Is Loch Henry From 'Black Mirror' A Real Place?
Here's where the Scottish true-crime tale was filmed.
"Loch Henry," the second episode of Black Mirror's newly-released sixth season, juxtaposes a dark true-crime tale against the natural beauty of the Scottish lochs. Starring Samuel Blenkin and Myha'la Herrold, the episode takes place in documentary filmmaker Davis's (Blenkin) hometown near Loch Henry, a once-popular tourist destination that was forgotten after authorities discovered that a serial killer had been kidnapping and torturing visitors. For this slow-burn episode, Black Mirror turns its satirical lens on true crime itself, as Davis, his girlfriend Pia (Herrold), and his childhood friend Stuart (Daniel Portman) start filming a documentary about the tragic event in the hopes of bringing back tourists.
The episode is filled with stunning views of the Scottish Highlands, so it's no surprise viewers have been wondering whether Loch Henry is a real tourist destination (thus fulfilling the episode's theme and drawing us into the ethical ouroboros-like experience of Black Mirror's thought experiments). For anyone tempted to check out TripAdvisor, here's what we know about the filming locations for the episode.
The episode was filmed by Loch Lomond outside of Glasgow, Scotland.
While Loch Henry is not a real place, the show does highlight the natural beauty of Scotland. Brooker opened up about the filming locations in a Tudum interview, sharing that the episode's setting excited him since it was the franchise's first episode set in the country. As for where "Loch Henry" was filmed, the production used 18 filming locations near several freshwater lochs (a Scottish term for lake) near Glasgow, which served as the base for filming.
"We shot the episode by Loch Long in a village called Arrochar, near the Argyll Forest," Samuel Blenkin, who played Davis, told Tudum. "We’ve shot in some amazing locations, and it’s been a visually stunning environment to work in."
In addition to Loch Lomond and Loch Long, the production also used more remote locations, including a river near the Falls of Falloch in Arrochar. (For everyone who's seen the episode, yes, this is that river scene.) However, the villages of Arrochar and nearby Inverarnan are fairly easy to reach, being about an hour or two train journey from Glasgow. Per the outlet, all of the episode's filming locations were scouted by the episode's location manager (and Scotland native) Liam Irving.
The idea for "Loch Henry" came from a real true-crime show.
Brooker shared his initial inspiration for the show with Tudum, sharing that he got the idea based on his own experience with the tricky feelings of true-crime tourism. "The original idea for this episode came to me while I was watching TV with my wife, Konnie, only this time it was a true crime documentary about something terrible that happened in Scotland," he told the outlet.
"Like all true crime documentaries, it had millions of drone shots over lochs and forests. Oddly, despite this horrible story, the stunning landscapes were so beautiful we found ourselves Googling where it was and wanting to go on holiday there," he added. That phenomenon of visiting the setting of a disturbing crime because of the crime itself is a theme explored in the episode, which considers the fine line between educating onself about real-life events or taking part in the exploitation of victims.
'Bergerac' is a real series.
While "Loch Henry" takes lots of inspiration from true crime, both the setting and the crime at the center of the episode are completely fictional. However, the show does have an interesting real-life detail. Bergerac, the favorite show of Davis's parents, is a real detective series that was wildly popular in the U.K. during the '80s and early '90s. It premiered on the BBC in October 1981 and ran for nine seasons, ending with a Christmas special in December 1991. Also, John Nettles did star as Jim Bergerac, a policeman and recovering alcoholic who lives on the British island of Jersey off the coast of France. The show was known for being a cozy watch and featuring inoffensive crimes, just the type of show that could be your mom's longtime favorite.
