Monarch of the Glen questions

[David Dubh]

Not sure if I’ve got the right forum for this if I’m wrong could the mods move it to a more appropriate place
I’ve recently started to re watch Monarch of the Glen. I’ve noticed that Hector and Molly appear to wear the Macdonald of Clan Ranald modern and ancient respectively. While Archie wears the modern Macdonald. My question on this would be would a husband and wife wear different the same tartan in different shades?
Would a son wear a different clan tartan from his parents? I know this is tv but why would the bbc do that?
Golly Mackenzie I’m fairly certain wears the Mackenzie weathered when he does wear the kilt, I’m not sure why they didn’t put Duncan in the hunting Stewart rather than a Mackay tartan or a Macdonald variant. My last question on this is would someone working on a highland estate wear their own tartan or the lairds tartan?
I know it’s just a show I’m more curious as to what would be the normal in Scotland.
Slainte David

[Ivor]

I enjoyed this series very much but the tartans are beyond me. Susan Hampshire was one of the stars and she had her food sent up from the south of England as Scottish food must not have been to her taste. Loved Richard Briers as a great comedy actor in “The Good Life” and saw him in London but wonder why they chose him as a Scottish Laird? Maybe says a great deal about the “Anglicisation” of the country.

[David Dubh]

I enjoyed this series very much but the tartans are beyond me. Susan Hampshire was one of the stars and she had her food sent up from the south of England as Scottish food must not have been to her taste. Loved Richard Briers as a great comedy actor in “The Good Life” and saw him in London but wonder why they chose him as a Scottish Laird? Maybe says a great deal about the “Anglicisation” of the country.

Agreed it seems odd that they used no Scots in it but it may also represent that a lot of Scottish lairds at one point seemed to send their children to England so that they lost the Scots brogue in their speech so that maybe why but I don’t know
David

[OC Richard]

Hector and Molly appear to wear the Macdonald of Clan Ranald modern and ancient... Archie wears the modern Macdonald.

I don't know about Clan Donald branches and their tartans, or whether a member of one of the branches can wear the general Clan Donald tartan, but a particular tartan is regarded as the same tartan whatever colour-scheme it's rendered in, Modern/Ancient/Weathered/Reproduction/Muted/Dress.

Would someone working on a highland estate wear their own tartan or the lairds tartan?

As I recall a member here recently posted a photo of employees of a Highland estate wearing kilts made out of the estate tweed.

About the accents, there are subtleties of the various Scottish accents that I, an American, seem unable to hear. I say this because I heard an interview of a certain Scottish actor who sounded English to me, but Scots said no, he clearly had a Scots accent.

[OC Richard]

Scottish accents are a bit of a minefield for the uninitiated but, for actors particularly, they will have adjusted their accents to fit in to mainstream English accents.

I see that all the time with actors from Scotland and Ireland. Also I see actors from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, Australia, and New Zealand speaking with an accent that's halfway American. They often shift back and forth from interview to interview. The actor I was referencing, who was doing an interview with an English-like accent, has done other interviews using a Scottish accent.

Maybe the most famous Scot-with-an-American-accent is John Barrowman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtDg23G1uc8

I'm in a parallel situation, having moved to California from Appalachia as a kid. Like Barrowman I can effortlessly switch accents from the one I've used most of my life to the one I spoke for the first several years of my life.

[Baeau]

...I’ve recently started to re watch Monarch of the Glen. I’ve noticed that Hector and Molly appear to wear the Macdonald of Clan Ranald modern and ancient respectively. While Archie wears the modern Macdonald. My question on this would be would a husband and wife wear different the same tartan in different shades?
Would a son wear a different clan tartan from his parents? I know this is tv but why would the bbc do that?

Slainte David

We, recently, watched the show (again). Up to the opening of the Visitor's Centre. A few episodes prior, the ugly American (our name for him) shows up claiming he's the rightful Clan Chief. If memory is correct, Hector makes a comment about being descended from Ranald. Might rewatch it, tonight, to confirm.

[OC Richard]

the 'ugly American' shows up...

Fascinating, isn't it, to see the way Americans are portrayed in British shows?

Cold unfeeling rich narcissistic social misfits...

(I'd like to have the "rich" part, sure enough.)

I've seen it recently in The Crown and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

[Arnot]

And, of course the opposite is frequently seen. Just think of Donald Pleasance or James Mason nearly always cast as "baddies" in American programs. I'm sure there are many similar examples. Americans in British shows tend to be cast as overbearing bullies throwing their weight around rather than "baddies" per se. But then we have "The Donald" who tried in real life to bully the Scottish government into stopping a wind farm because he thought it spoiled the view from his golf course. Maybe more to the portrayal than just tv programmes

You might want to have a look at the rules...

[California Highlander]

I enjoyed this series very much but the tartans are beyond me. Susan Hampshire was one of the stars and she had her food sent up from the south of England as Scottish food must not have been to her taste. Loved Richard Briers as a great comedy actor in “The Good Life” and saw him in London but wonder why they chose him as a Scottish Laird? Maybe says a great deal about the “Anglicisation” of the country.

Most of the actors are Scottish, but you are correct that Hector, Molly, and Kilwhillie are all played by English actors, as is Paul, Archie's half-brother. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_of_the_Glen_cast

As to Anglicisation, I think it was more about casting actors with the right feel and perhaps more recognized. All I can say is that it is a fun watch!

[David Dubh]

Most of the actors are Scottish, but you are correct that Hector, Molly, and Kilwhillie are all played by English actors, as is Paul, Archie's half-brother. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_of_the_Glen_cast

As to Anglicisation, I think it was more about casting actors with the right feel and perhaps more recognized. All I can say is that it is a fun watch!

Agreed it is much fun to watch. I also believe that their was a time when the lairds children were sent away to schools that were more anglicized I’m just not sure when that was though
David