They were judged too anti-social for the Rock of Gibraltar after reports of looted apartments and terrified tourists.
Now around 30 of the wild Barbary macaques which have long defined the British enclave are to be deported for a fresh start – in Scotland.
The drastic move to rid Gibraltar of the worst offending macaques, some of which were fitted with GPS collars to track their movements, will see them transported to Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, on Tuesday.
There, they will be housed in a large enclosure lined with trees and featuring a rocky mound – just like Gibraltar.
For the Gibraltan authorities, sending the macaques for a new life at Blair Drummond has spared the mischievous monkeys their lives.
Environment minister John Cortes said: “It is sad to see them go, but they will be going to an excellent home and it is so much better than culling them.
“We don’t consider them exiled. We consider them as ambassadors.”
They will arrive in Stirlingshire on Tuesday by road after landing at Gatwick in the company of two vets.
“We wish our monkeys a safe journey and a happy future in Scotland,” Mr Cortes said.
Blair Drummond has been in talks with the Gibraltan authorities for around a year over the move.
A spokesman for the safari park: “Our aim is to make their lives as natural as possible.”
To help them acclimatise to weather conditions in Scotland, the enclosure has a heated area and a shelter for when it rains, he added.