Monarch of the Glen Returns in a New Adaptation for PBS
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Last Updated on April 30, 2026 by Stefanie Hutson
Yet another familiar title is getting an adaptation, this time with Monarch of the Glen returning in a new form for MASTERPIECE on PBS and UK broadcaster 5.
What is the new ‘Monarch of the Glen’ about?
The new version centers on Isla Campbell, a successful London lawyer who returns to her family’s Highland estate for her estranged father’s funeral. She expects the visit to be brief, but instead learns she's inherited a million-pound debt, a bank closing in, and a brother who has no intention of giving up the ancestral home.
Forced back under the same roof for the first time in years, the siblings have to find a way to save the estate before they lose it altogether. Based on the official synopsis, this version appears to lean into family tension, romance, and community life, while keeping the Highland setting and estate-in-trouble structure that viewers will associate with the earlier show.
There's been no word on the precise setting – whether it's going to be set at the same castle as the original (Adverikie Estate) or an entirely new location (which seems more probable). Either way, even if the new series is terrible, you can be sure the scenery will be amazing.
Who’s making it?
The new series is created and written by Jeremy Brock, whose credits include A Very Royal Scandal, The Last King of Scotland, and Mrs Brown. He is joined by writer Stephen Greenhorn, whose work includes Dept. Q, Sunshine on Leith, and River City. Tom Vaughan, known for Victoria and Doctor Foster, will direct.
The production comes from Ecosse Films, which also made the original Monarch of the Glen. Producers include Alex Boyd, Robert Bernstein, and Douglas Rae, while Brock and Vaughan also executive produce alongside Rob Darnell and Adam Duncan for Ecosse Films. Susanne Simpson serves as executive producer for MASTERPIECE. No cast has been announced yet.
What about the original ‘Monarch of the Glen’?
The first TV version of Monarch of the Glen aired from 2000 to 2005 and followed Archie MacDonald, a young restaurateur who unexpectedly found himself back in the Highlands, trying to manage his family’s struggling estate at Glenbogle. Starring Alastair Mackenzie, the series ran for seven seasons and became popular for its mix of family drama, gentle comedy, romance, and scenic Highland escapism.
This new version appears to be keeping the broad idea of a family trying to hold onto a Highland estate, but it is not simply retelling Archie’s story. Instead, it looks like a new take built around Isla and her brother, with a different generational and emotional dynamic at the center.
In the US, you can stream it HERE.
What about the book?
The title ultimately comes from the work of Sir Compton Mackenzie, whose Highland novels inspired the earlier television franchise. But even the original BBC series was only loosely connected to the source material, and this new version seems likely to be looser still.
In Mackenzie’s The Monarch of the Glen, the focus is on an American millionaire, Chester Royde, who travels to Scotland with his family and becomes entangled with the financially troubled laird of Glenbogle Castle. The novel includes questions of inheritance, clan identity, land, and status, but the specific plot is very different from either television version (though the original TV version does have a brief storyline about Americans coming to Glenbogle).
When and where to watch
In the UK, the new Monarch of the Glen will air on 5. In the US, it will air on MASTERPIECE on PBS. No cast or premiere date has been announced yet.
What has been confirmed is that the six-episode series will film in Scotland and Northern Ireland in the latter half of 2026. For now, this is one to watch for future casting and scheduling updates rather than an imminent premiere.
If you haven't seen it already, we strongly recommend watching the original – but treasure those early seasons. We don't want to give any spoilers, but there are two points where quality declines significantly. It's worth watching the whole thing, but the first three or four seasons are by FAR the best.
