Golly Mackenzie

Golly Mackenzie

Aloysius 'Golly' Mackenzie is a fictional character in the Scottish BBC TV series Monarch of the Glen. Golly is played by Scottish actor Alexander 'Sandy' Morton.

Golly is the gamekeeper and gillie at the Glenbogle estate. He is very loyal to the newly-former laird, Hector MacDonald, his traditions and his ideas. He often wears a hat.

Golly has lived at Glenbogle all his life, apart from his period of national service in the Gordon Highlanders, but as a teenager he despised Glenbogle. In order to leave, he stole something from the house, however his father just put him in shame and Golly learned to like the estate. Hector gave Golly the post of ghillie when he became laird. The theft is not mentioned until series seven when Paul 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, Hector's surviving son and successor, announced the creation of the new post of Head Ranger, so he applied for the position to secure his place at Glenbogle. However Archie and the board chose Fergal MacClure for the job, and Golly lost his trust in Archie. Golly left Glenbogle when he started to become blind, 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.

In series four, Golly was left heart-broken 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, but 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 becomes 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.