Dept. Q: Is Mhor Island in Scotland real? The location’s significance in the Netflix show, explained

In Dept. Q during the investigation into missing prosecutor Merritt Lingard, the team ends up on a small isolated Island, Mhor, and it remains the most gripping location used in the show. Though the name sounds like a real Scottish island, it is completely fictional. Moreover, the scenes constituting the Island have been shot in several real-life Scottish locations.

In Dept. Q, a gritty crime thriller centered on Edinburgh's cold case unit, the production design and locations play a crucial role in building the film world and thematic resonance. Therefore, although entirely fictional, it is of much significance as Mhòr becomes a symbolic extension of Merritt’s enigmatic past.

Read on to know more about the location and its significance in the story.

Mhor Island serves as a fictional location in Dept. Q

As mentioned, while “Mhòr” is entirely fictional, the show blends industrial docks and coastal ferry routes to convincingly recreate its brooding, isolated aura. The Jennings' family property, including the hyperbaric chamber, was shot at Burntisland Docks in Fife while scenes depicting the ferry trip to Mhòr were captured using a departure point reminiscent of Oban on Scotland’s west coast, where a literal ferry ride helped establish the remote-island atmosphere.

While names like Innis Mhòr or Tanera Mòr may echo geographically in the real world, Dept. Q intentionally distances its Mhòr from any direct real-life parallels. Even the criminal stories are fictitious with no connection to real-life cases. The show's version of Mhòr is less a faithful replica of an actual Scottish island and more a narrative construct.

Mhor Island is significant for the atmosphere it has offered in Dept. Q

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Mhor Island is shown as a hauntingly atmospheric town that is full of mystery and buried truths. It is from this remote island that Lingard reportedly vanished during a ferry cruise with her disabled brother, William. This event in the show initially appears accidental but grows increasingly suspicious. The island comes with a small, tight-knit community, which provides an ideal backdrop for characters like Merritt and other subplots to unfold.

Much like Egley House, a residential care home where Merritt’s brother resides, Mhòr becomes a vital puzzle piece in the show's larger mystery. William’s nonverbal drawings, made at Egley House, located on Mhòr, lead to the identification of a mysterious man with a bird-emblazoned hat, symbolizing the island’s role as both the geographical and psychological heart of the investigation. Both locations come with an eerie quietude that reveals more about the character than the crime itself, exploring deep emotional trauma and other undercurrents within the creative landscape. It isn't just where Merritt comes from—it's what shaped her, and what might have ultimately led to her vanishing.

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