Granite Harbour season three is finally here, over two years after series two aired on BBC. The Scottish detective drama, filmed in Aberdeen, sees Dawn Steele reprise her role as DCI Cora Macmillan, alongside Romario Simpson as DC Davis Lindo, and Hannah Donaldson as DS Lara 'Bart' Bartlett.
Newcomers joining for season three include Monarch of the Glen star Alastair Mackenzie and Traces actor John Gordon Sinclair. Also starring are Motherland's Ellie Haddington and Pennyworth star Ryan Fletcher.
Season 3 Plot
Season 3 sees Lindo, Bart and the Major Investigations Team drawn into a complex murder investigation that threatens to divide communities and unearth long-buried secrets.
Dawn Steele as DCI Cora Macmillan
In series three, Cora has mellowed a lot and is closer to her team. Speaking about her character, Dawn said: "Cora faces a personal health scare, and I loved having the chance to show a more vulnerable side to her. At the same time, she's under immense pressure to solve the case while also dealing with the SPIS investigation into Malik's dismissal from last series."
Viewers will recognise Dawn from her many television roles, including Holby City, where she played Ange Godard, and her role as Dr. Annie in BBC Soap Opera River City. She is also known for her portrayals of Lexie MacDonald in Monarch of the Glen and Alice Trevanion in Wild at Heart. In 2023, she played Stella Quinn in Shetland, and this year she joined EastEnders as Sandra Goodwin.
Romario Simpson as DC Davis Lindo
Speaking about his character in season three, Romario said: "We find Lindo in his third year as a detective. He's much more comfortable in his role and is dealing with bigger, more intricate cases. We also explore his love life a bit more, and you still see him sticking to his renegade tactics of going off the books for the greater good. It's never selfish – it's always about helping others. This series really shows Lindo in his element."
Romario is known for playing Shak in Dixi, Barnaby Mabundu in Noughts + Crosses, and Reuben Morgan in Django. He's also starred in Andor, Riches and Small Axe. He is set to star in 50 Cent's new crime drama Fightland.
Hannah Donaldson as DS Lara 'Bart' Bartlett
Bart is reeling from the shock of losing her long time colleague and rival, DI Malik in season three. Hannah said: "Bart is newly promoted to DI, following DI Malik's pending court case. The long awaited position however is somewhat thwarted by her boss Mac who struggles to trust Bart following Malik's dismissal. Bart is once again caught between towing the party line and trusting the instincts of her partner Lindo, who follows his own instinct, better than orders from above."
Hannah has starred in dramas including Rebus, Shetland, Deadwater Fell, Annika, Murder Island, and Payback. She also played Celeste in Irvine Welsh's Crime and most recently starred in the Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea as Captain Louise Mackie.
Alastair Mackenzie as Richard Loughty
Alastair is a newcomer to season three and plays Richard Loughty, a charming and well-respected landowner who seems charitable to all, especially to the local traveller community who live on his land. Alastair said: "Cracks begin to appear in this charming veneer of his when sketchy things start happening on his estate and, without giving to much away, things go from bad to worse for him. Maybe there’s more to him than meets the eye."
Alastair is best known for playing Archie MacDonald in Monarch of the Glen. He also starred as Jeremy Welsh in Borgen, Lord Rothcroft in Dracula, Craig Petrie in The Loch and Guy Riverty in Deep Water. Recently he has played John Bentley in Unforgotten, Simon Lanesborough in Professor T, Richard Aylard in The Crown and Perrin Fertha in Andor.
John Gordon Sinclair as CC Alan Willis
Also new to Granite Harbour is John Gordon Sinclair as Chief Constable Alan Willis, who is overseeing the investigation. John said: "He's quite tough on the team and doesn't take much nonsense, particularly from Cora."
John is known for his roles in Gregory's Girl, where he played Gregory, and Erik the Viking, where he played Ivar the Boneless. He is also known for playing Gavin Nelson in Nelson's Column and Drew Cubbin in Traces, as well as lots of voiceover work for children's television.
Additional Cast
Also starring in Granite Harbour season three are Michelle Jeram as DS Simone ‘Monty’ Montrose, Ellie Haddington as Rose Gough, Ryan Fletcher as Carl Hadwood, Amelia Isaac Jones as Harper Ross, Dawn Sievewright as Drina Gough, Ian Pirie as Bill Gifford, Jess Douglas-Welsh as Lisa Sterling, and Joshua Haynes as Jackson McIlroy.
Release Details
Granite Harbour Series 3 launches on BBC Scotland on Thursday, July 23 at 9pm, followed by BBC One on Friday, July 24 at 8pm. All episodes will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 23 July.
