Adapted from a hit Dutch original, the UK and US editions of the show were both filmed at Ardross Castle, around 25 miles north of Inverness. The premise is relatively simple: 22 strangers, an assortment of regular joes and TV personalities, are thrown together and one by one picked off: the primary task, inbetween mini-games such as church bell ringing, sheep-herding, treasure hunts and whisky barrel rolling, is to root out the saboteurs. As they file in each morning, the increasingly spooked and paranoid contestants find out around the breakfast table who has survived the previous evening and hone their guesses as to who is offing them one by one.

The Traitors draws on the classic murder mystery genre, and, naturally, a (relatively) remote Scottish castle surrounded by organically dramatic woodland and lochs is a superb setting for scenes of backstabbing and betrayal. For all the devious gameplay, it is the contestants’ sense of being cut off, ensconsed in a foreboding building together with secret saboteurs, that gets under their skin and heightens the emotional stakes.

Interest in the location has soared; once the groaning North Coast 500 circuit is in peak season, it’s likely to be a popular detour. I streamed both series back to back. The tartan, as one would expect, is dialled up for the American version.

Alan Cumming hosts the US production in a series of eclectic outfits composed largely from his own wardrobe, as he acknowledged to late-night chat show host Andy Cohen during last week’s Watch What Happens Live, another extension of the ‘Bravoverse’, named for the reality TV network that has had huge success with the Real Housewives and Below Deck franchises and from which spawned the Traitors contestants, Brandi Granville and Kate Chastain. Expect to see more personalities from this stable in future series: they are certainly practised at stabbing one another in the back.

Cumming’s piling on of eye-catching hats, scarves, brooches and other accessories has received equal compliment and condemnation – perhaps taking it all a little too seriously, the Guardian asked if his wardrobe was "Celtic cool or Scots cosplay”, but it does feel a little Royal Mile jumble sale. His most winning look, however, is the suit of richly hued eponymous tartan the actor wore to collect his now-returned OBE in 2009. It was worth keeping the suit, at least. The American contestants have also packed their bags with an assortment of plaids and checks; in some early episodes, there are scenes where almost every single one of them is wearing a be-tartaned accessory or sweater. Bless them for trying.

At heart an actor rather than a presenter, Cumming’s hosting style takes a little while to settle. Claudia Winkleman for the UK edition steps straight into her velvety presentation groove, building easy rapport with the contestants while stoking the mystery and tension – she’s a natural, as one would expect from her resume of hosting primetime game shows. But Cumming comes into his own after a few pieces direct to camera – the monologue, clearly his forte – and becomes believable as a curious innkeeper, equally as likely to send the contestants on a wild treasure hunt as to announce another shall be offed by midnight. It's positively Shakespearean.

BBC's The Traitors is positively Shakespearean drama and its Scottish setting plays an important part – Laura Waddell

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