Scotland has this weird way of making beauty look absolutely terrifying. You’ve seen it in Broadchurch—well, the English version of that vibe—and you’ve definitely seen it in Shetland. But there’s a specific 2017 series that kind of slipped through the cracks for a lot of people despite having a killer premise and a cast that actually knows what to do with a script. I'm talking about the tv series The Loch.
It’s dark. It’s damp. Honestly, it makes you want to wrap yourself in a wool blanket while simultaneously checking if your front door is locked.
Most people hear "Loch Ness" and they immediately think of a blurry green neck sticking out of the water and overpriced gift shops. This show takes that postcard image and sets it on fire. We aren't looking for a prehistoric monster here. Instead, the story focuses on a community that starts eating itself alive when a literal serial killer begins dumping bodies in a place where everyone is supposed to be "neighborly."
Small Town Paranoia is a Hell of a Drug
The thing about the tv series The Loch that really sticks the landing is the pacing of the dread. It starts with the discovery of a local piano teacher, Niall Swift, found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Then, there’s a human heart found nearby. Not a great start for a Tuesday.
Detective Sergeant Annie Redford, played by Laura Fraser (who you probably recognize as Lydia from Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul), is right at the center of it. It’s her first murder case. Imagine that. You live in this sleepy, mist-covered village your whole life, and suddenly you're not just dealing with a petty theft or a drunk tourist; you're hunting a predator.
Fraser brings this grounded, almost frantic energy to Annie. She isn’t a "super cop." She’s a local mom who happens to have a badge, trying to navigate a world where her neighbors are suddenly suspects. It's messy. The show doesn't shy away from how incompetent local police can feel when a professional "big city" investigator like DCI Lauren Quigley (Siobhan Finneran) rolls in and starts bossing everyone around.
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The dynamic between Annie and Quigley is one of the best parts of the show. Quigley is sharp, abrasive, and has zero patience for the "we're all family here" nonsense that usually protects small-town secrets. Finneran is incredible at playing that kind of cold, calculating competence. If you loved her in Happy Valley, you’ll get exactly what you’re looking for here.
The Landscape is Basically a Character
You can’t talk about this series without talking about the Highlands.
A lot of crime shows use their setting as a backdrop. Here, the Loch is a suffocating presence. Director Brian Kelly and the cinematography team used the natural geography of Fort Augustus to make the viewer feel trapped. Even though the vistas are wide and the mountains are huge, there’s a claustrophobia to it.
There is one specific shot—I think it’s in the second episode—where the mist is so thick you can’t see five feet in front of the car. It perfectly mirrors the plot. You know something is there. You can feel the weight of it. But the writers keep the reveal just out of reach for long enough to make you genuinely uncomfortable.
The "monster" metaphor isn't subtle, but it works. The town uses the legend of Nessie to lure in tourists and make money, but the real monster is the human capacity for cruelty. It’s a classic trope, sure, but the tv series The Loch executes it with enough grit to make it feel fresh.
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What People Get Wrong About the Ending
If you go looking for reviews, you’ll see some people complaining about the "complexity" of the subplots.
Yeah, there are a lot of threads. You’ve got a doctor with a dark past, a group of teenagers playing a dangerous prank that goes sideways, and a local tour guide who knows way too much about the water. But that’s the reality of a small town. Everyone has a "thing" they’re hiding. If the show was just a straight line from A to B, it wouldn't be Scottish Noir; it would be a procedural you'd watch while folding laundry.
The complexity is the point.
When the identity of the killer is finally revealed, it’s polarizing. Some fans felt it came out of left field. Personally? I think if you re-watch the first two episodes, the clues are buried in the dialogue. It’s not about a "gotcha" moment as much as it is about the breakdown of Annie’s world.
Why You Should Binge It Now
We are currently in a bit of a dry spell for high-quality atmospheric crime drama. We’ve all seen Line of Duty five times. We’ve finished Slow Horses. If you want something that feels like a mix of The Fall and Broadchurch, this is your best bet.
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It’s only six episodes.
That’s the sweet spot for British television. No filler. No "bottle episodes" where nothing happens. Just six hours of escalating tension that ends in a way that feels earned, even if it’s tragic.
One thing to keep an eye on: the performance of Don Gilet as forensic psychologist Blake Albrighton. He brings a weird, almost Sherlockian intensity to the role. He’s the one who points out that they aren't looking for a person; they're looking for a signature. His interactions with the local kids are some of the most unsettling scenes in the whole series.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Watchlist
If you're going to dive into the tv series The Loch, here is how to get the most out of the experience without getting lost in the heather:
- Pay attention to the background characters. The show is notorious for planting red herrings in the form of "quiet" townspeople who appear in the corner of the frame long before they become relevant to the plot.
- Watch the interplay between the "outsiders" and "locals." The core conflict isn't just about the murder; it’s about the resentment that builds when London-style policing hits a rural community.
- Don't expect a supernatural show. Despite the Loch Ness setting and the marketing that played up the "monster" angle, this is a 100% human crime drama. If you’re looking for The X-Files, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re looking for a psychological thriller, you’re in the right place.
- Check the accents. If you aren't from the UK, you might want to pop the subtitles on for the first ten minutes. The Scottish accents are authentic (thankfully), which means they don't play it down for international audiences.
- Look for it on streaming. Depending on your region, it’s usually floating around on ITVX, Acorn TV, or Amazon Prime. It’s worth the hunt.
The series serves as a grim reminder that the most dangerous things aren't hiding in the deep water. They’re usually standing right behind you in the grocery store line, complaining about the weather.