Most notable in the respect, was the Dunfermline solicitor David Marshall who was chairman of the Trust between 1950 and 1955. Reviewing the Trust’s work in 1954 he pointed out that in recent years the great majority of funds had gone to work which was “pathological” in nature. He criticised an over-concentration on what might be called social “salvage work” and wondered if the Trust was getting out of balance. He hoped that it would not be the case that “in order to qualify as a Beneficiary of the Trust, a man must be in trouble of some kind, either physically, mentally or in his domestic life.” He reminded his readers that the “very great majority” of the people of the country were “healthy in mind and in body and are happy in their homes.” He hoped that the Trust might do something for this majority “by adding additional interest and amenities to their lives which are beyond their power to secure otherwise.” He hoped that the Trust would always spend a substantial part of its resources for what might be called the ordinary citizen.
Taking his own advice Marshall began to develop some ideas around the concept of a pioneering scheme for increasing public enjoyment of places which were being designated as National Parks in England and Wales and as National Forest Parks in Scotland. He wanted them to include vantage points and resting places and some sort of building which fitted into the surroundings. He persuaded the Trust of the idea and got a commitment to spend perhaps as much as £20,000 on such provision. The question now remained: where was it to be? After much “to-ing and fro-ing” it was agreed that a site would be developed in the Peak District National Park in England. This proposal generated outrage –with the prospective centre being widely denigrated as a “tea pavilion” that was likely to create an eyesore in unspoiled country and to lead to inappropriate behaviour of many kinds. In the end the local council declined to sell the site and the scheme was dropped.
Such was Marshall’s persistence that, instead, negotiations were soon had with the Forestry Commission in Scotland and a site found and centre developed in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near Aberfoyle. It came to be called the David Marshall Forest Lodge, opened in 1960 at a total cost of £50,000 – with full public approval. The David Marshall Lodge goes from strength to strength as a Forestry Commission visitor centre with many additional facilities and activities having been developed. In August 2010 it celebrated its 50th birthday. The publication produced for the event concluded by saying that in spite of all the changes that have occurred in and around the visitor centre over the years: “One thing that will never change in the hearts and minds of the visitors however, is that the David Marshall Lodge is a very special place indeed.”