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[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Monarch-of-the-Glen-monarch-of-the-glen-5306826-300-301_7725.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Welcome to Glenbogle!]]
''Monarch of the Glen'' is a British TV series in the "eccentric country folk" vein. The eccentric country folk in this case live in the Scottish Highlands, on and around the estate of the Laird of Glenbogle.

The central character is Archie [=MacDonald=] (Alastair Mackenzie), reluctant new Laird and latest in the line of Glenbogle, who would really rather be running a restaurant in London than dealing with the crumbling and cash-strapped estate. Creator/RichardBriers and Creator/SusanHampshire are his parents, Hector and Molly.

Based loosely on Compton Mackenzie's 1940s Highland Novels, although it makes more sense to think of Hector and Archie as descendents of Mackenzie's Laird, rather than the series being a SettingUpdate.
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!!''Monarch of the Glen'' provides examples of:
* ArtReflectsPersonality: When sitting on an interview panel with Archie and Katrina, Hector doodles pictures of a cask of alcohol, as he is desperate to get his hands on one which Archie is keeping from him.
* BigFancyHouse: Glenbogle House. And it's old and falling apart. Keeping it heated is a ruinous expense, especially since Hector and Molly insist on living in separate wings.
* BizarreAndImprobableGolfGame: Hector occasionally plays golf ''inside'' the house.
* BrotherhoodOfFunnyHats: The Highland Hundred. No funny hats, but a funny secret greeting. And [[spoiler: they're not actually as secret as they thought they were]].
* CardSharp: A villain who comes to settle a debt with Molly persuades her to gamble, using cards marked on the back with ultra-violet ink, which he can see using special glasses.
* CaughtOnTape: When Archie has his final break-up with [[spoiler: Justine]], this is witnessed in real time (complete with sound) by his whole family through the cameras around the estate; and by Katrina, and the children in her nursery. The mood is sombre among those watching. As a BrickJoke, Katrina switches off the camera, causing the children around her to utter a disappointed "Oh!". Hector does likewise, and Lexie says "Oh!" disappointedly.
* CensorSuds: Seen during a scene with Archie in the bath, until the sassy Lexie pulls the plug out.
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: Archie and Katrina.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Hector. Molly is usually pretty sharp, but she has her moments of this, too.
%%* ComeBackToBedHoney
* CrystalClearPicture: At the beginning of the second series, a camera system is set up around the estate, and the resolution on the screens is amazing (TV broadcast quality), even for the year 1999.
* DeadpanSnarker: Most of the characters.
--> (In different scenes:)
--> '''Katrina''': I'd rather be illegitimate than the daughter of a laird.
--> '''Archie''': (when an underground spring is discovered) If you go into the kitchen, you'll find these things called taps.
--> '''Justine''': (to Katrina, her love rival) Let's put this in the language of the Highland laird: keep off.
--> '''Molly''': (to Hector) You couldn't slap anyone down, even if you had a large wet haddock in each hand.
--> '''Golly''': (when Archie has refused him a job interview) I'm sure a sensible Laird like you is aware of the Equal Opportunities Act.
* DramaticTVShutOff: Archie having a tense conversation with Justine is accidentally captured on cameras on the estate, and this is watched on screens by Archie's family, and by Katrina in her classroom, surrounded by children. When Archie breaks up with Justine, Hector switches off his screen, and at the same moment, Katrina switches off hers; these are met with protests of "Oh!" from everybody else watching.
* EmbarrassingMiddleName: One of Lord Kilwillie's middle names is [[spoiler:Sharon]].
%%* EspeciallyZoidberg
* FawltyTowersPlot: Hector has gotten himself into a couple of these. [[VitriolicBestBuds Lord Kilwillie]] was almost always involved.
* FirstGirlWins: Katrina. [[spoiler:Averted.]]
* ForcedIntoTheirSundayBest: Duncan, when Lexie makes him wear a suit for being interviewed by Archie.
* FormalFullArrayOfCutlery: Lexie gives a bewildered guest the advice "start from the outside and work in".
%%* GagPenis: Golly, evidently. See: OnlyKnownByTheirNickname below.
* GrumpyOldMan: Hector. Played for laughs and drama. He's not happy about getting old and no longer being the laird, or how times have changed.
