Watch out for new Annika Season 2 filming locations like the Beacon Arts Centre, George Square, the Erskine Bridge, Forth Bridge, Calton Hill, the Scott Monument, Anderston Station and Sheildhall Waste Water Treatment Works in the Alibi drama. DI Annika Strandhed (Nicola Walker), DS Michael Mc Andrews (Jamie Sives), DC Blair Ferguson (Katie Leung) and DS Tyrone Clarke (Ukweli Roach) are back on the Clyde for new murders, mysteries, and personal dramas for Annika too.
Annika Season 2 premiered on 9th August 2023 on Alibi, and for the first time the detective series features Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth. But most of the action is still centred around the Clyde, with Greenock, Glasgow City Centre and the west coast featuring heavily once again.
Where Was Annika Season 2 Filmed?
Annika Season 2 was filmed in Glasgow’s George Square and Anderston Station, the Erskine Bridge, along the River Clyde, Greenock’s Beacon Arts Centre and James Watt Dock Marina, Edinburgh’s Calton Hill, Museum on the Mound and University, and under the Forth Bridge.
Filming took place in 2022, with many local workers and businesses getting involved when the Alibi drama came to town. Here are the Annika Season 2 filming locations and the scenes to look out for.
Annika Season 2 Filming Locations
1. MHU HQ
Beacon Arts Centre. dave souza, CC BY-SA 4.0
Annika’s Marine Homicide Unit HQ location is Greenock’s Beacon Arts Centre. This creative-sounding filming location was introduced in the first episode of Annika.
2. Police Car in George Square
In Annika Season 2 Episode 1 the police car is seen parked on George Square. The famous Glasgow city centre location is namechecked by Annika’s colleague in the episode, and the real square appears in the following shot at the start of the chase sequence.
3. Moped Chase in Glasgow City Centre
John Street, Glasgow. Chris Downer / Glasgow: John Street bisects the City Chambers
The Glasgow location in Annika’s moped chase sequence is John Street – look out for it in Season 2 Episode 1. It’s around the back of Glasgow City Chambers which stand at the east end of George Square.
With the chase starting on George Square itself, this scene’s geography is pretty accurate. If you’re interested in the area’s buildings, tours of the Victorian era City Chambers are available to visitors.
4. The Water Search
Katie Leung and the team are seen searching the water at another Annika River Clyde filming location, the Erskine Bridge. As they communicate with HQ, they discover the body of the victim floating in the Clyde.
The Erskine Bridge links West Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire.
5. Aisha’s Flat
James Watt Way by Thomas Nugent, CC BY-SA 2.0
The MHU team follow up the phone clue at the flats on James Watt Way in Greenock. Annika didn’t have far to travel – it’s just across the harbour from the Beacon Arts Centre.
Though you won’t catch a glimpse of the Annika police headquarters location in this Season 2 scene – it’s the James Watt Dock Marina you can see in the background here.
6. Anderston Station
Annika’s train station filming location is Anderston Station – it’s seen when Aisha identifies the suspect in Season 2 Episode 1. Anderston Station sits in the shadow of the Clydeside Expressway, near the Kingston Bridge. It’s in the south west of Glasgow city centre, and you’ll find local landmarks like the Clyde Arc Bridge and historic Mitchell Library in the area.
7. Armed Standoff
The gun fight in Annika Season 2 was filmed at Scottish Water’s Sheildhall Waste Water Treatment Works. As reported in Glasgow Live, Scottish Water’s own team members were onsite during the shoot, with some even getting to be extras for the day.
8. Forth Bridge
Forth Railway Bridge. Tbatb, CC BY-SA 4.0
Look out for the Forth Railway Bridge, one of several Fife and Edinburgh filming locations in Annika Season 2 Episode 2. It marks an unusual departure from the west coast, Annika and Michael sail up the Firth of Forth to the bridge at the start of Season 2 Episode 2.
It’s just one of Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and is still used by everyday rail services between Inverness and London.
9. North Queensferry
Annika and Michael step ashore at a North Queensferry filming location after passing under the Forth Rail Bridge. They’re under the Fife side of the bridge, just a few paces from the Deep Sea World attraction at Battery Quarry.
10. Scott Monument
Look out for the Scott Monument and Princes Street Gardens in the background as Annika talks about Waverley. The monument is dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, author of the novel Waverley which she’s discussing. And just out of shot lies Waverley Station, named after the titular character. If you want to climb it for the reverse viewpoint, you can buy tickets from a booth at the entrance.
11. Terrace
Annika is standing in the grounds of the Bank of Scotland Head Office in Edinburgh’s Old Town, just off the Royal Mile. You can visit this Edinburgh Annika filming location very easily, and for free. It’s home to the Museum on the Mound, a museum about the history of banking and coins in Edinburgh and around the world.
12. The Incident Room
Old College Quad. Jesús Quiles, CC BY 2.0
The Edinburgh incident room in Annika Season 2 Episode 2 is New College, part of the University of Edinburgh. It’s part of the School of Divinity, which stands between the Royal Mile and the Mound. The spire you can see as Annika walks into the courtyard is part of the Edinburgh skyline and features in many a tourist photo.
This is another location you can visit, as New College Assembly Hall is usually repurposed as an Edinburgh Fringe venue.
13. Calton Hill
Annika and DS Tyrone’s bench location is Calton Hill – they’re looking across to Arthur’s Seat and Holyrood. The unusually shaped modern building amongst the stone tenements is an Earth-themed attraction, Dynamic Earth.
14. Hilltop Tower
The Edinburgh tower location in Annika Season 2 Episode 2 is the Nelson Monument. Calton Hill is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to several historic landmarks including the Observatory, National Monument and Nelson Monument. This is the hilltop tower seen as Annika turns to leave as dusk falls.
15. Harbour
Some of Annika Season 2’s harbour scenes were filmed in Dunure, South Ayrshire. When the coastal town hosted the production in October 2022, the cast and Crew praised The Anchorage pub and Harbour View coffee shop for their food and hospitality.
Dunure may look familiar, and not just to locals – it has previously appeared in Outlander Seasons 3 and 4. Though this time round, the Ayrshire harbour didn’t need a historical makeover.
16. The Barras
In Season 2 Episode 3, the team park near Bain Street beside Bill’s Tool Store and the Old Pipe Factory in the Barras. This Annika filming location in Glasgow was once the largest open-air market in Europe, with goods sold from the barrows (barras) which give the area its name.
17. The Tawny Fish & Chips
Annika’s Tawny Fish and Chips shop is a real takeaway in Beith - with Tawny Fish & Chips confirming their appearance as the show aired. The North Ayrshire town of Beith is just a few miles from Glasgow and a short drive from past Annika locations like Largs.
18. Barrowlands
Barrowland Ballroom. user:Finlay McWalter, CC BY-SA 3.0
Look out for a glimpse of the Barrowland Ballroom in Annika Season 2 Episode 3. It’s another fixture of the Barras.
The Barrowlands was originally built as a ballroom, but has an established reputation as a music venue for current artists. Look out for the location as the team carry out their interviews as they close in on the episode’s suspect.
19. The Royal Hotel Islay
Annika’s Royal Hotel Islay location is the 4-star Loch Lomond Arms Hotel in Luss - though there are similarly named hotels on the real island. Luss is just a short drive from Glasgow, and the Loch Lomond Arms Hotel overlooks Loch Lomond instead of one of Islay’s bays.
Fans of the classic sitcom Take the High Road may know the village of Luss better as Glendarroch. Numerous local spots were used as filming locations during the show’s 23-year run, and you can still recognise them today.