ITV's serial killer thriller The Dark is set in the rural Scottish Highlands, with filming taking place in Greenock, Inverclyde, and the wider Glasgow area. The drama, inspired by GR Halliday's novel From the Shadows, follows Detective Monica Kennedy (Laura Donnelly) as she hunts a serial killer after a young man's body is discovered in the wilderness.
Filming Locations in Greenock and Glasgow
In September last year, Donnelly and actor Mark Rowley were spotted filming at James Watt College's Finnart Street campus. Other locations included Annexe Park, Fox Street, Greenock, Newton Street, Cathcart Square, Inverclyde Academy, and St Mary's Primary School. Various scenes were also shot in greater Glasgow's rural landscapes, which doubled as the remote Scottish Highlands.
Writer's Inspiration from Scottish Landscape
Writer Matt Hartley told the Royal Television Society that working in Scotland was a huge draw. 'I grew up in the Peak District and live in Wales, so the space and atmosphere in the Highlands and areas around where we were filming was intrinsic to me,' he said. 'There's a line early on that says: "This is where people come to bury bodies, not display them." That was one of our key thoughts: this is a world of mystery, where people disappear.'
Director's Weather Woes
French-born director Gilles Bannier had a different experience. 'It met all my expectations except one,' he shared. 'I wanted these rolling clouds, amazing mist – the Scottish weather we all know. In fact, it was the most beautiful summer and autumn they've ever had in Scotland. So we were chasing a single cloud, a single drop of rain.'
The Dark premieres on Sunday, July 12, at 9pm on ITV.
