Archie MacDonald, a young restaurateur is called back to his childhood home of Glenbogle where he is told he is the new Laird of Glenbogle.
Cast:Alexander Morton , Susan Hampshire , Hamish Clark , Dawn Steele , Alastair Mackenzie , Lloyd Owen , Richard Briers , Rae Hendrie , Julian Fellowes , Martin Compston , Lorraine Pilkington , Tom Baker , Paul Freeman , Poppy , Simone Lahbib , Alexandra Gilbreath , Rebecca Lacey , Gavin Mitchell
Archie McDonald, a young restaurateur, is tricked into returning to his home, Glenbogle, by his eccentric father and mother, Hector and Molly. Once there Archie finds out that the estate is on the verge of bankruptcy. In this pilot episode we also meet some other employees at the Glenbogle house, Lexie, Duncan and Golly as well as the young school teacher, Katrina.
A ruthless banker comes to Glenbogle and informs the family that if they cannot pay the outstanding debt the bank will have no choice but to close Glenbogle. Desperate to save his family's home, Archie pulls out all the stops to persuade the bank to reconsider.
Now that Archie's girlfriend Justine has arrived at Glenbogle she notices some chemistry between Archie and Katrina. Then, Glenbogle's neighbor, Killwillie, asks the family to host the Glenbogle ball in his place. While making the rushed preparations for the family, Justine learns of a past tragedy that still haunts the MacDonald family.
A genealogist comes to Glenbogle looking for the rightful heir to the Ballantine clan. Meanwhile, he reveals a secret tie between the MacDonald family and Katrina.
Archie's older sister Lizzie turns up with her boyfriend Gerald and a group of massage therapists intent on turning Glenbogle into a healing center. Meanwhile, Golly goes missing and Lexie discovers the secret to his disappearance.
As the new laird to Glenbogle, Archie must accept Killwillie's challenge in competing against him in the annual Highland boat race. With the odds of history stacked against him, Archie doubles the stakes when he requests that ring of his forefathers be added as prize to the winner of the race.
Archie and Justine organize a special Highland Night at their restaurant. To help execute the plan smoothly, Archie and Lexie head over to London to make the preparations. But it isn't long before things start to go wrong and Archie and Justine confront each other about their dwindling relationship.
Justine tells Archie that he must decide whether or not to return to their restaurant in London or to stay at Glenbogle with his family. To make matters worst, Flemming returns informing Archie that the bank can wait no longer for him to pay out the debt, and the estate begins to fall apart forcing Archie and his family to move out.
Facing the insurmountable debt that the estate is in, everyone living at Glenbogle house is struggling to get by. Tempers flare as Justine begins to take over the management of the house while the estate bankers decide whether or not to continue supporting the crumbling castle.
Hector and Archie fight for possession of a rare and valuable barrel of whiskey while Duncan and Golly compete amongst many other contenders for the new position of head ranger on the estate.
When Archie's appeal for a grant from the council is rejected, Hector is forced to reveal a secret concerning Edith Rankin, chairwoman of the council. Simultaneously, Golly and Fergal each bribe Duncan in the hopes of securing his help in their individual projects.
While Archie would rather forget the fact that it is his birthday, the family is determined to organize a secret surprise party. At the same time, Hector plants an article in the local magazine to help him in his quest to marry Archie off.
Molly finds herself face to face with a hard-nosed gangster to whom she owes 4,000 pounds. In a risky game of poker, she risks everything to clear her debt, without letting Archie find out. Meanwhile, tensions arise between Fergal, Katrina and Archie as Fergal begins to show interest in Katrina and questions her relationship with Archie.
Archie has decided that Glenbogle may be a novel venue for weddings and is expecting his first couple soon. But when they arrive, Lexie is faced with her estranged mother and memories of her troublesome childhood.
