Golly Mackenzie

Aloysius "Golly" Mackenzie is a fictional character in the Scottish BBC TV series Monarch of the Glen. Played by Scottish actor Alexander Morton, he appears in all 64 episodes of the series, the only character to do so.^[1] Along with Molly MacDonald he was one of two characters to stay in the show throughout its duration.

Golly is the gamekeeper and ghillie at the Glenbogle estate and is very loyal to the laird, Hector MacDonald, his traditions and his ideas.

Golly has lived on the Glenbogle estate most of his life, apart from his period of national service in the Gordon Highlanders. As a teenager, he worked at Glenbogle alongside his father, who was a hard man. The elder Mackenzie used to beat Golly, especially after he had been drinking. In order to escape this abusive treatment, Golly stole an ornament from the big house which got him the sack; but at least he had escaped his father's brutality. He travelled, mostly working on the roads. Golly's father died, followed within a short space of time by Hector's father. Hector became laird, and knowing how badly his father had treated Golly, gave him the post of ghillie, his father's old job. The theft is not mentioned until series seven, when Peter Finlay, the boy wrongly blamed for the theft, returns as a successful businessman to seek his revenge on the MacDonalds by purchasing the Glenbogle estate at a forced auction.

In Series Two, Golly thought his job was under threat when Archie MacDonald, one of Hector's surviving son and successor, announced the creation of the new post of Head Ranger. Golly applied for the position to secure his place at Glenbogle. However, Archie and the board instead chose Fergal MacClure for the job, and Golly lost his trust in Archie. Golly left Glenbogle when he started to lose his eyesight, but Archie sent him to an optician, and Golly retained his role at Glenbogle.

In Series Three, Golly meets his grown daughter, Jess, for the first time. Her mother, unmarried, left Glenbogle prior to Jess's birth and raised her with a step-father. It is revealed that Golly had often considered contacting Jess but was reluctant to intrude on her life. He had kept her undelivered birthday and Christmas presents over the years. Jess originally does not want a relationship with him, but later changes her mind.^[2]

In Series Four, Golly was left heartbroken after falling in love with the Glenbogle chef Irene Stuart and mistaking her friendliness for love. In fact, she had fallen for his best friend, Duncan McKay.

In Series Five, Hector's widow, Molly, became engaged to Andrew Booth. Golly discovered that Andrew had been engaged to many women, but never married them, and had given the same ring to all of them, including Molly. The discovery was complicated by Golly's evolving feelings for Molly. After Golly's revelation, Molly decided against her marriage to Andrew. Towards the end of the series, Golly and Molly very nearly commenced a romantic relationship but they agreed to remain friends instead. In the same series his daughter, Jess, came to live with him after a breach with her mother and became a ranger on the Glenbogle estate.

In Series Six, Golly met dancing teacher Meg Paterson at the market and eventually became romantically involved with her. Meg nearly left Golly to pursue a dancing job on a cruise ship, but to Golly's relief she stayed in Glenbogle. Meg and Golly parted ways towards the end of the series when she came to feel she was relying too heavily on him to get work as a dancing teacher. However, Meg returned with the news that she was pregnant with Golly's child and they were reunited as a couple.

Series Seven opens with the revelation that Meg had died in childbirth, leaving Golly as a single parent to raise their baby boy, Cameron. Golly struggles as a parent and considers giving Cameron to Meg's sister Rosie, but decides against it and instead receives help from Molly and Jess with looking after his child. Golly and Molly's relationship deepens but Molly won't do anything love-wise without consulting the ghost of her late husband, Hector. In the final episode of the series, Golly proposes marriage to Molly and she accepts.^[3]

Golly's name

Golly's real first name is revealed as Aloysius in Season 5, Episode 1. He is said to have acquired his nickname as a young man when Kate Ellison, his girlfriend of that period, exclaimed "Golly!" when she saw him with his trousers down.^[4]

References