Heather is a manager at the Loch Corrin wilderness resort in the Scottish Highlands. A former medic, she retreated to the extreme isolation of the estate following the tragic death of her firefighter husband, Jamie. To cope with her overwhelming grief, she secretly battles alcoholism. She prefers the lonely environment of the Highlands, though she must regularly interact with demanding vacationers.

Miranda is the beautiful, glamorous center of her friend group, having maintained her alpha status since university. Despite her picture-perfect marriage to Julien, she hides personal struggles, including difficulty getting pregnant and deep-seated fears about a stalker from her past. She frequently uses cruelty as a defense mechanism to maintain her social dominance.

Katie is Miranda’s oldest friend, an overworked lawyer who lives a lonely life in London. Her friendship with Miranda is defined by decades of power imbalance, leaving Katie feeling simultaneously in awe of and resentful toward Miranda's dominance. She harbors deep insecurities and secrets that keep her distanced from the rest of the group.

Doug is the brooding gamekeeper at Loch Corrin. A former marine who served tours in Afghanistan, he suffers from severe PTSD and guilt over a wartime tragedy. He chooses to live in complete isolation on the estate, preferring the company of his dogs to the wealthy guests he guides on stag-stalking expeditions.

Emma is Mark's girlfriend and the newest addition to the tight-knit university friend group. She is highly organized, eager to please, and heavily invested in making the holiday a success. Aware of her outsider status, she tries hard to win Miranda's approval while overlooking Mark's lingering crush on the group's leader.

Julien is Miranda’s wealthy, handsome husband. He strives to keep up appearances and ensure everyone likes him, but his marriage to Miranda is under significant strain. He harbors professional secrets, including involvement in illegal insider trading, and relies heavily on his charm to mask his anxieties.

Mark is Julien's best friend and Emma's boyfriend. He has a history of anger management issues and violent outbursts, which he attempts to keep in check. Despite dating Emma, he carries a long-standing crush on Miranda that frequently creates tension within the group.

Samira is a university friend of Miranda's who recently became a mother. She is entirely devoted to her new baby, Priya, which creates a wedge between her and the rest of the partying group. She possesses a famous temper but attempts to keep it subdued during the holiday.

Giles is Samira's mild-mannered husband. He generally follows the group's lead but shares a long history with the others, including a past connection with Miranda that he wants to keep hidden from his current family.

Nick is a member of the original university friend group, attending the trip with his boyfriend, Bo. He maintains a cold distance from Miranda because she outed his sexuality to his parents years ago without his permission, a betrayal he has never truly forgiven.

Bo is Nick’s boyfriend, a relative outsider to the core university group. He observes the toxic interactions among the longtime friends with a detached perspective and generally avoids partaking in their heavier partying.

Iain is another manager at Loch Corrin alongside Heather. He advises the staff on estate safety and maintains a low profile, keeping his own activities and business dealings hidden from the guests and his coworkers.

Ingvar is an Icelandic tourist visiting the estate with his partner. He holds dark, philosophical views on the human instinct to hunt and kill, which unnerves the Londoners but makes him a capable figure in the rugged environment.

Priya is Samira and Giles's infant daughter. Her presence on the trip significantly alters the group's dynamic, as her parents must prioritize her schedule over the excessive partying the rest of the group expects.

Jamie is Heather's late husband, a firefighter who died tragically in a burning home. The grief from his death is the catalyst for Heather fleeing her old life and taking the isolated job at Loch Corrin.