FILMING has begun on a new series of acclaimed BBC drama Shetland, as further casting has also been announced.

The eighth series of the murder mystery will film in locations around Scotland and Shetland over the coming months. 

We previously reported film crews for Shetland were spotted setting up in Clydebank on Kilbowie Road at the end of last month. 

The series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year. 

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The new series will see Met Police Inspector Ruth Calder (Ashely Jensen) return to her native Shetland to retrieve vulnerable witnesses to a gangland murder. 

Tosh (Alison O’Donnell) must pause her investigation into a string of mysterious animal deaths to help DI Ruth Calder find the witness before it’s too late.

However, Calder’s hostility to Shetland will challenge Tosh’s view of her adopted home and their journey into the darker recesses of Shetland's past and present will test this fragile, new partnership.

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It has been announced Phyllis Logan (Guilt, Downton Abbey), Jamie Sives (Guilt, Annika), Dawn Steele (Holby City), Don Gilet (Eastenders), Ann Louise Ross (River City) and Lorraine McIntosh (Outlander) will join the cast for the eighth series. 

They will guest star alongside series regulars including Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson, Lewis Howden as Sgt Billy McCabe, Anne Kidd as Cora McLean and Fubha Akilade as PC Lorna Burns. 

Gaynor Holmes, commissioning editor for the BBC, says: "We couldn’t be more delighted to see Shetland return with such a stellar cast and a brand new, taut and thrilling murder mystery to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

"We’re very excited to see the show embark on this fantastic new chapter, with its unique blend of haunting atmosphere, rich character and emotional storytelling."

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Kate Bartlett, executive producer for Silverprint Pictures, added: "We're so excited about this new series of Shetland with Ashley and Alison and all our wonderful returning and guest cast.

"Paul Logue has created a distinctive and emotionally complex story, set against the stunning and evocative landscape of the Shetland Isles. 

"We're thrilled to be making this new series with such incredible Scottish talent."