life growing up in Strangford, a small village at the mouth of a lough in Northern Ireland.
“It’s a place that always sparked my imagination.
“The austere beauty of scarred and sodden hillsides, the windswept islands and bouldered shorelines always seemed, in themselves, to hold the memory of stories past.”
Executive Producer Jed Mercurio shares that filming in Strangford Lough sometimes poised a challenge, though.
He says: “Bloodlands was mainly filmed in the rural area around Strangford Lough, a rugged and beautiful location that serves as the eerie setting for the series.
“It looks amazing on camera but the weather can also be quite challenging at times.
“We all made sure we had our thermals and waterproofs with us.”
Bloodlands returns this Sunday September 18 2022 at 9.05pm to BBC One. All episodes of series 1 are currently available on iPlayer.
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