Vigil: Where was Vigil filmed in Scotland? Who is in the BBC thriller starring Suranne Jones and Martin Compston and how to watch?

As the new mystery drama set on a nuclear submarine in Scotland continues, here’s everything you need to know about BBC series Vigil.
Vigil: Where was Vigil filmed in Scotland? Who is in new thriller with Suranne Jones and Martin Compston and how to watch? (Photographer: Mark Mainz).Vigil: Where was Vigil filmed in Scotland? Who is in new thriller with Suranne Jones and Martin Compston and how to watch? (Photographer: Mark Mainz).
Vigil: Where was Vigil filmed in Scotland? Who is in new thriller with Suranne Jones and Martin Compston and how to watch? (Photographer: Mark Mainz).

Vigil has become a Sunday night TV staple after debuting on 29 August, with six episodes in total airing on BBC One.

The hotly-tipped drama has caught the attention of many Scottish viewers and an estimated 5.3million viewers tuned in to watch the series’ first episode across the UK.

Here’s what you need to know.

What is Vigil’s plot?

Hide Ad

This new conspiracy thriller from the makers of Line Of Duty follows the mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death on-board a Trident nuclear submarine.

It is set to bring the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services during this multilayered mystery.

Vigil sees DCI Amy Silva lead an investigation into a suspicious death on a submarine.

She is assisted by DS Kirsten Longacre and finds a conspiracy that goes to the heart of Britain's national security.

Who stars in Vigil?

The new widely-anticipated drama will star big names such as Suranne Jones playing DCI Amy Silva and popular Scottish actor Martin Compston as Craig Burke.

The cast also includes Isle of Skye actor Lorne MacFadyen as Matthew Doward, Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie as DS Kirsten Longacre, Lolita Chakrabarti as Lt Comm Erin Branning and Adam James as Lt Commander Mark Prentice.

Hide Ad

Meanwhile, famed British actor Paterson Joseph – best known for his West End appearances and role in cult British comedy series Peep Show – also stars as HMS Vigil chief commander Neil Newsome.

Ahead of his turn in Amazon Prime drama set in Scotland, The Rig, Compston tweeted to joke about his early departure in Vigil.

Hide Ad

The Greenock-born actor quote-tweeted one of his earlier tweets about the Amazon drama set to arrive on Prime in 2022, saying: “Can confirm I don’t die in first ten minutes, after that it’s every boiler suit for themselves.”

Where was Vigil filmed in Scotland?

Most of the drama is set on a submarine off the west coast of Scotland, however, some filming was also done in and around Glasgow.

Iconic sites such as the Squinty Bridge which crosses the River Clyde, the West End’s Finnieston Street and Hamilton Park Avenue also feature as well as Blythswood Square in the city centre.

More rural scenes were filmed on the island of Cumbrae and in Hunterson on the mainland.

Filming for the drama series took place between August and September 2020.

Read More
Hills, glens, wildlife and real people: Why Scotland is the top location for esc...

How can I watch Vigil?

The first episode of Vigil aired on Sunday August 29 at 9pm on BBC One, with episodes available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Hide Ad

Episode two will show at the same time the next day on Bank Holiday Monday.

The remaining four episodes will show on Sundays at 9pm.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.