Netflix's new series Netflix series is both tense in Carl's investigation of Merritt Lingard's disappearance and heartfelt and funny as the detective adjusts to his surroundings and team.

Dept. Q quickly entered Netflix's top 10 charts, falling behind only Sirens and Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders. The gripping series has quickly become another must-watch for the streaming service that has released several other great crime dramas this year, and, like Netflix's other great additions to the genre, Dept. Q certainly benefits from a moody, often gothic setting that sets the tone.

Netflix's Dept. Q Takes Place In Edinburgh, Scotland

The Series Was Really Filmed In The City

TV shows often use sets to stand in for real locations, making it easier to fit filming into a specific schedule and create an exact look for the set, but there is often something better about seeing the real locations. In the case of Dept. Q the series does indeed benefit from filming in the locations where it is truly set, specifically Edinburgh, Scotland. The crime series takes place in Scotland's capital city, and the show's outdoor scenes make it clear that it was shot on location and throughout the surrounding Lothian region as well.

The recognizable backdrops for many of the scenes help add a degree of authenticity to the series and show off the sights of Edinburgh.

More specifically, the East Lothian Courier, which covers news of the Scottish region, shared that the series had been filmed in several locations across the area, including at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh City Chambers, the Wester Hailes area, and the Leith neighborhood within Edinburgh. Within the broader region, scenes for Dept. Q were also filmed in Dirleton, Yellowcraig Beach in North Berwick, and Musselburgh. The recognizable backdrops for many of the scenes help add a degree of authenticity to the series and show off the sights of Edinburgh.

While exterior scenes do benefit from the authenticity of filming in Edinburgh and other Scottish locations, Dept. Q also necessarily filmed some of its interior scenes on sets or repurposed locations. Some of its interior scenes, including those in the police department, were filmed at FirstStage Studios in Leith (via Time Out). Others simply repurposed existing locations, like hotels and grand homes, to fit the show's narrative. Perhaps one of the most striking, though, is the Signet Library in Edinburgh, which served as the show's courtroom.

How Netflix Changed The Setting Of The Dept. Q Adaptation Compared To The Book Series

The Netflix Series Features A Big Location Change

Netflix's Dept. Q series is based on the Nordic noir book series of the same name by Jussi Alder-Olsen. Like the TV series, the books focus on Carl Morck, a detective who takes over the cold case department and becomes interested in pursuing the case of one missing woman. Season 1 follows the same plot as the first book in the series, Mercy. The books have also been made into a successful film series in Denmark, but both the original books and the films have a significant difference from Netflix's series: their setting.

The original book series takes place in Copenhagen rather than Edinburgh, making the Scottish city a focal point rather than the Danish one. Interestingly, the team behind Dept. Q opted to go in a different direction, more akin to other British crime dramas rather than Scandinavian ones. Generally speaking, the cold, gray weather and historic architecture in both locations make Copenhagen and Edinburgh a believable swap, but changing the location and language does give Dept. Q the advantage of appealing to English-speaking audiences, so the setting and its importance to the series do make sense.

Sources: East Lothian Courier, Time Out