During medieval times the Estate was included in the original Earldom of Mar and Lordship of Braemar. In 1495 it came into royal hands and became a favoured hunting ground for the Royal House. The maintenance of hunting forest and chases at this time may have helped to limit the over exploitation of woodlands, although this did occur on a large scale during the following centuries.

In 1565 Queen Mary granted the Earldom of Mar to Lord Erskine, and the Erskine Earls of Mar kept the land until 1716,when Lord Grange and Lord Dun acquired it. The first clearance of tenants from Glen Lui took place in 1726, part of the land was alienated to the Farquharson family. Extensive timber extraction took place during this period. The Estate was purchased by William Duff, Lord Braco of Kilbryde (Ireland) who became the Earl of Fife and Viscount MacDuff in 1750. The Estate remained with the Earls of Fife until 1959.

Townships were cleared on the Estate again from 1763 to 1770 and in 1760 the first Mar Lodge was constructed. During the late eighteenth century 'agricultural improvements' took place - these resulted in a reduction in population and also led to a short period of sheep dominance, lasting until the mid nineteenth century. By the 1830s open moorland became the most important land type and deer numbers increased as deer stalking was favoured over the commercial exploitation of timber. In 1829 a new Mar Lodge was built at Cornimulzie but was later destroyed by fire. Another lodge was built on the present site for Princess Louise and the Victorian era saw the sporting resources of the estate developed to the utmost. The first half of the twentieth century saw the continued exploitation of woodlands and plantations of non-native species were also established (primarily for deer management purposes).

In 1959 Mar Lodge Estate was separated from the rest of the lands, which are now known as Mar Estate. Mar Lodge Estate was briefly owned by the Ashford family who then sold it to a Swiss family (the Panchauds) in 1962. The Panchauds ran the estate as a commercial venture - the Lodge as a hotel and a great emphasis put on commercial sporting activities. Vehicle tracks were constructed throughout the estate and one track which led close to the summit of Beinn a'Bhuird was also constructed (in connection with a proposed skiing development). In 1982 the Dalvorar Estate was separated from Mar Estate and acquired by the Panchaud family to become part of Mar Lodge Estate. In 1989 Mar Lodge Estate was bought by Mar Lodge Estate Inc. who also ran the estate for sporting purposes. However, more money meant that they could place greater emphasis on sensitive land management and improvement of facilities and buildings. Renovation of the Lodge was started but interrupted by a fire in 1991 - it was finally completely restored in 1993.

Mar Lodge Estate is very important for nature conservation, landscape, recreation and culture. It was acquired by the National Trust for Scotland in 1995 and consists of 32,00 hectares (77,000 acres). Its topography is characterised by the rounded granite Cairngorm mountains to the north of the Estate, with deep corries and crags and cliffs down to the valley floor; spectacular glacial breaches of the Lairig Ghru and Lairig an Laoigh; and the open rolling lower hills of the Geldie and Dalvorar. Extreme weather conditions are experienced across the Estate but more especially on the plateau - landslides, avalanches and floods occur which alter the landscape of the Estate and give it a very interesting geomorphology. The Estate also has the headwaters of the River Dee catchment basin, with the River Lui (Luibeg Burn and Derry Burn), Geldie Burn and Quoich water feeding into the Dee within the Estate. all are highly active rivers and are subject to frequent floods. There are also eight small lochs and some transient pools, two of which (Loch Etchachan and Lochan Uaine - Ben MacDui) are designated as non-bird Ramsar sites for their extreme oligotrophic nature and specialised fauna.

Land use
There are 2,115 hectares of woodlands on Mar Lodge Estate. There are remnants of native Caledonian pinewoods which occur in Glen Derry, Glen Lui and Glen Quoich and a small birchwood at Allanaquoich. These native woodlands total 40 per cent of the entire woodland area on the Estate and represent just over 5 per cent of the remaining 6,000 hectares of native pinewood in Scotland. There are also plantation and policy woodlands on the Estate which were laid out in Victorian times, especially around the Lodge, Linn of Dee, Linn of Quoich and Derry Lodge. These woods extend to just over 10 per cent of the woodland on the Estate.

Several areas of plantation woodlands on the Estate, all established in the 1970s, were planted mainly for management purposes. The main species used were Scots pine, and smaller proportions of Lodgepole pine, hybrid larch and Sitka spruce. A restructuring programme for these plantations is in progress - it involves removing fences in many cases to open selected compartments to deer in order to reduce browsing pressure in more sensitive woodlands.
Some large enclosures on the Estate have been constructed to encourage natural regeneration of pinewood remnants.

