A FOREST, a body and a scar are just the beginning of the story in a brand new crime drama filmed in Gwynedd.

Craith, which means Scar, starts on S4C this Sunday (7 January) and promises to lead viewers on a tantalisingly chilling journey to the root of the mystery.

The eight-part drama, filmed in Blaenau Ffestiniog and throughout Snowdonia, tells the story of detective DS Cadi John, played by Siân Reese-Williams, who returns to north Wales to care for her ailing father.

However, when the body of a young woman is found in a local river, it becomes obvious that sinister secrets lie within the stunning north Wales scenery. Cadi’s world – and the world around her – is changed forever.

“Cadi is a bit of a workaholic,” says Siân Reese-Williams, who’s originally from Brecon but now lives in London.

“She puts her own personal life in a box so she doesn’t have to deal with other things happening in her life and throws herself into her work.

“She’s empathetic; someone people can get on well with at work. She’s part of the team and isn’t one of those lone wolves who breaks the rules. But having said that, she’s very independent and doesn’t always think about the effect this has on other people.

“She’s a really interesting character to play, because she doesn’t try to please everyone and she’s not always liked. She is a very real character with several layers.”

Siân, 36, is already a familiar face to viewers of the small screen having already appeared in the TV series 35 Diwrnod and Y Gwyll/Hinterland. She will also star in Requiem, a drama series to be shown on Netflix in January.

But Craith is her latest challenge, and one she was more than up for, having been impressed with its script from the start.

“I love the script as it features so many female characters and every part of the story is driven by women,” she said. “The lack of stories about women on TV and in film has become more noticeable in recent years so it’s so nice to work on something that’s so fresh.”

Co-creator Ed Talfan enjoyed filming in Gwynedd.

He said: “During our time in north Wales we filmed at a number of stunning locations. It’s important to us that our characters inhabit ‘real’ spaces – it helps give the drama a sense of place, which I think is important to an audience, and crucial to storytelling.

“Our first day of filming, back in July, was at a slate quarry in Blaenau. It’s an astonishing landscape to be in; brutal, but in its own strange way jaw-dropingly beautiful too. It was the first of many incredible places we were lucky enough to visit during the 22-week shoot.”

A Meirionnydd resident has been mingling with some of the stars of the show. Grwp Cynefin tenant Marc Dairdeas, 52, from Blaenau Ffestiniog, was given the opportunity of working with Ffilm Cymru’s Foot in the Door scheme to gain valuable skills on the set.

Grwp Cynefin housing association supported Ffilm Cymru’s project of offering eight unemployed people of all ages in north Wales a chance to participate for the free two-week placement in partnership with Welsh production company Severn Screen.

“I’ve had an amazing experience, thanks to Grwp Cynefin’s support,” said Marc, who worked during the week long filming experience as a grip.

“I was unsure to begin with what the work entailed, but after a week of training, I was given the role of grip, which saw me providing camera support to the cameraman, working with equipment such as a dolly and crane. We worked closely with the director and the electrical department."

The Welsh version of the seres starts on S4C on Sunday, 7 January at 9pm. The bi-lingual version (Hidden) will screen on BBC Wales and BBC4 later in the year.