In 1857 Rugaard was bought by Ferdinand Mourier-Petersen, the first owner in the current line of Mourier-Petersen-owners at Rugaard. Ferdinand Mourier-Petersen was not only seen as a competent squire, who added land to Rugaard, planted forest on the stony grounds to the north, and kept the buildings in good order. He also contributed to society on a local and national level. He was chairman of the parish council and member of parliament. But first and foremost Ferdinand Mourier-Petersen was co-founder and chairman of, Hedselskabet (1866) a national movement with the purpose of transforming infertile heath-land, primarily in Jutland, to farmland. This post he held until his death in 1898. He worked in close cooperation with the director and agitator at Hedeselskabet, Enrico Dalgas. It is said that the two men supplemented each other well. A monument in the park north of the manor commemorates Ferdinand Mourier-Petersen's effort in forestation and the conversion of heathland to farmland. His son, Adolph Mourier-Petersen, took over Rugaard after his father, and also contributed to the work at Hedeselskabet. In 1941 he completed the drainage of Søndersø. After Adolph Mourier-Petersens death in 1950, his son Christian Mourier-Petersen took over. Christian Mourier-Petersen died in 1982, after which his four daughters have been owners of the estate through a limited partnership. As of 2014 the estate is run by Elisabeth Mourier-Petersen and her husband, Henning Madsen. According to tradition Hyllested Hunting Association has a lease to the hunting rights to northern Hyllested Bjerge. Apart from that there is very little hunting on the estate. Teglgaarden at Rugaard Beach was a brickyard established in the 1890s. In the 1960s a campsite was established at Teglgaarden. It was leased to an external partner for many years. 10 km north of Rugaard up the coast of Djursland lies another castle, Katholm. Gravel quarries on Rugaards northern grounds border the same quarries on Katholms southern grounds. Rugaard Castle lies in a hilly and forest covered landscape with lakes bordering the sea and can be seen as idyllic and holding substantial natural values.