Scotland


<p>Darkly funny, unexpectedly romantic and fizzing with style, <em>Mint</em> is the latest must-watch landing on BBC iPlayer. Created by Charlotte Regan, the eight-part series flips the gangster genre on its head, swapping shoot-outs for swoon-worthy romance and placing women firmly at the centre of the story.</p>



<p>Set against Scotland’s striking post-industrial landscapes, this is a world of crime families, complicated loyalties and first love that hits like a lightning bolt. As Regan put it in a BBC Writer&#8217;s Room interview: “It’s very much about the three women’s love stories , whether that&#8217;s romantic love stories or love stories amongst the family. It&#8217;s all about love stories, really. I love rom-coms, so I just wanted to make a gangster romance.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562024.jpg" alt="People: Picture Shows: Arran (BENJAMIN COYLE-LARNER), Shannon (EMMA LAIRD) Episode Number: 4 TX week: 17 TX date: 27-04-2026 Channels: BBC One,BBC iPlayer Credit: House/Fearless Minds/BBC" class="wp-image-3919" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562024.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562024-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562024-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562024-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-story">What’s the story?</h2>



<p>At its core is Shannon, the sheltered daughter of a powerful crime boss, who has grown up “wrapped in cotton wool” and dreaming of love. That dream collides with reality when she meets Arran, a boy from a rival family, and falls hard.</p>



<p>“It’s about her love story,” says Regan. “The crime is very secondary… at the forefront is Shannon falling in love with a boy called Arran.”</p>



<p>Their connection is instant, intense and, of course, deeply inconvenient. While the pair carve out moments of escape together, tensions ripple through Shannon’s family. Her father Dylan steps down from power for mysterious reasons, triggering a shift that threatens everything around them.</p>



<p>The real drama, though, lies within the family itself. Across three generations of women, loyalties are tested, identities unravel and long-held illusions begin to crack. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-s-in-the-cast">Who’s in the cast?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561942.jpg" alt="Emma Laird" class="wp-image-3924" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561942.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561942-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561942-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561942-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>Leading the charge is Emma Laird as Shannon, best known for <em>Mayor of Kingstown</em> and films like <em>A Haunting in Venice</em>. She brings a raw vulnerability to a character caught between fantasy and reality. “Shannon goes through this amazing arc of life changes, discovery and maturity,” Laird explains.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="845" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/534646.jpg" alt="Benjamin Coyle-Larner" class="wp-image-3929" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/534646.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/534646-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/534646-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/534646-768x433.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>Opposite her is Ben Coyle-Larner, the award-winning musician making his acting debut as Arran. Known to fans as Loyle Carner, he steps into the role with quite some charisma. “I liked that he wasn’t a stereotype,&#8221; he  someone who was real, who had layers and was sensitive,” he says.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562008.jpg" alt="Next asset Mint People: Picture Shows: Dylan (Sam Riley) TX week: 17 TX date: 27-04-2026 Channels: BBC One,BBC iPlayer Credit: House/Fearless Minds/BBC Photographer: Screengrab Image copyright: House/Fearless Minds" class="wp-image-3922" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562008.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562008-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562008-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562008-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>The family is stacked with serious talent. Laura Fraser plays Cat, Shannon’s image-conscious mother, while Sam Riley is Dylan, the conflicted patriarch. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562192.jpg" alt="Lindsey Duncan" class="wp-image-3928" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562192.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562192-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562192-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562192-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>Then there’s Lindsay Duncan as Ollie, the outrageous, scene-stealing grandmother. Regan calls her “a sweary, shouty, gun-cleaning, very stylish grandma… she just loves life.”</p>



<p>Duncan herself describes the show as “not your usual gritty crime drama; it’s unique.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-was-mint-filmed">Where was Mint filmed?</h2>



<p>Scotland does not just provide a backdrop here. It shapes the entire tone of the series. Filming took place across the country in 2025, with a particular focus on Grangemouth and Glasgow.</p>



<p>Regan fell hard for the setting while developing the show. “We spent a lot of time in Glasgow, which has the friendliest grannies in the world,” she says. “You just bring a nice home baked cake around… and then bang, you’ve befriended five grandmas.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grangemouth-the-beating-heart">Grangemouth: the beating heart</h3>



<p>The industrial town of Grangemouth is the show’s emotional and visual anchor. Its skyline is dominated by the Grangemouth Refinery, which looms over many scenes.</p>



