To Tide Me Over Til Downton Abbey Returns

Anyone else counting down the months until Downton Abbey Season 4 starts? I wonder if there's ever been a show more anticipated here in the US than this one!

In the meantime, my hubby and I found this hilarious show on Netflix called Monarch of the Glen. It's set in Scotland in the early 2000's and follows the lives of Archie McDonald, his family, staff and friends in the town of Glenbogle where Archie is "laird" of Genbogle House.

picture from here

We finished Season 1 and started into the second season, and we're constantly cracking up as we watch this show. The conflict, especially for Archie, is so well done. The guy can't seem to get a break from trying to pull the estate out of ruin, deal with his crazy parents, and figure out which of the local girls he likes in return. It's like the contemporary, Scottish version of Downton Abbey! :)

The show reminds me a lot of our trip to Scotland and England. It's fun to hear that accent again, and while the town and house are set very far north in Scotland, it looks a lot like the town and castle of Inveraray that we saw in the Western Highlands.

Western Highlands of Scotland

Have you heard of Monarch of the Glen? What shows are you watching lately? Are you anticipating Season 4 of Downton Abbey, too?

Kiplin Hall

One of my quests while in England was to tour an estate house. The hero of Book #3, in my WWI trilogy, is the son of a baronet and lives in one of these centuries-old, country houses. We tried touring a couple of them, but it was either the wrong day or time to get in on an actual tour. Then I learned that a number of these great houses were doing an exhibition on living in a country house during times of war. So we decided to visit the one closest to us - Kiplin Hall.

back view

side view

We went somewhere else that morning and it took longer to get to the house than we thought, but we made it just in time for the last tour of the day! The inside of the house was amazing. I wish I'd been able to take pictures of it. The library was one of the coolest I have ever seen - it fit so well with what I wanted in my book. 

The war displays were really interesting. Several members of the family served in WWI. During WWII, Royal Air Force officers lived in the house, which was also used for storing and supplying ammunition and bombs to nearby airfields. Several of the rooms used by the RAF have been left exactly as they were back then.

front view

front gates - the road used to come up to the house from here

The grounds were also lovely with lots of lawn, a walled garden and a lake out back. And the sweet English ladies who oversee the tours were as delightful as the house itself!

We talked to them about my book and they gave me some great pointers on writing a story set in England. For example, they told me that no one asks if you want a cup of tea over there; they simply say, "I'll make you a nice cup of tea." And everyone in England talks about the weather. It was well worth the drive and time to see this gem - and find my hero a proper English country house for a home. :)

What do you think of English country houses? Would you rather live in one of them or a brand-new house/apartment?