Suranne Jones

Vigil is back on the BBC after a three-year hiatus with another complex case to crack.

BBC’s Vigil season three airs tonight but it’s going to look very different from the first two series.

Since BBC fans last saw DCI Amy Silva (played by Suranne Jones) and DI Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie), they have built a life together, welcoming their young son but it doesn’t take long before a new case lands on their laps.

The second series saw Amy travel to the Middle East following a drone attack but this time around, it’s Kirsten who is investigating a case in far colder temperatures.

After a British officer on an undercover special forces mission is fatally shot abroad, it’s up to Kirsten, as well as Amy back home, to find out what really happened.

As the countdown begins until its debut, here’s all there is to know about the filming locations for Vigil season three.

BBC Vigil season 3 filming locations

BBC Vigil season three is primarily set in Svalbard in the Arctic Circle which is where the series was also filmed.

Svalbard is part of Norway and a remote Arctic archipelago situated between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Its largest island Spitsbergen is the home of its largest settlement Longyearbyen which has a population of around 2,600.

Describing the experience to the BBC, actress Suranne Jones shared: “Rose [Leslie] and I felt like we were just on top of the world because we went to places that tourists don’t normally visit since we were filming in such remote locations.

“There were reindeer outside the breakfast room every morning, we got to drive the snow buggies, and we really had to layer up.”

While most of the action takes place in Svalbard, this wasn’t BBC Vigil season three’s only filming location.

When Amy and Kirsten aren’t abroad investigating murder cases, they are at home in Scotland where Vigil is also shot.

The cast and crew were also seen filming extensively in and around Glasgow in areas including the West End and West Princes Street.

Vigil season three premieres on Sunday, August 30, at 9pm, on BBC One.

BBC’s hit thriller Vigil will soon be back on screens with a new trailer available to whet fans’ appetites

TV fans won’t have long to wait for the return of Suranne Jones’ acclaimed BBC thriller.

A third series of Vigil is set to arrive over the bank holiday weekend, with the six-part drama premiering on BBC iPlayer and BBC One from Sunday, August 30.

The latest trailer offers a glimpse at the dangerous new case DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre must solve.

Played by Jones and Rose Leslie, the two detectives are once again at the centre of an investigation which takes them far from home. This time, they travel to a remote Arctic research station after a member of a secret British special forces operation is discovered dead from a gunshot wound.

What initially appears to be a murder investigation soon develops into a potentially explosive international situation. With nations increasingly competing for influence over the Arctic and its resources as the polar climate changes, Amy and Kirsten must work quickly to uncover the truth before tensions escalate.

Their investigation will not only put them up against a potentially dangerous killer but could also have serious consequences for their own careers and relationship. As events begin to spiral, the pair are forced to reconsider who they can rely on.

Alongside Jones and Leslie, Dominic Mafham will return as Sir Ian Downing, while Gary Lewis is back as DSU Robertson, who remains closely involved with Amy and Kirsten’s work.

The third series also brings a number of new faces to the drama. Jeppe Beck Laursen plays Henrick Becken, the Chief of Police in Svalbard, while Naomi Yang takes on the role of Shen Jia, a microbiologist.

Tornike Gogrichiani appears as Russian Colonel Fyodor, with Steven Miller and Benjamin Wainwright playing Special Boat Service operators Mark Cunningham and Oli Pickford.

Danusia Samal joins the cast as Jasmine Kelly, who works alongside Sir Ian Downing, while Eric Godon plays Mayor Korotayev and Amy Manson stars as geologist Lorna McCallister alongside a brilliant cast.

The latest instalment of Vigil consists of six 60-minute episodes and has been produced by World Productions in partnership with ITV Studios for the BBC. The production company is known for dramas including Line of Duty, Until I Kill You and Showtrial.

Filming for the new series took place in Svalbard and Scotland, helping to create the remote and unforgiving setting at the heart of the story.

The new trailer promises another tense chapter for Amy and Kirsten, with a murder in the Arctic setting the detectives on a dangerous path involving international rivalry, hidden agendas and a race to discover who can be trusted.

With their investigation carrying consequences that extend well beyond the murder itself, the third series looks set to deliver another high-stakes mystery when Vigil returns to screens.

Two episodes of Vigil will be available weekly on BBC iPlayer from Sunday 30th August, with the series airing Sunday and Monday nights at 9pm on BBC One from this date.