He's a young, trendy city slicker. And he's just inherited a run-down feudal estate in the middle of the Scottish Highlands…

Inspired by the novels of Compton Mackenzie, this marvelously shot, hugely enjoyable drama follows in the BBC traditions of All Creatures Great and Small and Ballykissangel heart-warming drama, gentle comedy, glorious scenery and a small rural community of eccentric characters. The magnificent Cairngorms are the beautiful backdrop as Archie MacDonald tries to get to grips with being the new laird of a huge, decaying family estate in the Highlands of Scotland.

Archie is 28 and just about to open his trendy new fish restaurant in London with his beautiful girlfriend, Justine (Anna Wilson Jones, Wonderful You), when he gets the news of his unexpected inheritance. Glenbogle is one of the largest sporting estates in the Highlands. He will be the feudal landlord over 40,000 acres, 200 tenants, a house which makes Balmoral look like a cottage, and with an overdraft to match.

To make matters worse, his aged eccentric parents, Hector (Richard Briers, Good Neighbors) and Molly MacDonald (Susan Hampshire, The Forsythe Saga), come as part of the furniture and the local schoolteacher, feisty Katrina Finlay (Lorraine Pilkington, Human Traffic), is determined to make things as difficult as possible for Archie. There is also the high-spirited and fiery cook/housekeeper Lexie (Dawn Steele, Split Second) to contend with.

Monarch of the Glen is created by Michael Chaplin (Grafters) and inspired by the Highland novels of Compton Mackenzie.

CAST
Alistair Mackenzie (as Archie)
Richard Briers (as Hector)
Hamish Clark (as Duncan)
Susan Hampshire (as Molly)
Alexander Morton (as Golly)
Lorraine Pilkington (as Katrina)
Dawn Steele (as Lexie)
Anna Wilson-Jones (as Justine)

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Written by Michael Chaplin, Niall Leonard and Patrick Wilde
Directed by Edward Bennett, AJ Quinn
Produced by Nick Pitt, Paddy Higson
Executive Produced by Barbara McKissack, Douglas Rae