Archie's sister Lizzie turns up at Glenbogle, pregnant and without a husband, leaving Hector very upset. Refusing to be involved in the 'screaming and shouting' of labor, he immerses himself into his competition against Killwillie for the tallest tree in Scotland.
While preparing for his upcoming coronation as laird of Glenbogle, Archie and his family are stunned when an American McDonald shows up claiming to be the rightful laird. In an effort to save his home, Archie invokes the Chieftains' Challenge, a test of brains and brawns to reveal the true laird.
Stella Moon, a banker from Lasselles, comes to Glenbogle informing Archie that he must take a back seat position while she begins fixing the numerous problems concerning the estate. Meanwhile, Hector and Killwillie compete for the presidency of the local golf club.
Now that Stella has taken charge over all estate affairs, she has decided that drastic changes must be made in order to increase profit while decreasing outward expenditures. But when she orders Archie to cut Lexie, Golly and Duncan's salaries in half, the three go on strike, leaving Archie to pick up the pieces.
After Stella has Golly, Hector and Killwillie arrested, Archie finds himself on the eve of a fishing party with no food, no ghillie, and no means of bringing the guests to the house.
Stuart Macintosh, a local buildings contractor, comes to Archie with a decent offer for the unused crumbling cottages located on the estate. But all plans are ruined when Stella discovers these cottages and plans to turn them into a new profit maker for the estate. At the same time, Hector joins a secret society while Golly gets a surprise visit from a relation.
Stuart proposes 'Bogle Croft', a new resort which will be situated on the mountain Ben Bogle located on the estate. Furied by this proposal, and the intrusion it will create in his home, Archie begins a campaign to fight the plan, with the help of his family.
A journalist named Graham Lawrence comes to stay at Glenbogle so that he may write an article advertising the estate and all it has to offer. But it turns out that Graham is also Stella's soon-to-be ex-husband, leaving the gang worried that he will take his grudge towards Stella out on his article.
In order so that he may be able to impress his French pen pal, Duncan becomes laird, temporarily, while Archie becomes head ranger. Then the health inspector shows up thinking that Duncan is the real laird of Glenbogle.
Hector hosts a regimental reunion for his old army chums. But when one of them turns out to be an escaped convict, the family comes together with a master plan to escape the police, and prison.
As the night of the Midsummer Ball approaches, Archie is determined to make sure everything runs smoothly. But it seems that someone is trying to sabotage the ball and Stella is determined to keep Lexie in the kitchen so that she may be with Archie on the big night.
When Archie and Lexie announce their engagement, the family is stunned and Hector believes it to be a catastrophic mistake. In an uphill battle against customs and tradition, Lexie and Archie vow to stick together. Meanwhile, a killing pike devours all inhabitants of the loch.
The recent family death has left everyone is disbelief and dismay. Molly feels that although it is a sad time, Archie and Lexie should continue on with their wedding plans and although Archie agrees that this is the best thing to do, Lexie feels that it just isn't the right time.
Archie is interested in attracting more visitors to the estate by installing a new wildlife centre which thoroughly aggravates Golly. Meanwhile, Lexie is very displeased when she sees that Archie has employed a new cook and cleaner, Irene.
Someone seems to be sabotaging the Wild Life Centre. Meanwhile Archie's intolerable godmother Isabel has come to stay for a while and a young stranger named Esme has been hired to help Irene with the cleaning around the estate.
Bad feelings arise between Archie and Lexie when, in the midst of planning their wedding, Archie's old fame Katrina turns up. Meanwhile, Golly gets a makeover in the hopes of winning Irene's affections.
Archie's old friend David arrives at Glenbogle bringing with him old memories and a business proposition for Archie. Meanwhile, Golly and Duncan continue to battle over Irene while Molly takes pity on a runt wolf cub.
Golly's failing eyesight causes him to accidentally let one of the wolves out of the pen. With a group of naturalists in the new campsite the group sets out trying to find the wandering wolf. But Golly feels that he is no longer an asset to the estate.
