Lovely, fresh environment set in a grand building with a historyKaren H(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

Care for my brother has been excellent. The staff are so caring and patientPatricia F(Sister of Resident/Service User)

Knowing she is safe and cared for is a huge reassurance for us as a family.Isla F(Granddaughter of Resident/Service User)

Lovely, fresh environment set in a grand building with a historyKaren H(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

Care for my brother has been excellent. The staff are so caring and patientPatricia F(Sister of Resident/Service User)

Knowing she is safe and cared for is a huge reassurance for us as a family.Isla F(Granddaughter of Resident/Service User)

Alastrean Care Home is a beautiful home set in glorious Royal Deeside amid extensive gardens, approximately 30 miles west of Aberdeen. The house now provides residential and nursing care for ex-members of the RAF and other non RAF residents.
The emphasis at Alastrean is on ensuring a high quality of life and maintaining the independence and dignity that residents deserve. The home environment is friendly, welcoming and sophisticated, while the home...
Care Provided by Alastrean Care Home
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 51 Service Users
Dementia Care Types Mild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
Mild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
- Mild Dementia
- Moderate Dementia
Other Care Provided
- Palliative / End of Life Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
- Minibus or other transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Bar/Café
- Residents Kitchenette
- Phone Point in own room
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
PLEASE NOTE: fee would be from £2264 if you are entitled to FREE Personal and Nursing Care Funding.
These fees are for guidance only and based on a standard room. Room prices can vary depending on where the room is located within the Home.
Your weekly fee will be confirmed after a pre-admission assessment. This helps us to get to know you and fully understand your individual care needs, so we can be certain we’re providing all the care you need.
We’d love to chat over your specific needs, answer your questions, show you around, and help you find the best care for you.
Contact Alastrean Care Home to confirm what's included and get a personalised quote:
Funding Types Accepted
- Self-Funding (Private)
-
Local Authority with Top-up - Local Authority
Support you may be entitled to
- If you choose a care home based in Scotland, you may be eligible for the Scottish Government's Free Personal Care funding of up to £260.30 per week (if you are over the age of 65) and Free Nursing Care funding of up to £117.10 per week. This support is not reflected in this fee amount.
Good to Know
Group / Owner
- BCG
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Teresa Kasza (Home Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Mixed (no single-gender units)
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: No
- Last Refurbishment: 2010
Room Information
- Single Rooms (51)
Alastrean Care Home Reviews (31)
Alastrean Care Home has a Review Score of 9.3 (9.349) out of 10, based on 10 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Alastrean Care Home has 31 reviews.
Alastrean is an impressive, large, open and airy house set in lovely landscaped grounds, surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside. Internally, the house is very clean and bright. All the staff have been excellent while caring for our mother these last few years and the care and respect shown to her couldn't have been better.
Thank you for posting this wonderful review of Alastrean. The hardworking team will be delighted with your feedback in every department. Thanks again!
The staff are all very pleasant and always have time to chat and discuss my mothers care and take guidance if there is something they don't know about my mother. Manager and nursing staff are very approachable.
Staff could be more consistant with in bed care positioning during meals.
Thank you for taking the time to write this good review for Alastrean. It's great to hear that you find the home and team to be welcoming and with a relaxed atmosphere. All feedback is very welcome. I understand you've spoken to staff regarding bed positioning and that the team are aware of the requirement. Thanks again.
The services of Alastrean are really good, the facilities are always clean and well presented ,likewise staff from the Manageress, Cooks, Carers, Cleaners and Administrative staff are kind and supportive towards the residents who live there.For anyone looking for an all round care facility for any family member this is the place to be, from the helpful staff to wonderful surroundings.
Thank you for taking the opportunity to write and send in this wonderful review for Alastrean. It's reassuring to hear how highly you rate the level of care and the homely environment. This will be passed on to the hardworking team, who will be so pleased to read it!
Alastrean is a beautiful clean care home with entertainment each day ,my mum has taken part a few times and has also gone on there bus trips . Some staff members have also taken her round the gardens in her wheelchair
Thank you for taking the time to write this excellent review for Alastrean. It's great to hear your mother enjoys the variety on offer and you see the care taken by the team every day. They will be delighted to read this.
