An t-Eilean: Success of record-breaking Gaelic island thriller sparks £1.8m funding windfall

The success of a Gaelic crime thriller set on a Scottish island has paved the way for a £1.8 million funding boost for the industry.

Gaelic language broadcasting is to receive an additional £1.8 million to help build on the success of BBC Alba’s crime thriller An t-Eilean (The Island).

The increase is contained in the Scottish Government’s 2025/26 Budget and raises total funding for MG ALBA - the Gaelic Media Service - to £14.8m in the coming financial year.

Independent research has found that Gaelic media generates £1.34 for every £1 invested and supports 340 jobs across Scotland, including 160 jobs in the islands.

Deputy First Minister and Gaelic Secretary Kate Forbes announced the new funding on a World Gaelic Week visit to BBC studios in Glasgow, where she met Meredith Brook, who plays the character Sìne Maclean in An t-Eilean.

Sorcha Groundsell stars in murder mystery An t-Eilean (The Island). | BBC

The drama has attracted a record number of viewers since the first episode aired on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer on January 14. The series has already been sold to broadcasters in other European countries.

With a budget of over £1m per episode, An t-Eilean was funded through a commercially driven structure supported by MG Alba, Screen Scotland, Black Camel Pictures and All3Media International.

Sorcha Groundsell, who also appeared in His Dark Materials, Shetland and The Innocents, leads the cast as Kat Crichton, a young family liaison officer, assigned to investigate the brutal murder of the wife of a local tycoon at a remote island mansion. The murder investigation unravels on the islands of Lewis and Harris, from where Kat mysteriously fled ten years previously.

Ms Brook said: “The making of An t-Eilean has set an exciting precedent for the future of Gaelic drama on BBC ALBA, telling engaging stories in the Gaelic language with a universal reach.

“As one of the Gaelic actors in this series, I'm proud to have played such a pivotal role in sharing the language I'm so proud of with the world."

Ms Forbes said: “An t-Eilean’s success demonstrates how supporting a thriving Gaelic broadcasting sector can bring international interest to Scotland. The programme marks a new era of Gaelic TV, which could draw tourists into Scotland to support jobs and economic opportunities in the country’s island communities.”

She added: “This extra funding will enable Gaelic broadcasters to build on existing high-quality content and attract new audiences. To grow Gaelic, we are taking forward the Scottish Languages Bill to strengthen provision of Gaelic education and investing a total of £35.7m in initiatives to promote the language in 2025/26.”

The industry has long called for more funding for Gaelic broadcasting. Writing in The Scotsman last month, MG Alba chief executive Domhnall Campbell said in a recent commissioning round, BBC Alba had received programme proposals worth £9m from nearly 30 companies, but 95 per cent could not be commissioned due to budget constraints.