This grand Victorian hunting lodge was built by the first Duke of Fife and his wife Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s granddaughter. They are both buried in the St Ninian’s chapel next to the Lodge. The current building is actually the third Mar Lodge. The first was damaged in the 1829 ‘Muckle Spate’ (Great Flood) and the second, known as Corriemulzie Cottage, was destroyed by fire in 1895.
On 15 October 1895 Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone for the current Mar Lodge. The Stag Ballroom, which now contains over 2,430 stags heads dating from the 1800s to 1932, survived the fire at Corriemulzie and was brought to sit alongside the new Mar Lodge. The Stag Ballroom is now a listed building and is most definitely from a different era.
In 1962 John and Gerald Panchaud (Swiss businessmen) bought Mar Lodge and the estate, and ran it as a successful sporting hotel. Guests could enjoy shooting and fishing and there was a bar at the back of the lodge, popular with hotel guests and hill walkers alike.
John Kluge (once the richest man in America) purchased the estate in 1989. He started renovating and restoring Mar Lodge but in 1991 a fire badly damaged and almost destroyed the building. Restoration was complete by 1993 and the National Trust for Scotland bought the estate in 1995.
The lodge was converted into self-catering holiday apartments and we also have a bunkhouse available to book all year round.
Find out more about our holiday accommodation
Mar Lodge is a unique wedding venue, with accommodation for up to 31 guests and a variety of options for your ceremony and reception. Whether your dream wedding is grand and luxuriant, small and intimate, religious, civil or humanist, outdoor or indoor, our team can help create your perfect day. Visit our venue hire pages, email us on MarLodgeEvents@nts.org.uk or call 01339 741276.