Dad has been resident at Alastrean since March 2021, just after Covid. His first few months were difficult, due to all the Covid restrictions still in place, and a number of different managers in succession, but now I can only say that he is very well looked after, and the staff are quite simply, excellent. They're always there with a smile, they know dad and his quirks very well, and they are very accommodating. Dad is very comfortable, and participates in activities when he's in the mood. There is plenty of choice, and some residents have been going out, accompanied, to local cafes and picnic airs. A great move forward! When visiting, I always get offered a cup of tea, which is a simple act of kindness, but always most appreciated. It makes it feel more like home. The surroundings at Alastrean are quite beautiful too, and residents are fortunate to be able to go out to the gardens, when the weather is good.
Thank you for writing this lovely review of Alastrean. It's reassuring to hear how comfortable your father is there and that you see all the effort that goes in to making it a wonderful home. The hardworking team will be so happy to read this.
I am able to visit him at any time and always feel welcome. I have joined him at meal times and observed that the food is nourishing and well presented and he enjoys it. Residents are given a choice of meals and shown what the choices are rather than just told which is very helpful.
Alastrean is in a beautiful setting and is very well maintained and managed. Pets are welcome at anytime.
Overall, I am delighted with the home and feel that my husband could not be in a better place.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a wonderful and comprehensive review. We are so very pleased how happy you are with your husband's care. We know how very important all the facets you mention are to your peace of mind. We will pass on your kind words to our hardworking team. Thank you once again.
It is efficiently run with kindly staff too.
The home is beautifully decorated and spotlessly clean. I would highly recommend Alastrean.
What a lovely review! Thank you for taking the time to let us know how happy you are with your mum's care and how well she is doing. It means the world for our hardworking teams to hear the difference they make. Thank you once again, and we'll be sure to pass on your kind words.
I am more than impressed with how my father is being looked after, cared for and loved. Apart from the surroundings and the interior set up being so beautiful and welcoming - it gives me much peace, knowing that the carers and general staff are genuinely fond of my father, and are so diligent in their caring- so grateful even though he is very new, here. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to write this fantastic review. It's great to hear how well your father has settled in and how much you value our hardworking team already. They'll be delighted to read this. Thank you again!
My mother has been in home for 4 years. The staff are very good. Nothing is to much trouble when asked for advice about my mother. Lovely home.
Thank you for taking the time to review Alastrean. It's heartening to know that you see the efforts of the whole team. They will be really pleased to read your feedback.
I live overseas and the communication was really good, they facilitated video calls to us and were proactive about any changes.
Mum loved to get her hair and nails done and this was easy to organise.
The setting of the property is just lovely with views from every window.
Friends and family and four-legged friends were welcomed.
Staff were easy to talk to, everyone knew Mum and we were encouraged to contribute to the care plan.
When Mum died the care and communication were excellent.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review of Alastrean. It's heartening to hear how happy you are with all aspects of your mother's care, how pleasant an environment you have found the home to be overall and the great level of attention paid to communication during her time at the home. I'll be sure to relay this lovely feedback to the team.
On the whole Balhousie Alastrean is a lovely home set in great grounds for those who can appreciate them. The staff are friendly and helpful.
Thank you for your kind review. We're so pleased to hear how friendly and helpful our staff have been and that you have been able to enjoy the beautiful grounds at Alastrean. We'll be sure to pass on your comments to the team.
My main complaint is the main meals, only two courses - soup only at lunchtime. I feel that the chef does not have the allowance to buy good quality meat and fish and he is disillusioned. Good food helps the body to recover and is very important.
Thank you very much for your review. All feedback is so appreciated and we are sorry to hear that you have been disappointed with the quality of the meal options. We understand this was immediately addressed by our Operations Manager and Hospitality Specialist. However, the Home Manager will be in touch to help with any concerns you have. Thank you again.
As a visitor, I’m always welcomed and treated with courtesy. Staff are most helpful and always upbeat. My friend is very happy at Balhousie Alastrean Care Home and regards it as her home and family. She speaks about the staff in very positive terms and appreciates that they have jobs to get done in her best interests. She enjoys the food on offer and comments that kitchen staff are willing to accommodate requests. I am always cheered to see how contented she is.
What a wonderful review! It means the world to us and our staff to hear how happy our residents are and that you, as a resident's visitor, are welcomed and looked after too. Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know that everything is as it should be for both your friend and your visit.
