Day 5, July 6th MAR LODGE

Although its grounds are generally open to the public, Mar Lodge is NOT. usually, you have to pay tons o’ money to STAY there, if you want to see more than just the lobby. But, as part of Braemar Gala Week, Mar Lodge hosted one of its very few annual “open house” events. In addition to a tour of several normally-private areas, they had a video room set up. Two video- showings were rotated throughout the day: One of the history of the area and the interesting horticultural aspects of the property … and one of the huge FIRE that destroyed much of the lodge in 1991.

Most of the descriptive text here is a “MORPH” of information I found on the Internet.

SOME “Hunting Lodge,” eh?!

An extraordinary Victorian edifice, Mar Lodge was built not as a permanent Highland home, but simply as a summer and autumn “sporting lodge” for the use of the Duke of Fife and his wife, Princess Louise (the daughter of King Edward VII), and up to 25 of their guests. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone for her grand-daughter's new home in 1895.

The Duke and Duchess of Fife were lavish entertainers, and during the season held functions for guests, tenants and employees in the free-standing ballroom that is decorated with 2,500 stag heads. When Queen Victoria attended balls at Mar Lodge, the Duke arranged for an avenue of kilted Highlanders holding blazing torches aloft to light her way from the house to the ballroom. On one of the Queen's visits an open-air torchlight ball was held, and the highlight was a reel danced in darkness by Highlanders bearing flaming torches.

Here is Ben, standing on a table (at my behest), in the Ballroom. These 2,500 stag heads and antlers were placed here long, long ago. However, much of the current estate conservation work is focused on reducing the overpopulation of red deer, so as to promote the natural regeneration of native Caledonian pine woodland.

Today, the estate is managed “to conserve the landscape, archaeology, buildings and wildlife and to provide public benefit through access and conservation.” Although the Romans recorded the daunting presence of “the Great Forest of Caledon,” the vast Caledonian pine forest which once covered much of the estate has been decimated by centuries of overgrazing by sheep, and the unrestricted browsing of huge deer herds. Today, the hills are almost entirely barren of Caledonian pines – trees only found HERE! “Only 800 hectares of remnant Caledonian pine forest remain on the entire Mar Lodge Estate. The National Trust for Scotland's aim is to regenerate 4,000 hectares with Caledonian pine, juniper and dwarf birch over the next 200 years.”

In 1991 the Lodge was severely damaged by fire. Although caused by arson, the fire thankfully was set while some renovations were already taking place. Thus, much of the historic furnishings and art work were in storage, and escaped the blaze. Post-fire restoration began almost immediately. By 1993 the Caledonian-Pine-paneled Lodge was magnificently refurbished, and subsequently sold to the National Trust for Scotland in June, 1995.

From a Scots Heritage Magazine Story:
“The estate manager, Alister Clunas, regaled us with stories from its heyday when more royal guests visited Mar Lodge, he said, than any other house in Scotland, save Balmoral.”

“There are few pleasures to compare with the sheer joy I felt in being welcomed into the pine-panelled warmth of Mar Lodge. In the cavernous reception room the glass eyes of row upon row of trophy stags looked down from the walls while brightly burnished brass chandeliers shed a golden light on antique furnishing and the dark-stained woodwork hung with ancestral portraits.”

The Library

“We had entered a Victorian time-warp and I confess that I found myself grinning at the realization that all this – the magnificent Library, Drawing Room, Dining Room and Billiard Room plus our own two bedroom apartment, was to be ours for the next week.”

“The autumn weather was, as you would expect, a mixture of mizzle and sunshine but the hills were always gloriously golden and we walked and walked and walked in the cool, clean fresh air.” If I didn’t have to rent it for a WEEK, I’d stay HERE a night during my next Braemar trip!

The Dining Room

Sitting Room, Braeriach.

I don’t recall which of the apartments we toured, but it was … OH MY! … heavenly!!!

JUST SOME PIX O’ LORNA & BEN IN THE WINDOW OF THE LIBRARY (I THINK!).

(Put your MOUSE on the pic!)

Next DAY FIVE Pix Options (in order of trip occurrence):
TEATIME in BRAEMAR
The BALLATER PIPE BAND!
The KISSING NESBIT SAGA!
Aberdeen Friends Head Home
FIFE PUB Party & PIPERS Pix!
Pipers KNOWN to me before! (And, I’m NOT talkin’ about NESBIT!)
The Incredible GORDON MELDRUM Saga
DINNER at the MOORFIELD Again
HEAVY SIGH. Last night in Braemar. Pout, Pout.

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