BBC - Monarch Of The Glen



	Archie can't believe that Golly has finally left, but life at Glenbogle must go on. A party of school children is visiting the wildlife park, Lexie is up to her eyes in the accounts, Molly has an art dealer coming up from Glasgow to look at her paintings, and not even his guilty conscience can stop Duncan from enjoying Irene's company. As Lexie battles her way through the accounts, she finds a final tax demand due the next day. Feeling unable to tell Archie, she tries to find a solution herself. But as she trawls through Glenbogle's muddled finances, Lexie discovers a mysterious monthly payment to a woman named Grace. She begins to suspect that Hector may have had a mistress. When a young boy from the school party visiting the wildlife park goes missing, he is escorted back safely by a "mystery man of the woods". Archie begins to suspect that Golly may not be as far away as they first thought. Archie and Duncan finally locate Golly and try to persuade him to come home, but Golly is still concerned about his eyesight and his ability to do his job properly. Archie dislocates his shoulder when he falls down a hole in Golly's makeshift shelter, and Golly proves his worth with his clear-headed thinking in a difficult situation. Meanwhile, after a few tequila slammers, Molly and Irene go to a trendy art exhibition, where Molly impresses the initially dismissive art dealer with stories from the sixties of wild parties with David Hockney and Mick Jagger. When she returns, she solves the mystery of 'Grace' - it turns out to be a secret trust fund Hector set up for Glenbogle employees. Archie decides to use this to get Golly's eyes seen to. After a little persuasion, Golly agrees. To everyone's relief, he has returned home to Glenbogle.



	Drastic measures are needed to help Archie pay off Hector's crippling death duties and avoid the interest charges an it seems the only available course of action is to sell off parts of the estate to Kilwillie. Archie's plans are scuppered when his surveyor, Greg MacDonald, invokes a two-hundred-year-old treaty which states that any MacDonald attempting to sell land must forfeit his estate to another clan member. Without Kilwillie's money, Archie cannot afford to maintain the estate, nor is he able to fight a costly court battle with Greg. With Archie over a barrel, Greg offers to buy the estate and save him from ruin. It seems a distinct possibility that the estate could slip out of Archie's grasp. Archie challenges MacDonald to a duel. Just as all seems lost, a lone but affluent traveller named Andrew offers Archie an unexpected way out of his predicament. Golly, Lexie and Molly sacrifice some items close to their heart to raise cash for the estate. Unfortunately, things are not going as well for Duncan and Irene. Irene finally reveals why she has been so distracted - she is pregnant, and Duncan can't be the father. Duncan is left pondering this bombshell.


	Duncan's Auntie Liz has arranged a seance for Molly in an attempt to contact Hector. Lexie is sceptical, but sees a ghostly figure at the window and is spooked by various strange noises at night. Archie teases her, but she thinks the house may be haunted. After having her Tarot read, she gets a feeling Archie is in danger, runs back to the house and saves him from a potential electrocution. Later, another medium tries to contact the ghost, and Archie is moved to tears when she describes Hector and Jamie. Meanwhile, a man with a camera has been seen on the estate asking for Irene. She suspects that the baby's father is trying to track her down, and announces her intention to leave. Devastated Duncan goes into the village to get drunk. In the pub, the same man starts asking Duncan questions about Irene - Duncan thinks he is her ex and swings for him, but he is too drunk and ends up bruised on the floor. Next morning, Irene is touched that Duncan was willing to fight for her. He is also willing to be the baby's father, but Irene is unsure. Meanwhile, Molly visits Andrew, her new neighbour. The door to the croft is opened by a girl wearing a towel. Molly draws the obvious conclusion, not realising that Andrew is a sculptor and the girl is his model. On Molly's second visit, Andrew mistakes her for a cleaner. Archie later invites him up to the house, where he exacerbates his gaffe, giving Molly his coat to hang up. After apologies, his attitude over dinner spurs her on to begin painting again and enter the annual community art competition. He later turns out to be the judge, and Molly is surprised when he picks her painting of Useless to win, despite his earlier dismissal of pet portraits. Finally, the mystery of the Glenbogle ghost is solved, when Archie hears a noise and gives chase. It turns out to be the man Duncan swung for in the pub - he is a private detective, hired by Irene's ex to give her a letter. She sheds tears as she reads, feeling guilty for leaving her ex at the altar. Irene decides to leave, and Duncan tells her he doubts they can be friends.


	It's the end of the hunting season and the day of the Ghillies' Ball. As the new Lady of Glenbogle, Lexie is determined that the ball will be a success. Up on the hills, Golly and Duncan have spotted a badly injured Big Eric - the Monarch of the Glen, the stag that eluded Hector for so long. They realise that he will have to be put out of his misery so they begin to stalk him. Archie joins them and is just about to take a shot when Golly spots a young man walking towards them. Meanwhile, back at the house, Molly tries to help Lexie out in the kitchen, but only causes chaos by exploding a haggis. Just as Lexie thinks things can't get any worse, two old friends of the family turn up. Irrepressible widow Merilyn has arrived early with her daughter, in a bid to snare an eligible man. Their presence only makes matters worse.. Eventually Lexie decides to do away with tradition and organise an event in her own, unique style. Back on the hillside, the young man, Paul, introduces himself. He reveals that his mother died recently and that he is trying to discover the truth about his past. He produces a photograph of a young Golly with his mother. Paul announces that Golly is his father and Archie is surprised when Golly evades his questions. All becomes clear when Golly finally reveals the truth - Paul's father is Hector. Reeling from the revelation, Archie says he wants it kept from Molly to spare her feelings, and sets off to find the stag. Thanks to Duncan, they get their kill,.. The men return to the house to be confronted by a spectacular fun-fair, and the guests tucking into a giant Chinese take-away. Lexie has given everyone a ball to remember. Archie reluctantly lets Paul stay the night on the condition that he hides his news from Molly.


	Molly discovers that Paul is Hector's son. Archie refuses to let Paul stay at Glenbogle. Lexie knows that Archie and Molly will have to accept the situation sooner or later and, unbeknownst to Archie, persuades Paul to stay for a few days. Molly, however, announces that she cannot cope with the truth and is leaving Glenbogle with Andrew as company. Kilwillie is shocked when Archie tells him Paul's identity and further devastated to learn that Molly is determined to leave Glenbogle. However, like a true gentleman, he offers round-the-world tickets that were originally meant for Archie and Lexie's honeymoon to Andrew, on condition he take care of Molly. Archie is furious with Lexie for persuading Paul to stay but, when Molly concedes that Paul has a right to remain at Glenbogle, Archie realises he is the only one with a problem. Attempting peace, Archie shares some memories of Hector with Paul but the mention of Jamie, Archie's dead brother, causes Archie to withdraw. Molly, Golly and Archie eventually confront each other over Hector's affair and the consequences of it, leaving them all with something to think about. Archie's feelings for his brother are put to the test as Paul is dragged under by the current on the river bank after trying to save Useless the dog. Archie is faced head on with the memory of Jamie's drowning and the possibility of losing another brother.
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