It feels like just a few months ago that DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) unravelled one final mystery on the Shetland isles, but in fact, the last time BBC’s gritty Scottish detective drama was on our screens was back in 2021.

Thankfully, today sees the release of the first trailer for the new series, which sees a brand new cast and team of lead writers adapt the novels by crime writer Ann Cleeves, the storytelling mastermind behind The Long Call and Vera.

Here’s everything we know about Shetland’s eighth season so far.

The new series sees the Met’s Detective Inspector Ruth Calder (Ashley Jensen) return to her native Shetland to retrieve the vulnerable witness to a gangland murder. Tosh (Alison O’Donnell) must pause her investigation into a string of mysterious animal deaths to help Calder find the witness before it’s too late. However, Calder’s hostility to Shetland will challenge Tosh’s view of her adopted home and their journey into the darker recesses of Shetland’s past and present will test this fragile new partnership.

The tense trailer teases gunfire, car chases and strange symbols burning in the woods, giving us just a small glimpse at the drama about to unfold.

Watch it for yourself below:

Joining the cast of Shetland for the eighth series are Phyllis Logan (Guilt, Downtown Abbey), Jamie Sives (Guilt, Annika), Dawn Steele (Holby City, Granite Harbour), Don Gilet (EastEnders, Sherwood), Ann Louise Ross (River City, Katie Morag) and Lorraine McIntosh (Outlander, My Name is Joe). 

The guest cast will star alongside series regulars including Steven Robertson (playing DC Sandy Wilson), Lewis Howden (Sgt Billy McCabe), Anne Kidd (Cora McLean), Angus Miller (Donnie), Conor McCarry (PC Alex Grant) and Eubha Akilade (PC Lorna Burns).

And while we don’t know yet when Shetland will be back on our screens, we hope it’s not too long a wait.

Images: BBC