Field Sports
Approximately 170 days of deer stalking are let to clients each year. This is financially important and brings in substantial income. All stalkers are supervised by Estate staff and the number of deer taken by commercial stalking represents a percentage of the annual cull, agreed by SNH and NTS. The grouse moors are managed for commercial grouse shooting. Muirburn is carried out, as is control of foxes, crows, stoats and weasels. Red grouse are the only birds shot on the Estate (they are either walked up or shot over pointers) - very few black game shot since 1989 and shooting ptarmigan/black game has been discontinued to allow monitoring of population numbers.

Mar Lodge Estate holds exclusive fishing rights on the Dee upstream from Linn of Dee. The fishing season runs from April to June and because of the low numbers of salmon in the river a voluntary restriction has been placed on taking one fish per rod, per week. All others caught must be returned to the river.

Recreation
Mar Lodge is an activity destination for many visitors to Deeside and the Cairngorms. Recreational use of the Estate for activities like hillwalking, mountaineering, field sports is significant and this attraction of visitors has economic benefits for the local community. The Estate also provides employment for local people and the local community profits from the supply of goods and services from the Estate, especially during the stalking/shooting/fishing seasons. (NTS endeavours to use local suppliers wherever possible).

Natural Heritage
The Cairngorms are nationally important for their montane flora, with 77 out of a total of 118 montane species in Scotland found here. 5 species and 12 hybrids listed in the Red Data Book and 28 national scarce species are also found here. Parts of the Estate have been designated - National Nature Reserve (NNR); Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI; Ramsar Site; candidate Special Area for Conservation and proposed Special Protection Area (SPA) - this shows how important the Estate is in national terms and European terms for its flora and fauna. Red deer are the most prominent mammals on the Estate but in the first year of Trust ownership a heavy cull resulted in a large drop in numbers. In the woods there are roe deer and squirrels. There are mountain hares on the plateau/moorland and rare specialist invertebrates on the summit plateau and in relict pinewoods - the pinewoods are particularly noted for their large wood ant population.

Monitoring projects have been (and are still being) carried out to measure e.g. the extent of natural woodland, woodland regeneration, visitor survey, red deer use and density, salmon counts, number and condition of footpaths and archaeological survey.

Mar Lodge lies largely within two national scenic areas - the Cairngorm Mountains NSA and Deeside Lochnagar NSA. Its diverse and distinctive landscape includes plateaux, native woodlands, moorlands, rivers, streams, upland lochs and pools, gorges and waterfalls, estate architecture, designed landscape features and archaeological features.

Wild Land
Mar Lodge Estate was bought by the Trust because it realised its existence as a large area of some of the most remote, wild and scenic land in Scotland and this land needs careful management if it is to be preserved, yet still made accessible. Wild land has been little modified by man in the eyes of visitors, it offers a 'natural' environment into which walkers can escape from the pressures of modern life, seeking spiritual refreshment in a landscape which by its scale and ruggedness suggests the dominance of nature over man. A sense of remoteness is essential for land to be 'wild land' - implicit is a sense of being far removed from the trappings of day to day life - away from roads, cars and the rest of humanity. Therefore it is vital that walkers access wild land under their own steam - facilities should not be provided to make access easy and indeed may be removed to enhance wild land quality. Footpath repair work and the removal of vehicle tracks are being carried out on the estate. many vehicle tracks on the Estate have now been closed to vehicle access.

However the NTS is committed to the provision of public access on Mar Lodge Estate - the only condition is that public access should not hamper the Trust's ability to meet its primary aim for the Estate. There is no restriction on access to any part of the Estate.

Visitors come to Mar Lodge for all kinds of purposes - it is an important Scottish outdoor recreation area and a number of activities occur on the Estate, including camping, cycling, field sports, field studies, horse riding, mountaineering, walking - with walking being the main recreational activity. One problem with visitor access is the use of the bothies on the Estate of which there are four. The management problems that these present include over-use, sanitation and litter accumulation.

Education/interpretation/promotion
The value of the Estate as an educational resource is linked to the special qualities of its natural and cultural heritage and to the diversity of educational opportunities this provides. The Ranger Service plays a vital role in developing the educational potential of the Estate and other Estate staff who regularly meet visitors have an important educational role in providing information about the Estate and its management.
Formal educational activities carried out by the Ranger Service include: work within Curriculum Guidelines, site visits by educational groups, visits to schools. Informal education includes guided walks, talks and presentations to interested groups.