<p>Producer Theo Barrowclough explains: “We were looking at post-industrial landscapes… it was the beating heart of the community.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562035.jpg" alt="Grangemouth" class="wp-image-3927" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562035.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562035-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562035-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562035-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>Regan adds that filming on Fintry Road and Tummel Place in the town brought a unique energy. “People are interested in it… we tried to engage the community and they’re super welcoming. Every day, they&#8217;d come and hang out and I love that atmosphere.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562025.jpg" alt="Inchyra park" class="wp-image-3931" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562025.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562025-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562025-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562025-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s also where one of the show’s most surreal moments takes place. In Inchyra Park, Shannon and Arran quite literally take flight. “Watching Ben and Emma fly around on wires in a park, with a refinery as the backdrop, was pretty amazing,” says Regan.</p>



<p>Coyle-Larner describes the scene with typical charm: “That young love… if you’re lucky then it’s light and weightless, so how better to show that than to be flying over the city?”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-auchinleck-station-where-it-all-begins">Auchinleck Station: where it all begins</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561923.jpg" alt="Auchinleck Station" class="wp-image-3923" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561923.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561923-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561923-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/561923-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>The story kicks off at Auchinleck railway station, standing in for the fictional Inchyra station. This is where Shannon and Arran first meet, sparks flying on a quiet platform.</p>



<p>Barrowclough says: “We had this romantic idea of them standing on a bridge above the trains… it felt a little more old-fashioned.” Filming took place after midnight, once the trains had stopped, adding to the dreamlike feel.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-five-sisters-freeport-west-calder-love-in-hiding">Five Sisters Freeport, West Calder: love in hiding</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1499" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562016.jpg" alt="Freeport" class="wp-image-3925" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562016.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562016-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562016-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562016-768x1151.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>For a secret date, the couple retreat to the eerie remains of Five Sisters Freeport Shopping Centre. Once a bustling retail outlet, it has stood abandoned for years, making it the perfect hideaway.</p>



<p>The contrast between young love and urban decay is striking. It is a recurring theme in the show, where beauty and bleakness sit side by side.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-charlie-chan-s-cumbernauld-neon-lit-romance">Charlie Chan’s, Cumbernauld: neon-lit romance</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562027.jpg" alt="Next asset Mint People: Picture Shows: Arran (BENJAMIN COYLE-LARNER), Shannon (EMMA LAIRD) Episode Number: 4 TX week: 17 TX date: 27-04-2026 Channels: BBC One,BBC iPlayer Credit: House/Fearless Minds/BBC Photographer: Screengrab Image copyright: House/Fearless Minds" class="wp-image-3920" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562027.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562027-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562027-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562027-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>A pivotal moment unfolds at <a href="https://www.charliechansrestaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Charlie Chan&#8217;s</a>, a Chinese restaurant bathed in glowing neon. The setting elevates an already charged scene.</p>



<p>Barrowclough explains: “There is something about the lighting… it made it feel heightened and perfect for that moment.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Glasgow: urban edge with a cinematic twist</h3>



<p>Glasgow brings a chameleon-like presence to <em>Mint</em>, providing institutional interiors and the setting to pivotal flashbacks. The police station, for example, is the Graham Kerr Building at the University of Glasgow, its academic exterior cleverly reworked, and Flemington House becomes the prison. </p>



<p>At Maryhill Football Club the pitch hosts flashback scenes that tap into the characters’ pasts. Meanwhile, hospital scenes were split across locations, with exterior shots captured at 126 University Place and interiors filmed inside Katrine House.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-scotland-works-so-well">Why Scotland works so well</h2>



<p>Beyond the individual locations, it&#8217;s the atmosphere of Scotland that gives <em>Mint</em> its edge. Regan was drawn to its textures, its people and its sense of community.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562019.jpg" alt="atmospheric scotland" class="wp-image-3926" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562019.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562019-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562019-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/04/562019-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: House/Fearless Minds/BBC</figcaption></figure>



<p>“My nan was also from Scotland so I spent a lot of time there in the summer holidays. I just always found it – you know, in bingo halls and things like that with my nan, I found it quite an incredible place. Like really cinematic and just full of great human beings both in front of the camera and behind it,” she says.</p>



<p>That spirit feeds directly into the series. It feels lived-in, warm and yet magical, even when the story veers into darkness. Or as Coyle-Larner puts it: “There are glimmers of life, of magic and dreams. Who doesn’t need that?”</p>



<p><strong>All episodes of <em>Mint</em> are available now on <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002stld/mint" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBC iPlayer</a>, with weekly broadcasts on BBC One.</strong></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



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Mint: inside the offbeat Scottish drama everyone’s about to be obsessed with

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