Bloodlands filming locations you might have missed

Spoiler Alert: Did you spy anywhere familiar?

Author: Emma DicksonPublished 22nd Feb 2021
Last updated 1st Mar 2021

The nation has been gripped watching local actor James Nesbitt in the latest Sunday night drama Bloodlands. 6 million viewers tuned in to watch the BBC thriller from Line of Duty and Bodyguard's creator Jed Mercurio.

The four-part series stars James Nesbitt as police detective Tom Brannick, who is looking for the serial killer who murdered his wife.

Set and filmed in Belfast, it's fair to say we were obsessed with the various city landscapes and filming locations used in the show. But did you recognise all of them? There are still three episodes to go in the series, but already we've spotted a handful of familiar hotspots.

Bloodlands filming locations:

Where is Bloodlands filmed?

Harland & Wolff, Titanic Quarter! Perhaps one of the most poignant landmarks in Belfast, there was no disguising the huge yellow cranes that tower over the capital city.

Queens University, Belfast

A touching scene between father and daughter, the red-brick archways and manicured lawns are synonymous with Queens University.

Strangford Lough

The detectives visited the shores of Strangford Lough in search of missing evidence, in the first episode.
When speaking on The Graham Norton Show on BBC, Nesbitt shared just how much fun it was to film here in Northern Ireland. "We were filming from January to March, and it was freezing. We were filming on Strangford Lough and when that wind comes up the Lough it is bitter. You're playing a hard-nosed detective, who is on the case of something that's of huge personal significance to him, you're going out on ribs on the Lough at 6 and 7 in the morning, and often we couldn't speak our jaws were frozen."

Kingspan Stadium, Belfast

Home to Ulster Rugby…who could miss the bright Friday night lights of the Kingspan? They managed to film this scene during the last match with a full crowd just before lockdown, the Ulstermen beat South Africa's Cheetahs that evening 20-10.

Strangford Harbour

An eery location on a cold winter's morning, perfect for any crime drama! If you've ever travelled on the Strangford to Portaferry ferry, you'll know the route well.

Ballyclare

It wouldn't be a Sunday night BBC thriller without an explosion or two! This particular scene was shot in Ballyclare, just 20 minutes from Nesbitt's hometown of Ballymena.

Rosemary Street Masonic Hall, Belfast

You might be wondering where the police station used in the series is, well that's actually a Masonic Hall. It's crazy what a couple of desks, computers, filing cabinets and posters can do to a space.

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