5 has announced the cast for its new reimagining of Monarch of the Glen, with Julia Brown and Chris Fulton leading the return to the Scottish Highlands. Brown, known for World on Fire and Karen Pirie, stars as Isla Campbell, an ambitious London lawyer who returns to her family’s crumbling Highland estate for her estranged father’s funeral. Expecting to leave within days, Isla instead discovers she has inherited a million-pound debt and an estate at risk of being reclaimed by the bank.
Waiting at home is her brother Alasdair, played by Bridgerton and Outlander actor Chris Fulton. Alasdair refuses to give up their ancestral home, forcing the estranged siblings to live under the same roof and find a way to save the estate before they lose it for good.
Ewan Miller plays gamekeeper and longtime family friend Ewan, with Grantchester star Rishi Nair appearing as businessman Daniel. The cast also includes Downton Abbey favourite Phyllis Logan as Morag, John Gordon Sinclair as family lawyer Fergus and Gordon Kennedy as stockman Angus.
The six-part family drama will introduce a new group of characters connected by the estate and the surrounding Highland community. 5 describes the series as a story filled with romance, humour and family conflict, with questions of inheritance and survival driving Isla’s unexpected return home.
Brown described Isla as ambitious and fiercely independent, explaining that returning to Scotland forces the character to confront the family and future she had left behind. Logan said the original series continues to hold a special place in viewers’ hearts and praised the new scripts for their warmth and humour.
The new Monarch of the Glen is created and written by Jeremy Brock, whose credits include A Very Royal Scandal and The Last King of Scotland. Stephen Greenhorn has written Episode 4, with Meriel Sheibani-Clare writing Episode 5. Tom Vaughan serves as director and executive producer.
Ecosse Films, which produced the original series, returns for the reimagining alongside MASTERPIECE PBS. Production is currently taking place across Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the series expected to air on 5 and MASTERPIECE PBS in 2027.
For CultureCues, Monarch of the Glen was a real Sunday-night staple, so it is lovely to see the series returning for a new generation. The cast looks brilliant, and we are especially looking forward to seeing more of Chris Fulton on our screens before his return as Sir Phillip Crane in Bridgerton. Add the Scottish Highland setting and this already has all the makings of the kind of cosy Sunday-night drama we will happily settle in for.
The new six-part series of Monarch of the Glen is expected to air on 5 in 2027.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.