Wow, Scotland in the winter looks beautiful. So green. Like you could jump right in the ocean or walk around in a t-shirt without trouble. Wait, it was not summer? This was supposed to be a Christmas movie? Huh. OK then. On to the story, our siblings find out their mother was a secret duchess and they now are in control of a Scottish castle, cuz that's a thing. If you've seen Party of Five, you know Lacy Chabert and Scott Wolf have had parent issues before, but this didn't seem so much as a problem. They were just annoying about it. Lacy falls for the groundskeeper, dances with someone she should actually be dating (Will Kemp) and leaves the castle only to return and stay. The last 10 minutes of the movie happened so fast that you really need to look up from your phone to catch all the flip flopping. I'm giving this one seven stars for the acting (mostly the tour guide and bar keep) and the setting. I read that the castle they used was actually in Ireland - which is not cool Hallmark. Always dissing the Scots.

Aaaargh, the Scottish brogue is coming out in this one and the subtitle says it all.... Royalty is Relative! Starring Hallmarks undisputed Queen of Hallmark (by default, Aunt Becky went to prison and Candace Cameron-Bure like owns her own network now), Lacey Chabert stars as Dr. Lindsay Morgan, one-half of the Morgan siblings. Her brother, Brad, a tax attorney, come to Glenncraig, a lovely Scottish estate to reunite with their estranged mother Jo. Only Jo is actually Lady Josephine, a Duchess and the owner of the Glenncraig estate! What? "No way," you say! Well, cut some haggis and eat some shepherd's pie, because this isn't the only plot twist in this Hallmark bad boy. Layered with plot depth, this film also makes a big deal of how Lindsay and Brad are feeling friction in their sibling relationship because they hadn't seen each other in two years. Yep! Two years! It is like the prodigal siblings return to Scotland. I mean, what family has ever been two years without seeing each other?

Continuing Hallmarks recent trend to film internationally, this film did actually take place in Scotland at the very real Duns Castle, which is very cool!

Not to be overlooked is the over-the-top almost embarrassing portrayal of Scottish small town life. Incessant bag pipes and dancing are a bit loud and overplay the plot a bit. But, hey, I'm no expert and have never been to Scotland, though I firmly believe in Nessie...it's like the Scottish Sasquatch only it lives in a lake and doesn't have fur (fact check, please?).

While the movie was fun and you could literally turn your brain off, it missed the mark. The storyline just wasn't believable. Two Americans who find out they are Scottish nobles dealing with the uncertainty of Glenncraig's future!!!!

Gasp! What will they do? Well, watch it and find out!

First of all, I love any movie with Lacey in it! This was a nice twist of Christmas in Scotland, and the double family drama to boot.

Trying to mend a relationship with your brother, and helping him mend his marriage is enough drama for any family. But finding out that you're royalty atop of all of that, and that you never got to meet family members that have since passed on, well, that's a lot for anyone to handle all at one time. Then, toss in being asked to decide whether you want to go back to your regular life or accept your royal title! Talk about a life changing experience, right?

But I do have to ask a question that has me puzzled. Did Will Kemp make a surprise momentary appearance during that Scottish gig contest? Even Lacy's character questioned if she knew him from somewhere. So if it wasn't him, Will Kemp has a double out there!!

A Merry Scottish Christmas was a lovely story and one this writer will be watching a second time. Merry Christmas to all!