The first review following my mother's move to Alastrean. The move was made under difficult circumstances but handled extremely well by the stand-in manager and care staff. Our early anxiety with the move was quickly replaced by relief when we noted how well she had settled in and how happy and content she was with her surroundings and the attention given. Over the past few weeks, we have become more familiar with the visiting conditions and met more of the care staff who are all very friendly and professional - well done, and thanks to all the staff.
Thank you for taking the time to give us a review. We're really happy to hear that your mother is settling in well. Will definitely pass this on to the team at Alastrean House.
My experience is as a weekly visitor. I am not the principal member of the family who is responsible for our brother's care but support my younger brother who has PoA. I find the staff extremely caring and helpful when greeting us at the door and informing us of how my brother has been health-wise. My brother appears happy, his personal care is excellent and the activities coordinator thinks of imaginative ways to engage with him.
Thank you for writing this review. We're delighted to hear this. Our staff, including activities teams, work hard to give person-centred attention to residents so they will be delighted with this feedback.
During most difficult times during covid-19 and various storms from November 2021 until now, with power outages and fallen trees, the staff have never failed in their care and attention to my mother's needs. Despite being very busy, everyone is cheerful and willing to answer any queries. Such a lovely place to live in beautiful surroundings. You should all be very proud of what you do.
Thank you for this lovely review. You're right, the power outages have been very challenging, but staff rose to the occasion brilliantly. Our lovely relatives helped too!
Reception for visitors was lovely and relaxing and the staff took time for us too.
A great place to be when care is so good.
Staff treat my brother with great kindness and dignity.
So glad he’s safe in these lovely surroundings.
Thank you so much for this lovely review. It means the world to our hardworking staff at Alastrean. And yes, the surroundings are amazing!
The carers and nurses look after her so well and, also reassure us as a family that, she is okay. I have been able to phone any time and speak to her whenever I have asked, it’s never been an issue.
Knowing she is safe and cared for is a huge reassurance for us as a family.
Thank you for reviewing Alastrean, and we're so glad to hear your Granny has improved. Our care team will be delighted with your kind words.
My mother was at Balhousie Alastrean house, and the care that she received was second to none! The staff were always caring and professional and even in the Covid crisis, they took time to keep me and my family informed of how my mother was doing. They are truly a wonderful team.
Thank you for your kind words, Claude. They really are a wonderful team, and we'll be sure to pass on your comments to them.
I think this is the best care home in Scotland. All the staff care deeply about the residents’ health, safety and happiness. The only problem is the laundry staff who don’t check pockets. Twice my father’s hearing aids have gone through the wash and once his shaver! Apart from this, I’d give Alastrean top marks. My father is happy which is more important than anything. After all, it’s only stuff! People are what matter.
Thank you so much for your kind words. We're pleased to hear your father is happy there. Apologies for the laundry mistakes - this has been highlighted to staff.
Regulatory Rating
Care Inspectorate (CI) Rating
Date: 09 September 2025- How well do we support people's wellbeing? Good
(4)
- How good is our leadership? Good
(4)
- How good is our staff team? Good
(4)
- How good is our setting? Good
(4)
- How well is care and support planned? Good
(4)
Bed Vacancies
Please contact us for latest vacancies.
News (27) & Events (0)
- 19 Jun 2026
The excitement is building! World Cup fever has truly taken hold across our homes, with residents getting stuck into the spirit in all sorts of wonderful ways, from crafting bunting...
- 01 Jun 2026
Life at Alastrean House has been wonderfully busy, set against the stunning backdrop of the Aberdeenshire countryside. Residents have been enjoying a packed programme of activities, from a lively bingo...
- 06 May 2026
One of Scotland’s leading care home providers, BCG, is celebrating one of its very special nurses, after she has been recognised as the very best in the country – winning...
There are no upcoming events for Alastrean Care Home.
Meet the Team (1)
Teresa has worked at Alastrean for a number of years and has a wealth of knowledge, about both your loved one’s needs, the staff and the home itself.
Frequently Asked Questions about Alastrean Care Home
What types of Care is Alastrean Care Home registered for?
Older Person Care, Dementia are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.
How many Rooms does Alastrean Care Home have?
There are 51 Single Rooms.
What are the Facilities & Services at Alastrean Care Home?
Own Furniture if required, Pet Friendly (or by arrangement), Minibus or other transport, Lift, Wheelchair Access, Gardens, Bar/Café, Residents Kitchenette, Phone Point in own room, Television point in own room, Residents Internet Access are some of the Facilities & Services.
How far is Alastrean Care Home to the centre of Aboyne?
4.5 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.
Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact Alastrean Care Home to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Alastrean Care Home has an Enhanced Service - more info.