SETTING the scene

Shetland's location manager TIM MASKELL on the challenges of finding the perfect backdrops

- STEVEN PERKINS

It isn't just the gripping mysteries that keep viewers flocking back to BBC1's hit whodunnit Shetland - the beautiful landscapes are also an integral part of its charm.

This year's milestone 10th series sees dedicated DIs Ruth Calder (Ashley Jensen) and Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh (Alison O'Donnell) investigating the murder of a retired social worker in the fictional hamlet of Lunniswick. So before filming began, supervising location manager Tim Maskell was tasked with finding a suitable real-life area in Shetland to portray it, with the village of Levenwick ultimately being chosen.

But how do the team track down the perfect places, and what are the logistical challenges of shooting scenes on isolated islands in the North Sea?

Here, in an exclusive interview, Tim - who has worked on the crime drama since its second outing in 2014 - shares his behind-the-scenes secrets...

How did you decide on the right setting for Lunniswick?

As soon as I read the script, I knew exactly where it was - I just said, 'That's Levenwick!' Lunniswick was written as being very remote; we wanted to have that feeling that you were almost in the sea. There was a lot in the script to do with the relationship between the houses: the layout, the eyelines, who can see who. We did look at other places but, in the end, it came back to being Levenwick.

Absolutely, but, luckily, the people who lived in that area were all extremely accommodating. One of our main fixers, Lyall Gair, was related to one of them, so that helped - that happens a lot in Shetland!