The trial of Christopher Harrison before the High Court in Aberdeen for the murder of Brenda Page in 1978 will be filmed for the BBC’s Murder Case TV series.

The subsequent trial of William MacDowell in Inverness for the murders of Renee MacRae and her son Andrew in 1976 will be recorded and made into a podcast.

The Crown Office has written to witnesses to inform them about the plans and clarify that they won’t be identifiable in the broadcast footage unless they provide written consent.

A spokesperson for the Judicial Office for Scotland said: “The broadcast protocol established in 2018 allows applications for the filming of criminal trials for documentary purposes, except in cases involving children, sexual offences and vulnerable witnesses.

“All applications must be considered and approved by the Lord President.

“The production company must also seek the permission of anyone they wish to appear in the documentary.”

This article was updated on 18 August 2022 to clarify the details of the two trials.