Monarch of the Glen undergoes significant changes in series 5, though the British comedy-drama never loses its slightly quirky charm. The show's central character, formerly hip restaurateur-turned-Laird of Glenbogle Archie MacDonald (Alastair MacKenzie), finds himself at loose ends now that his sizable Scottish estate is in the black. Having rescued his castle and all of the tenants living on MacDonald land, Archie grows excited by an announcement from his neighbor, Lord Kilwillie (Julian Fellowes), that he is seeking a top manager for a Scots-cuisine restaurant Kilwillie wants to open in New York City. Archie becomes intrigued by the thought of new challenges, but wife Lexie (Dawn Steele) is resistant to moving from the only home she has ever known. Still, the notion that he isn't through with the larger world beyond Glenbogle never leaves young Archie's mind, setting the stage for larger dramas ahead this season.

Meanwhile, Archie's mother, Molly (Susan Hampshire), isn't quite sure what to make of her relationship with reformed scoundrel Andrew (Paul Freeman), who is courting her in his low-key way. Nor does Glenbogle's gamekeeper, Golly (Alexander Morton), know what to think now that his own, long-repressed feelings for widow Molly are rising to the surface. The biggest change for Monarch of the Glen, however, is the re-appearance of Archie's half-brother Paul (Lloyd Owen), who seeks to live in his father's home and, without meaning to, upsets Molly and inadvertently challenges Archie's ideas about how to run Glenbogle like a business. Head Ranger Duncan (Hamish Clark), still trying hard at everything, establishes a bond with his cranky, old great-uncle, makes a go of running a bed and breakfast, and commences a romance with Golly's daughter (against Golly's better judgment). Life moves quite fast around Glenbogle, and watching the series retool itself for a future without two or three familiar faces is a challenge. But Monarch of the Glen is still as much fun to watch by the last episode of series 5 as the first. --Tom Keogh