First look at new The Rig series as Martin Compston, Emily Hampshire and Iain Glen head to Arctic Circle

A Scottish supernatural thriller series made in the heart of Leith's docklands is to head to the frozen landscapes of the Arctic Circle for a new series.

Martin Compston, Emily Hampshire, Iain Glen, Owen Teale and Rochenda Sandall, whose characters were rescued from an impending North Seas tsunami at the end of the first series, will be among the stars returning for a new six-part story that will be set in a secret facility nestled deep in a glacier.

The new story from Portobello-based writer David Macpherson, the creator of The Rig, is expected to explore the impact of deep sea mining on the world's oceans.

The Amazon Prime Video show is the first major series to emerge from FirstStage Studios, the huge studio complex created in a former wave turbine plant in Leith Docks.

The first series focused on the fight for survival by the crew of the Kinloch Bravo oil rig in the North Sea after they lose all communication with mainland Scotland when a mysterious fog descends on the installation.

Sandall, Molly Vevers, Stuart McQuarrie, Abraham Popoola and Nikhil Parmar will be among the other stars of the first series who will be back on screen when The Rig returns in January.

New cast members include Chariots of Fire and Star Trek star Alice Krige, The Queen's Gambit star Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Traces and Deadwater Fell star Phil McKee and Norwegian actor Johannes Roaldsen Fürst.

Mr Macpherson has pledged that series two of The Rig will deliver "more shocks and thrills and delve deeper into both our characters’ and our show's expanding original mythology".

He said: "It was always my aim to build a story that starts in Scotland, but speaks to a global audience about global themes. The deep ocean contains over 95 per cent of the life-supporting space on our planet and we still explore it with candle light. We have no idea how much more there is to see."

An announcement on the launch of the new series states: "Helicopters have taken the surviving crew of the Kinloch Bravo to a new secret offshore facility called the Stac, nestled deep in the extraordinary and deadly landscapes of the Arctic Circle.

"Here, the trapped crew must deal with the emotional and physical fallout of the devastating tsunami that destroyed the Bravo, and contend with swirling conspiracies, corporate conflicts, and new threats from the dark depths of the world’s ocean.

"The second series will continue exploring global themes - weaving together the past, present, and future of the planet while taking the viewer to spectacular environments and drawing on the frontiers of cutting-edge ocean technology, including the controversial world of deep sea mining.

"David Macpherson has created a new story that delivers epic thrills and gripping action for a compelling cast of characters, both returning and new."

Steven Little, head of production at Screen Scotland, Scotland's film and TV agency, said: “Ambitious and high-end returnable series like The Rig season, which use facilities such as FirstStage Studios, provide invaluable opportunities for senior Scottish crew, and local talent like David Macpherson are key to the continued growth of the Scottish screen sector.

"Prime Video further demonstrated their commitment to Scotland as they provided an excellent training ground for new entrants and emerging directors to develop their skills on a live production.”

When the second series was greenlit, Derek Wax, managing director of Wild Mercury, the producers of The Rig for Amazon Prime Video, said: "We were thrilled by the audience response to series one, and can’t wait to dive back in, continuing the journey of our characters with our hugely talented cast and creative team."