‘An t-Eilean’: The Brand New Scottish Gaelic Thriller
With a budget of over £1 million per episode, critics believe An t-Eilean (The Island) could achieve some long-overdue international success for Scottish Gaelic television.
The brand new crime drama An t-Eilean (The Island) is airing now on BBC Alba. The channel has said that the high-end show “is set to put Gaelic-language drama on the global map.”
With the highest budget of any Scottish Gaelic television show ever, this four-part thriller comprised of 50-minute episodes has gone all out.
Key storylines in An t-Eilean
Hailed as “a tense, twisting story of lies, loss and long-buried secrets”, the plot follows an investigation within the Outer Hebrides into the murder of millionaire Sir Douglas Maclean’s wife.
Family Liaison Officer, Kat (played by Sorcha Groundsell) is set to the task, meaning she must return home to the island where she grew up. As echoes from the past begin to haunt her, we quickly discover that Kat has “a lot of baggage” and is perhaps too close to the case.
The Liaison Officer’s undisclosed history with Sir Douglas puts her in a dangerous position. However, it does allow her special insight into his dysfunctional family. Kat’s first hunch is that the self-made millionaire is somehow involved.
As she digs deeper, Kat becomes more entangled in the Maclean family. In fact, we learn that she’s already familiar with their four grown children, Eilidh (Sinéad Macinnes who starred in Outlander), Calum (Andrew Macinnes), Sìne (Meredith Brook who starred in Bannan) and Ruaraidh (Sam James Smith).
Ultimately, the investigation forces Kat to confront her own past. As we follow her narrative, we flashback almost a decade in time to the origins of this story and the catalyst event.
Will a TV show like An t-Eilean help save the Scottish Gaelic language?
Lead actress, Sorcha Groundsell, is a fluent Gaelic speaker, having grown up on the Isle of Lewis, before her family moved to Glasgow where she attended the Glasgow Gaelic School.
Sorcha previously appeared in another popular Scottish crime-drama Shetland where she played Byrd Fleming. The actress also starred in His Dark Materials as Maddy in season 3, and The Innocents in the role of June.
The star has been quoted saying she feels it is “high time” that a big budget Scottish Gaelic drama like An t-Eilean was made.
Over the past few years – thanks to subtitles and dubbing, streaming sites and an increase in general interest – world cinema and television has become mainstream viewing. This might make now the perfect time for Scottish Gaelic television to achieve its biggest win yet!
