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| The original cast of "Monarch of the Glen" |
Anyone who knows me knows that I've always (and by always I mean since I was a very little girl) wanted to go to Scotland. And Ireland. And England.
Lately I get my vicarious UK thrills from watching BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) shows on Netflix. My latest addiction?
A show called "Monarch of the Glen."
The show actually hasn't aired since 2005, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
The premise (from Wikipedia):
While trying to carve a living out of the London restaurant he runs with his girlfriend Justine, Archie MacDonald is called back to his Highland home, to the bed of his dying father, Hector. When he arrives, however, he finds that the news of his dying father was just a ploy by his dotty mother, Molly, to get him to Scotland and tell him face-to-face that he has inherited his father's large estate and castle, Glenbogle. Archie faces a tough decision: whether to help the debt-ridden Glenbogle, or to return to Justine in London.... To please all, Archie faces the challenge to save Glenbogle.Right now I'm at the beginning of Series 4 (the BBC calls them "series" instead of "seasons.")
Things I love about this show:
--The scenery
Monarch of the Glen was filmed on location in the Scottish Highlands, and often just the backdrop when two characters are talking is breathtaking.
The show was filmed in and around Ardverikie House. If you're a Downton Abbey fan, as I am, you'll love this house as much as you love Downton.
I mean, just look:
And look:
--Archie
Alastair Mackenzie is just adorable as Archie, who is desperately trying to keep Glenbogle alive despite everything going against him.
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| Alastair Mackenzie |
Other things?
The gentle wit of the show...the Scottish accents (although Archie himself doesn't have one)...the laidback pace of life in the Highlands.
I just feel like I'm taking a little visit to Scotland every time I watch it.
Oh, and as for its connection to Downtown Abbey? Well, Julian Fellowes, the creator of DA, is also involved with "Monarch of the Glen" and is actually a recurring character, the humorous Kilwillie.
Someday, I hope I really will make it to Scotland. Until then, there's always pleasures like "Monarch of the Glen."
