The Vigil series 2 setting and filming locations have likely sparked some curiosity as DCI Amy Silva and DS Kirsten Longacre take on a high stakes case with huge international implications.
The choice of setting and filming locations can often enhance the atmospheric nature of thrillers, adding to their evocative or eerie storytelling. Because of this, many fans might be wondering where Vigil series 2 is set, especially since there has been a major change to the crime drama's location between series 1 and 2. Making its triumphant return two years after the series 1 Vigil finale, the second instalment has seen DCI Amy Silva going a little further afield.
With the investigation in full swing, the setting becomes more varied and it might not come as a surprise that the filming locations aren’t necessarily the same as the places they're standing in for.
Where is Vigil series 2 set?
Like Vigil series 1, Vigil series 2 is set in Scotland, however, this isn’t the whole story as the Middle East is also a key setting for the BBC drama. In episode 2, Amy travels to the country of Wudyan and the Al-Shawka air base. She's there to pursue her line of enquiry after a remotely piloted weapons drone killed multiple people during a test at a Scottish military base, including several from Wudyan.
Meanwhile, DS Kirsten Longacre, who is also her partner, remains behind in Glasgow. This is a parallel of the separation we saw in series 1 when Amy was on the HMS Vigil and Kirsten on the mainland and allows each to gain new leads and understandings from each side of the investigation.
Unfortunately for anyone who wanted to see the return of a submarine as a primary setting for Vigil series 2, this isn't the case and instead the focus is changed to another aspect of the military.
Is Wudyan in Vigil a real place?
Wudyan in Vigil is an oil-rich country in the Middle East where Amy is sent to carry out her investigation and it’s a completely fictional place. Rather than opting to set the story in a real-life Middle Eastern country, Vigil series 2 opted for a show-only one instead which perhaps gave them more freedom to invent histories and plot-points that were also entirely fictional.
Similarly, the BBC drama invented the Scottish military base of Dundair where the drone killed multiple people during an exercise in episode 1. It was this shocking incident which lead to Amy and Kirsten taking on the case to identify who was responsible and defuse international tension.
Where was Vigil series 2 filmed?
Given that Vigil series 2 was set in two different countries, it might not come as a surprise to some fans that it was filmed in two countries as well. The scenes set in Scotland were filmed in and around the city of Glasgow, just like fellow BBC drama Annika's first two seasons and, we hope, a future Annika series 3 too.
The choice of Glasgow as a filming location is something that new cast member, Scottish actor Dougray Scott (Air Vice Marshall Marcus Grainger) apparently very much appreciated. According to RadioTimes.com, he explained, "I've loved filming in Glasgow. I spend a lot of time in Scotland and I love being here. The crews have been fantastic."
Meanwhile, his Vigil co-star Ramola Garai, who plays Acting Squadron Leader Ellie Russell, disclosed that it was Morocco in North Africa and not a Middle Eastern country that stood in as the filming location for the fictional Wudyan.
She shared that they shot Vigil series 2’s Wudyan scenes in a variety of different places within Morocco and how this creates a vastly different look that sets the BBC drama’s second season apart from its first outing.
"I filmed most of my scenes in Morocco," she declared. "We were in Casablanca and then Rabat, so there's a completely different aesthetic to the first series. We've got these vast desert landscapes of openness and heat haze, people disappearing into a massive horizon rather than being locked up in a tiny submarine, as we saw in series one. It's a totally different experience for the viewer as we explore a different world within the military."
Who sings the Vigil series 2 theme song?
The opening sequence of Vigil series 2 features the beautiful yet haunting vocals of Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel. Many of us might well have been left captivated by her performance for the Vigil series 2 theme song which was also the theme for series 1. It’s understood to be an extract from her song, Fuel to the Fire, which featured on her 2013 album titled Aventine.
This isn't the first time one of Agnes’ songs has been used on the soundtrack of a huge TV show. Her vocal talents have also been heard in Big Little Lies and Euphoria, as well as The Last of Us and Grey’s Anatomy.
How to watch Vigil series 2 in the UK
If you’ve yet to dive into Vigil series 2 then the Christmas period could be the chance you’ve been waiting for and the place to head is BBC iPlayer if you live in the UK. All six episodes are available to watch now and they’re also airing week by week on BBC One at 9pm on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, with the Vigil series 2 ending set to be broadcast on Tuesday 19th December. If you're also tempted to re-watch series 1, then all six episodes of this first season are also on BBC iPlayer.
How to watch Vigil series 2 from anywhere
If you’re a citizen of the UK on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch Vigil series 2 just as you would at home. There's a handy piece of software called a VPN which can change your IP address to make it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best. They say, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”
