Rose Leslie has said that filming in Scotland was a major reason she wanted to work on the BBC crime drama Vigil in the first place. The actress, who grew up at Lickleyhead Castle in Aberdeenshire, spoke about her connection to the country as the show returned for a third season.
Vigil is back three years after the drone attack investigation in the Middle East, and this time it is DI Kirsten Longacre, played by Leslie, who is leading the next case. After the body of a British soldier on an undercover mission is found in Svalbard, Norway, Kirsten travels to the Arctic Circle to try to get a better idea of what really happened.
Filming in Glasgow and the surrounding landscape
Plenty of season three's filming took place in Svalbard, but Vigil would not be the same without shooting in Scotland, more specifically in and around Glasgow. Speaking at a Vigil Q&A, Leslie shared: “I have a deep love for Scotland.
“I grew up in Scotland so it means a lot to be able to return to Glasgow and the surrounding beautiful landscape and to essentially incorporate the joy of being up there while also working.
“Originally for season one, it was such a pull that we were shooting up in Scotland because I miss that country, I love that country.
“So any opportunity that I, rather selfishly, I am able to get, I’m going to take it.”
Crew praised for their work
Scotland is not just used in every series for its stunning landscape either, according to executive producer Jake Lushington. He said: “From my perspective, there’s such amazing crews up there.
“We’ve had a lot of the same returning crew from heads of department to a producer to the runners even, and they work fantastically hard to make something look this good.
“It’s always a pleasure to work with them and they always over deliver and that's fantastic as well.”
Vigil season three premieres on Sunday, August 30, at 9pm, on BBC One.
