Glenbogle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Glenbogle is a fictional Scottish estate, created by Compton Mackenzie in his Highland novels, and featured in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen. The novels place the estate near Ben Nevis (one of the laird's titles is "The Ben Nevis"), but the series is filmed in and around the Cairngorms, Badenoch and Strathspey, with Ben Nevis replaced by the fictional Ben Bogle.
In the books and series, the estate has historic connections with the neighbouring Kilwillie and Drumsticket estates. In the books, it also has connections with the islands of Little Todday and Great Today, best known from Mackenzie's Whisky Galore.
Locations in the estate mentioned in the books include Ben Booey, Ben Glass and Ben Gorm (the Three Sisters of Glenbogle); Loch na Craosniach (the Loch of the Spear); Glenbristle; the River Bogle; Strathdiddle; Loch Hoch; and Drumcockie Moor. Loch Hoch and the Three Sisters mark the borders of the estate. The TV series has added more locations, including Ben Bogle (as mentioned above) and Glenbogle Loch (actually Loch Laggan). The series also introduced Glenbogle town; in the books there is specifically no town near the estate. Some of the town scenes are filmed in Kingussie and Laggan. The majority of the program was filmed on and around the Ardverikie Estate situated on the South-East bank of Loch Laggan.
Several scenes in the series were set at Glenbogle Station. These were filmed at Broomhill Station, near Nethy Bridge. This station is the terminus of the Strathspey Railway, a restored steam railway.
The MacDonalds of Glenbogle have a traditional rivalry with the MacIntoshes. According to the novels, Hector of the Great Jaw speared eleven MacIntoshes and drowned them in Loch na Craosniach (hence, presumably, the name). His descendant, the ninth laird (also named Hector), was involved in numerous disputes with the MacIntoshes, responding to one outrage by roasting 45 of them in a church. The series shows the feud continuing to the present day; in the third series, Stuart MacIntosh plans to avenge his clan by buying the estate from the bank, should the MacDonalds lose it.
The estate's near bankruptcy has been a recurring theme in the series. Attempts to rectify this have included a wildlife preserve (with wolves), a jam-making concern (Glenbogle Preserves), and a plan to make Glenbogle Castle into a hotel. It may be assumed that the first two enterprises are continuing; the third failed to gain start-up capital.
[edit] Lairds of Glenbogle
- Hugh MacDonald (dates unknown)
- Hector MacDonald (Hector of the Great Jaw) (novels) (c. 1482)
- Hector MacDonald (novels) (c. 1546) (9th MacDonald of Glenbogle)
- Rory MacDonald (Rory of the Silver Arm) (1656–????)
- Hector MacDonald (novels) (c. 19th century?) (20th MacDonald of Glenbogle)
- Albert Alastair 'Bertie' MacDonald (Lloyd Owen) (18??–1900) (killed in the Boer War)
- Hamish MacDonald (Callum Williams) (1900–19??)
- Donald MacDonald (novels) (c. 1930s) (23rd MacDonald of Glenbogle)
- Hector Naismith MacDonald (Richard Briers) (19??–2001)
- Archie MacDonald (Alastair MacKenzie) (2001–2003)
- Paul Bowman-MacDonald (Lloyd Owen) (2004—)
- Donald Ulysses MacDonald (Tom Baker) (2004 (briefly))