--> '''Justine''': Hector, can't you just go with the flow a bit?
--> '''Hector''': Don't be absurd. For my entire life, the flow has gone with me.
* HappilyMarried: Hector and Molly.
* IceQueen: Justine, Archie's girlfriend from London.
** DefrostingIceQueen: In the case of Stella Moon; she's loosened up considerably by the end of her run in the series.
* IdenticalGrandson: A Hogmanay special involved Paul meeting the ghost of his Grandfather.....who looked suspiciously like Paul.
* ImpoverishedPatrician: The main source of drama is the need of Glenbogle to make money. Simply heating Glenbogle House costs a fortune, but selling it is unthinkable.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Duncan and Golly are best friends despite a gap of several decades between them.
* ItsAlwaysSpring: Most episodes appear to be in spring or summer. One exception is when Archie is forced to stop paying staff to cut costs, so Lexie refuses to turn on the heating; resulting in the occupants of the house wrapped up in winter scarves and hats.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Hector, may be grumpy and abrasive, but deep down he has a heart of gold.
* JumpingOnAGrenade: Hector, to save his dog who had accidentally fetched a lit dynamite stick.
* JustIgnoreIt: Early in the series, the estates debt problems are revealed by Hector refusing to open letters from the bank, stashing them in a drawer; he does this until Mr Fleming from the bank turns up.
--> '''Hector:''' A man is entitled to open his own correspondence!
* KissingUnderTheInfluence: Archie, Lexie, and a bottle of whiskey on the train home from London.
%%* LandPoor
* LoveDodecahedron: In series two, Duncan loves Lexie, Lexie loves Archie, Archie loves Katrina, Katrina loves Fergal, and to top it all off, in one episode, Lexie and Fergal flirted in the kitchen!
* MacGuffinEscortMission: Played for laughs, of course. Hector and Kilwillie are determined to drink a cask of 1970 whiskey that Archie wants to auction off for lots of money, so they spend the entire episode trying to keep it away from/get it back from Archie. Ends in a case of [[spoiler: NoMacGuffinNoWinner, as the whiskey has gone bad and is undrinkable]].
* ManInAKilt: All the time.
%%* NotWhatItLooksLike
* MoodDissonance: During the episode with [[spoiler:Hector's]] funeral, the sombre mood of the funeral is broken by the coffin brought in not on the shoulders of uniformed coffin-bearers, but on the shoulders of workmen in hard hats.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Golly, who got his nickname when the wind blew his kilt aside and a girl who witnessed it said, "Golly!". His first name is eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: Aloysius]].
* OnlySaneMan: Archie.
* PrettyInMink: When the heating is turned off to save money, the family are forced to wear several layers of clothes at night, including Molly wearing her fur coat.
* PutOnABus: [[spoiler:Archie]]
* RepetitiveName: Donald [=MacDonald=].
* RichBitch: Lady Kilwillie
* SceneryPorn: The beautiful Scottish Highlands.
* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Hector in '''spades'''. He justifies it by claiming "being rude is one of the few benefits of old age."
* SlapSlapKiss: Archie and Katrina.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute:
** Paul Bowman[[spoiler:-[=MacDonald=]]] is introduced in Season 4, and replaces [[spoiler: Archie]] from Season 6.
** Averted with [[Creator/TomBaker Donald MacDonald]], who serves a broadly similar role to Hector, but has a very different personality.
* TheClan: Clan [=MacDonald=], of course!
%%* UndignifiedDeath
* {{ViolinScam}} Variation, [[spoiler:Golly and Andrew's revenge on the dealer who messes with Molly's antique sideboard]]
* VitriolicBestBuds: Hector and Lord Kilwillie, Type 2.
* WackyWakeUpGadget: Hector keeps trying to steal a valuable cask of ale from Archie, who guards it by tying a rope to it, attached to his wrist while he sleeps. It works as intended.
* WalkieTalkieStatic: When Hector and Kilwillie are conspiring to remove a valuable ancient cask of alcohol from Glenbogle, Archie locks it away securely, prompting Hector to make a radio call to Kilwillie:
--> '''Hector:''' The fox has gone back to earth, and dug itself an even deeper grave. Plan B, I think.
%%* WhatsInItForMe
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