In 1959 Alexander Ramsay inherited the estate from his aunt. In 1962 the Mar Lodge Estate was briefly owned by the Ashdale Property Company, who then sold it to the Swiss Panchaud family, in 1962. The brothers Gerald and John Panchaud ran the estate as a commercial sporting venture and the Lodge as a hotel. Vehicle tracks were constructed throughout the estate, including one leading close to the summit of Beinn a' Bhùird which was constructed for a proposed skiing development. The Panchauds also started the construction of a ski centre on the hill behind Mar Lodge.