Co-ordinated management is the best way for the Trust to achieve its management aims on the Estate. This includes working with other landowners, voluntary bodies, land managers, local communities, recreational groups and individuals. The Trust also works closely with Scottish Natural Heritage regarding the management of the natural heritage and landscape of the Estate. There is frequent consultation with other expert organisations - Forestry Authority, Deer Commission Scotland and RSPB. The Trust also endeavours to forge good relationships with its neighbours, with the local communities of Braemar and Inverey - this is done by hosting open days on the Estate. The Trust also works with other interested groups and individuals, all to determine the opinions of those affected by the Trust's ownership of the Estate.

Management aims for Mar Lodge Estate
The following aims for the management of Mar Lodge Estate were drawn up by the Trust at the time of acquisition. They were agreed by the Trust's council in December 1994 and with SNH in June 1995 as part of the framework for management of the Estate, and have guided the production of the objectives and prescriptions for management.

1. The principal and overriding aim is to manage the land in a sustainable manner, for the benefit of the nation, ensuring the continuing conservation and restoration of its internationally important geology, flora, fauna, wild land quality and archaeological value.

2. Further, to ensure appropriate access to the land, subject to the maintenance of landscape and nature conservation interests.

3. To manage the land as a Highland sporting estate in a manner which is in harmony with the above aims.

4. To favour the continuing use of the existing buildings as required, including the Lodge itself, providing that this does not compromise the wild land quality or conservation of the rest of the Estate.

5. To share with the public an appreciation of the issues involved in managing the land as a wild land area, through appropriate interpretation and education.

6. To aim to manage the land in a way that enhances the social, economic and cultural well-being of the local community.

7. In managing the land the owners will recognise that it forms part of the wider Cairngorms area. In a declaration to the Easter Trust the Trust agreed to follow a set of principles in its management of Mar Lodge Estate. These principles were accepted by the Trust's council and became known as the Mar Lodge Estate Management Principles. Council noted that they would not be legally binding but would in effect be the donor's wishes, without which the Easter Trust's funding would not be forthcoming. They are therefore regarded as the equivalent of a statement of wishes of a donor of a property to the Trust and there is a moral obligation on the Trust to follow them.

1. the Trust shall ensure appropriate public access to the Estate, subject always to the maintenance of landscape and nature conservation interests.

2. the Trust shall manage the Estate so as to conserve its valuable ecological and landscape features in harmony with its maintenance as a Highland sporting estate for so long as field sports remain legal. Such management will be carried out in a manner which will, so far as possible, enhance the local community. Declaring that it is intended to demonstrate that the practice of field sports can be reconciled with the Trust's statutory obligation to promote public access.

3. the Trust shall ensure that there is a presumption in favour of the natural regeneration of the native Caledonian pine forest through the effective management of the number of deer. It is understood that in certain circumstances e.g. where no suitable native seed source exists, some initial planting and fencing may be required but such planting shall not be carried out in areas where the quality of heather moorland would be adversely affected.

4. that part of the Estate lying to the south and west of the River Dee and comprising heather moorland shall be sensitively managed to promote its proper conservation in terms of grouse habitat, nature conservation and landscape.

5. the Trust shall not permit the development of facilities which would compromise the wild land quality of the Estate. The principle of 'the long walk in' shall be maintained at all times and the hills shall not be made easier or safer to climb. (Notwithstanding the foregoing in the short to medium term at least access by the Trust vehicles may be exercised to carry out effective conservation, deer management, and field sports activities. Otherwise the Trust shall make continuous and constant efforts to dissuade and where possible, to prohibit the use of mechanical or wheeled vehicles and all mechanical recreational activities beyond the immediate environs of the mansionhouse known as Mar Lodge).

6. The Trust will favour the continuing use of existing buildings for their original purpose. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may carry out some development of Mar Lodge including a viable visitor facility but such development shall not compromise the principal aim so far as affecting areas beyond the immediate environs of the mansionhouse known as Mar Lodge.

7. the Trust will share with the public an appreciation of the issues involved in managing the Estate as a wild land area, through appropriate interpretation and education.

8. the Trust will manage the Estate recognising that it forms part of the wider Cairngorms area.

Objective 1 - to increase the Trust's knowledge of species, habitats, natural processes and impacts on the natural heritage - with a view to using this information to guide management decisions.

Objective 2 - to protect the geological features and to restore natural geomorphological processes on the Estate.

Objective 3 - to manage the Caledonian pinewoods to promote natural regeneration (without fencing). The longer term objective for the native woodland on the Estate is to promote a self sustaining woodland from the glen floor to the natural scrub limit which will include the full variety of pinewood plant and animal communities. In the shorter term measurement of success will be the ability to demonstrate change in the form of increased growth of existing seedlings and increased occurrence of new seedlings.