While dealing with the large debt Glenbogle is in, Lexie stumbles upon a series of monthly payments that Hector made to a woman named Grace. In the meantime, an art dealer searches the estate for valuable paintings he can buy from the family.
The deadline for the payment of Hector's death duties is looming and Archie has run out of ways to raise the money. Kilwillie offers to buy land off of Archie but he claims that he is not interested. Then when an unsuspected clan MacDonald turns up expecting to take over the estate, Archie is forced to save his home, even if it means self-sacrifice.
There seems to be a ghost haunting Glenbogle and Lexie begins to fear for Archie's life. Meanwhile, Irene must decide whether to stay with Duncan at Glenbogle and raise her child or leave and return to the baby's father.
Lexie throws herself into preparations for the upcoming Ghillies' Ball. However the task is much more complicated than she thought and it's not long before she runs into numerous problems. One of which is the arrival of a new stranger, Paul Bowman, with a secret tie to the MacDonald family that shocks everyone.
While the family tries to cope with the recent news of Hector's secret child, Golly, Duncan and Paul focus on rebuilding Golly's cottage. Convinced that Paul is bad news for the whole family, including his mother, Archie persists in trying to get rid of Paul. But his efforts are futile and Molly decides to pack her bags and leave Glenbogle behind her.
Now that the estate is finally in good shape, Archie feels he must do something with himself. So when Killwillie decides to open a new restaurant in New York, Archie jumps at the chance to manage it. Meanwhile, Lexie scrambles to save a local couple from being evicted and Duncan discovers a shattering secret about his family.
While repairs are being done in the cellar, the family is living in Duncan's B&B. Paul returns to Glenbogle, stirring unwanted feelings within Molly.
Duncan takes a dip into the dating pool with the help of Molly's new dating agency while Paul gets working on establishing his new climbing center. But when the locals find out Paul is targeting out of area teenagers, they refuse to help in developing the center.
Golly gets an unexpected surprise when his daughter Jess shows up and Duncan travels to Glasgow for a job interview. Meanwhile, Paul takes on new responsibilities by trying to reform the local football team.
Duncan starts his new job with Dorothy and Hermione, leaving the Head Ranger position open at Glenbogle. While Jess tries to impress Golly to secure the position, Paul hires a young delinquent with many hidden talents.
Archie's elder sister Lizzie turns up with a life changing proposition for him and Andrew has his own proposition with Molly. At the same time, Archie and Paul continue to battle over joint control of the estate.
Now that Archie has left, Lexie has taken control over all estate affairs leaving Paul feeling left out. Golly is convinced that Andrew cannot be trusted and confronts Molly about his inclination.
Hermione returns to Glenbogle and begins to stalk Duncan with dark intentions. Meanwhile, Dorothy seizes control over a small fishing island and gets Ewan fired from the local pub.
Lexie is the first female laird of Glenbogle and the host of the annual clan gathering which is sure to start creating troubles in every area of the estate. Matters go from bad to worse when an ancient rival of the MacDonalds' sets foot on enemy land.
Lexie gets an unexpected and unwelcome surprise when her father shows up at Glenbogle. Father-daughter relations are strained between Golly and Jess as well, and Paul learns of a secret that Amanda's been hiding.
On the eve of a new year, the house is haunted by a 14th century ghost who put a curse on the MacDonald family centuries ago. Just before the New Years Eve party, Paul discovers a long lost soldier who may help him understand the traditions of his new family.
It's a new era at Glenbogle and Paul is the new laird. Despite his best interests, his attitudes towards the highland traditions are starting to bother the family. Meanwhile, Lexie returns briefly from New Zealand causing Paul to become a little suspicious.
Hector's brother Donald MacDonald returns after a 40-year absence to Glenbogle. But this surprise visit is not a welcome one for Molly who holds a mysterious grudge against Donald. Meanwhile, Lexie avoids the thought of returning to Archie in New Zealand by throwing a 60th birthday party for Molly.
