An t-Eilean on BBC iPlayer: Stars from Outlander and Shetland feature in new Gaelic drama

An t-Eilean (The Island) is a groundbreaking Gaelic drama set in the Outer Hebrides and will be performed entirely in the historic Scottish language when it comes to BBC iPlayer next week

An t-Eilean cast – where you’ve seen stars including Outlander faves before(Image: BBC)

The upcoming drama set in the Outer Hebrides, performed in Gaelic, is a must-see when it lands on BBC iPlayer next week.

Featuring both familiar and rising stars, this groundbreaking drama promises to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, while still delivering all the suspense and twists of a classic thriller.

Set against the backdrop of Scotland’s stunning Western Isles, a young Family Liaison Officer is tasked with a grisly murder case on Lewis and Harris.

However, she also has to face her own past demons, having fled the islands a decade ago and having a history with the murder victim, a local tycoon with a dysfunctional family.

Let’s delve into the cast before An t-Eilean (The Island) premieres next Tuesday, reports the Daily Record.

Sorcha Groundsell takes the lead as Kat Crichton

Who are the stars of An t-Eilean?

Sorcha Groundsell – Kat Crichton

Scottish actress Sorcha Groundsell takes the lead as Liaison Officer Kat Crichton.

She may be best known for her role as Bryd Fleming in three episodes of the fellow Scottish crime drama Shetland back in 2022.

A year later, she starred as Nicola Briggs in the seven-part true crime series The Long Shadow, which featured Toby Jones as the detective leading the manhunt for British serial killer Peter Sutcliffe.

Crichton has also made appearances in Grantchester, His Dark Materials and The Innocents.

Industry star Sagar Radia plays Kat’s boss Ahmed Halim(Image: BBC)

Sagar Radia – DCI Ahmed Halim

Sagar Radia, who plays DCI Ahmed Halim in An t-Eilean, is no stranger to fans of the HBO and BBC drama Industry. He’s been portraying the brash trader Rishi Ramdani since the show’s inception in 2020, initially in a recurring role before being bumped up to the main cast for subsequent seasons.

He’s also appeared in the British film Unicorns and is known for his role as AJ Nair in ITV’s The Good Karma Hospital.

Kat investigates a wealthy and highly dysfunctional family(Image: BBC)

Iain Macrae – Sir Douglas Maclean

Scottish actor Iain Macrae takes on the role of Sir Douglas Maclean, the murder victim with a mysterious link to Kat, in An t-Eilean. Recently, he’s been seen in the latest season of Outlander as Reverend McMillan and in Shetland in 2021.

Scottish TV viewers may also recognise him from the Gaelic drama Bannan, where he played Tormod across eight seasons.

Supporting Cast

The supporting cast of An t-Eilean includes another Bannan alum, Meredith Brook, who plays Sir Douglas’ daughter Sine. Sinead MacInnes, an Outlander favourite, portrays Douglas’ other daughter Eilidh, after previously playing Hortense MacNeill in the time-travelling Starz drama.

Douglas’ adult sons, Calum and Ruaraidh, are played by Andrew Macinnes and Sam James Smith respectively. Lastly, Elspeth Turner will be seen as Lady Mary, a character whose role in the series remains a mystery.

An t-Eilean premieres Tuesday, January 14th on BBC Alba and BBC iPlayer.

SOURCE: edinburghlive