Objective 4 - to protect native pinewoods from seeding from non-native species and non-local provenances of Scots pine.

Objective 5 - to demonstrate on a whole estate basis that management of the deer population for conservation reasons can be carried out in harmony with the maintenance of sporting quality and public access.

Objective 6 - to improve knowledge of deer numbers, range and other population characteristics in order to guide management.

Objective 7 - to reduce deer numbers throughout the Estate to a level at which regeneration of native woodland and shrubs takes place, but concentrating effort on reducing numbers in the regeneration of native pinewoods.

Objective 8 - to conserve the moorland ecosystem (particularly that to the south and west of the Dee) for its varied habitats, communities, remnant scrub and native trees, invertebrates and breeding birds.

Objective 9 - to integrate Objective 8 with a sporting enterprise where appropriate.

Objective 10 - to improve understanding of the montane plant ecosystems.

Objective 11 - to conserve the montane ecosystems with particular regard to its plant communities and rare species, invertebrate populations and rare breeding bird species.

Objective 12 - to use best efforts to ensure that the plateau is not adversely affected by access pressures.

Objective 13 - to ensure that management activities on the Estate are not detrimental to the water quality of the Upper Dee catchment.

Objective 15 - to work with other parties concerned with the scientific conservation of the Upper Dee catchment and its salmon stocks to co-ordinate monitoring activity and to discuss best practices for management.

Objective 16 - to welcome the carrying out of scientific research on the Estate where this contributes to knowledge or understanding of the natural heritage.

Objective 17 - to ensure that any research carried out on the Estate does not conflict with the Trust's management aims and those of SNH for the Core Montane Zone of the Cairngorms.

Objective 18 - to conserve features of the archaeological landscape of the Estate.

Objective 19 - to enhance and share knowledge and understanding of the archaeology on the Estate.

Objective 20 - to enhance and share understanding and knowledge of the social and land use history of the Estate.

Objective 21 - to increase the understanding of the condition and significance of all buildings on the Estate.

Objective 22 - to ensure future conservation, restoration and maintenance of buildings on the Estate is carried out using best conservation practices and adopted Trust procedures and is integrated with the overall management aims of the Estate.

Objective 23 - to find an appropriate use for the buildings on the Estate where possible.

Objective 24 - to provide opportunities for visitor access to buildings of interest in the Estate policies, in a manner which will not result in large numbers of people being attracted to the Estate to its detriment.

Objective 25 - to conserve and enhance the internationally important landscape and wild land character of the Estate in relation to the wider Cairngorms and as part of a potential World Heritage Site.

Objective 26 - to increase knowledge of visitor numbers and use of the Estate in order to guide future management.

Objective 27 - plan and implement visitor management in a manner which is appropriate to the characteristics of the Estate, the nature of recreational activities carried out and which ensures integration with the management aims for the Estate.

Objective 28 - to encourage visitor behaviour which is in balance with the management aims of the Estate and to foster an awareness of the negative impacts of certain types of behaviour in areas of high use or fragility.

Objective 29 - to continue and enhance the integration of sporting activities with nature conservation and access objectives.

Objective 30 - to manage sporting activities in a sustainable manner, closely linked to a knowledge of population numbers and trends, and at a level which will not prejudice future populations.

Objective 31 - to develop a distinct sporting experience based on the 'long walk in' and closely linked to other qualities of the Estate with less emphasis on bag size, number and size of beasts taken.

Objective 32 - to increase visitor and client awareness and understanding of sporting activity on the Estate and also of the conservation and access principles of the Estate and how the two harmonise.

Objective 33 - where possible to optimise income from sporting activities within the other management objectives for the Estate.

Objective 34 - to enhance visitors enjoyment by providing information about the Estate and enhancing understanding of the Trust's approach to its management and conservation.

Objective 35 - to use interpretation as a management tool by influencing visitor behaviour in a way which will assist in achieving management aims for the Estate.

Objective 36 - to operate a policy of non-promotion in the Trust's approach to media coverage, marketing and interpretation strategies and to attempt to dissuade others from promoting the Estate as a tourist attraction.

Objective 37 - to liaise with all parties with an interest in the Estate. This will range from the local interests of Braemar through to the international perspective of the IUCN.

Objective 38 - to ensure that the work undertaken on the Estate is properly and safely planned and implemented and recorded, and that adequate resources are provided to support the procedures.