It's the day after Paul and Lexie's kiss and while Paul is eager to discuss it, Lexie wants to forget it and decides to leave to New Zealand immediately. But slowly she begins to think that leaving her home that is Glenbogle might not be what she really wants. Then, the secret that is the cause of Molly's hatred towards Donald is revealed.
Ewan and Donald find a German Second World War fighter plane at the bottom of the loch and when Paul's former army officer Alex Faversham comes to investigate the plane, he digs up some unwanted memories in Glenbogle.
Alex has decided that the estate is not being run with a firm enough hand and takes it upon himself to bring his military organization to the Glenbogle household but it isn't long before everyone becomes annoyed with Alex. Meanwhile, while Molly is away, Golly strikes up a new friendship with a local dance teacher named Meg.
Isobel's farm is under threat when she can't pay the monthly rent on time, again and is persuaded by her old work colleague to return to Edinburgh to start up a new partnership. Meanwhile, a scruffy stranger who has lost his memory turns up on the estate and the family tries to help the hiker remember his past.
While Golly is away on holiday with Meg, Jess takes over as ghillie. Her skills are put to the test right away when poachers invade the estate. Meanwhile, Paul and Isabel join their new neighbor Lucy at a cocktail party and Paul and Lucy share an intimate moment spotted by Isabel.
Competition sparks between Paul and Chester when they both want to market Isabel's relish. To decide who will be the winner, a duel is called to see who is the better marksman of the two. Meanwhile Meg feels disheartened when Golly gets people into her dance class through favors and Jess gets set up on Rob Roy Radio.
Ewan is shocked when he finds his dad with another woman and learns that his parents are planning on separating. Meanwhile, Lucy's parents are coming over to meet Paul and begin to hint about the possibility of a future wedding.
The time has come for Paul's official coronation as laird of Glenbogle but the family is shocked to find out that Donald is the true heir to the title. Donald takes the news well and begins changing the estate in every which way including taxing the tenants. To settle the decision over who should be laird, Paul and Donald face off in a duel to prove themselves worthy. Meanwhile, Meg returns to Glenbogle with a shocking surprise of her own.
Ever since Meg passed away, Golly has been taking care of baby Cameron as a single parent, with the help of his daughter, Jess. Meanwhile, as spring returns to Glenbogle, the list of repairs to be done is endless and Paul finds himself face to face with a feisty young shepherdess named Iona.
Paul's goddaughter Amy shows up, a relentless troublemaker, and begins to shake up Ewan and Zoe's relationship. Then, Tam Cooper, a recently released convicted poacher returns to Glenbogle, creating havoc for Paul and Golly.
Paul launches his new idea of turning Glenbogle into a luxury retreat when a wealthy couple come to stay at the house. But when Golly has a back injury and Molly rushes to his aid, Paul finds himself short staffed and strapped for cash.
Ewan believes he's struck gold when he discovers that Amy has photographed a monster emerging from the loch. Although skeptical at first, Paul too soon finds himself captivated by the mystical creature and the magical power it seems to have.
Iona is stunned when her former fiancé, Malcolm McRae, comes to Glenbogle to help save the estate's forest from a spreading fungi. The surprise forces Paul to consider his true feelings for Iona while attempting to heal the damage in the woods. Meanwhile, Jess competes in the local Ghillie's challenge, as the only woman, with all odds stacked against her.
Emotions are running high. The bank can no longer wait for Glenbogle to pay off their debt, forcing Paul to sell the estate. Then, a wealthy stranger comes to buy the estate forcing the family to face their futures without Glenbogle. Meanwhile, Molly must decide between Golly and Killwillie, Donald must face up to his future, alone, Paul must confront his true feelings for Iona and Golly must confront his true feelings for Molly. All of this comes to a head, and a surprising visitor from the past lends a helping hand.
