page_title: St Ninian's Chapel, Braemar
section_title: Use as a private chapel
hierarchical_section_title: St Ninian's Chapel, Braemar / History / Use as a private chapel
caption_attribution_description: English: Braemar, Mar Lodge Estate, St Ninian's Chapel - setting within the Mar Lodge Estate
context_page_description: St Ninian's Chapel in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland is a Grade B listed Anglican chapel located in the grounds of the Mar Lodge Estate. Built from 1895 to 1898 for use as a private chapel by the family of Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, owners of Mar Lodge, it has been the property of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney in the Scottish Episcopal Church since 1899. St Ninian's Chapel is the most westerly church in the Diocese.
context_section_description: Next to Balmoral Castle, more Royal guests visited Mar Lodge than any other house in Scotland at that time. During the annual hunting season the Duke of Fife would hold functions for guests, tenants, and employees in the unique ballroom decorated with 3,000 stags heads. One may assume that St Ninian's Chapel would have been used regularly by the ducal family and their guests for services. 
  The 1st Duke of Fife died in 1912. Under the terms of his will, Mar Estate came into possession of Trustees, who administered it on behalf of his eldest daughter, Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife. St Ninian's Chapel continued to be used as a private chapel until it passed out of her ownership in 1959. There are no surviving records of services held during the time the chapel was in private use. 
  On the 2nd Duchess of Fife's death in 1959, the Mar Estate passed to Captain Alexander Ramsay, son of Princess Patricia of Connaught. At the same time the dukedom of Fife passed to the 2nd Duchess of Fife's nephew James Carnegie, Lord Carnegie, the son of her sister Princess Maud who had married the 11th Earl of Southesk and died in 1946. Because of the enormous death duties payable on the 2nd Duchess of Fife's death, a large part of the Mar Estate had to be sold. It was divided into Mar Lodge Estate north of the river Dee and Mar Estate south of the river Dee. The Trustees eventually sold Mar Lodge Estate to a property company, after which it passed through several hands until it was acquired by the National Trust for Scotland in 1995.
caption: St Ninian's Chapel in the grounds of Mar Lodge
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