
All the staff are lovely, kind, attentive, and engagingSusan F(Daughter of Resident/Service User)



All the staff are lovely, kind, attentive, and engagingSusan F(Daughter of Resident/Service User)



Cairdean House is a modern, purpose-built care home in the beautiful village of Colinton, Edinburgh. The dedicated team offers specialist nursing, residential and dementia care within a home that has been designed with the needs of people living with dementia in mind.
Cairdean House has a homely feel and has been recently refurbished to ensure a premium, contemporary and comfortable environment. There are lots of spaces where residents can relax and...
Care Provided by Cairdean House
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Mental Health Condition
- Physical Disability
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 90 Service Users
Dementia Care TypesMild 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
- Advanced/Complex Dementia
Other Care Provided
- Parkinson's Disease
- Stroke
- Palliative / End of Life Care
- COPD/Pulmonary Disease
Facilities
- Near Public Transport
- Minibus or other transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Bar/Café
- Phone Point in own room
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
of care and support required by each individual. Premium rooms normally require an additional charge.
Nursing fees include the Funded Nursing Contribution (FNC) if you are eligible.
• All care and support including a monthly review of care plans
• All meals, snacks and drinks freshly prepared every day by our chef
• In-house café with homemade cakes, and a variety of speciality teas and coffees
• Use of in-house cinema
• Access to landscaped gardens
• Activities and lifestyle programme
• All utilities and other accommodation costs
• Housekeeping and laundry services
• WiFi internet access
appointments not covered by the NHS, toiletries, newspapers or magazines, any over the counter
medications that a GP wouldn’t normally prescribe such as paracetamol and indigestion relief, and any
other privately arranged healthcare. Should you require an escort to hospital appointments, we may apply
an agreed hourly charge for this service.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Cairdean House for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Cairdean House 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
- Care UK
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Angela Burns (Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Year Purpose Built: 2013
- Last Refurbishment: 2013
Room Information
- Single Rooms (90)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (90)
Parking
- Parking on-site
Cairdean House Reviews (124)
Cairdean House has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.838) out of 10, based on 31 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Cairdean House has 124 reviews.
In my experience, Cairdean provides very good all round care for its residents. My aunt has been a resident for nearly 2 years and throughout she has received great care, and support from the staff. She has also received good medical support when needed. She had a prolonged period of illness at the end of last year and the staff have been great in getting her over this.
When Mum moved to Cairdean she was not in a great physical or mental state. I was slightly concerned that the team might reject her, but far from that, they took her under their wings and have really looked after her. She is so much better now, a huge improvement. The team are very conscientious and are happy to do anything to help my Mum. Highly recommended.
I find the care at Cairdean House, on the whole, to be of the highest quality. The regular staff team are extremely good and take the responsibility of care very seriously. The management is approachable and responsive. If there is a downside it would be the reliance on agency staff which can make the quality of care more variable.
We are grateful for your constructive feedback and are delighted with the positive comments and scores for the care and support we provide. We are pleased to confirm that agency usage has been steadily decreasing at Cairdean House and we are now in a much better position than we had been. This...
It is so nice knowing that Mum is in safe hands 24/7. I know everyone writes this but it really is true! There are ups and downs to her life but it is how the staff and management deal with the downs that shows their care and commitment to her welfare. Thank you.
She has improved physically and mentally through the care that she enjoys here.
Staff approachable and kind to residents and family members.
A regular rota of activities on option.
Food gets average and at times scanty praise - a challenge to please numerous needs and tastes.
The resident and his wife were admitted 10 months ago and the welcome they received was very kind and caring. They had been discharged from a busy care of the elderly hospital ward, which was constantly noisy, with little privacy. Sadly my friends' wife died in rather tragic circumstances and the kindness and professionalism shown by the staff was very reassuring. Those who could came to the crematorium and were a great support. All the staff continue to show great kindness to my friend and are encouraging him to mix in activities more. My only comment is the noise of buzzers taking time to be answered.
Care UK should really have a good look at the prices they are charging for elderly care and the last price increase under the guise of rising food prices was ridiculous considering from our point of view our Mum hardly eats very much.
The activities from my point of view are quite poor with the same things going on most weeks and not that much to stimulate the residents. The outdoor trips are few and far between and I think that is down to cost - eg these trip have to be accompanied with carers so agency staff would have to be brought in.
We are grateful for your constructive feedback and are delighted with the positive comments and scores for the care and support we provide. The prices at Cairdean are comparative to other care homes in Scotland and are typical for the facilities and care we offer. We are sorry to hear that the...
Our mum looks well and almost always looks well groomed. She is settled and happy in the unit.
We are made to feel welcome when we visit and find the care team friendly and approachable.
We were quite fortunate in securing a place at Cairdean but since my Dad became a resident I have nothing but good things to say about the home. All staff have been very welcoming and supportive and any queries have been dealt with very promptly. A big weight off our families minds knowing that my Dad is so well looked after.
Having visited several care homes in the local area with my wife and my sister to find a new home for mum, we thought that Cairdean House was the most impressive as far as first impressions went. Thankfully mum agreed, and she has settled in very well since arriving just over three months ago. The good first impression we received has been amply confirmed during that time. We are very pleased indeed with Cairdean: a bright, modern and comfortable building, with very professional staff who are both attentive and cheerful. In the case of a brief health concern which entailed a visit to the hospital, we were kept fully briefed by the nursing staff at all times, which was very reassuring.
Very happy with the care my wife receives and activities are great.
I am well looked after. Carers are very helpful and there are always people to chat with. There are always activities going on. I am glad I came to 'Cairdean House'.
My husband has been in Cairdean House Care Home for 2 1/4 years following 2 strokes. After 5 1/12 years at home he was becoming too much for me to cope with physically. We were able to make the decision together at that time for him to become a resident. He has been well cared for at Cairdean on the whole (some carers better than others) kept clean, tidy and well fed. He has now deteriorated, with the start of vascular dementia and cannot do much for himself. I visit very regularly almost daily and know if anything has not been attended to for my husband.
Visited many homes before Cairdean - clear 1st choice. Many homes focus on large lounges where residents gather spending long periods unstimulated. Cairdean is welcoming, bright, fresh & modern. The building doesn't feel like a care home. My Mother is young, so important to retain as much independence as possible and have a life instead of an existence. Activities team provide amazing programme - which has included..Exercise - Zumba, Tai Chi, Oomph, gentle exercise walking and gardening groups. Sport - crazy golf, basketball, darts. Hobbies-baking, crafts, bingo, games bonanza. Spiritual/Religion-bible study, Communion, Services. Something for everyone & participation up to resident. 1st class facilities - café, retro kitchen, cinema, small private rooms, library, fab choice of outdoor areas! Care provided by Unit Managers, Nurses,Team Leaders, Care Assistant - do a fantastic job always treating residents as individuals. I feel supported myself (can be very hard to adjust to relative requiring a care home).
When I realised that my mother's dementia meant that she could no longer live safely in her own home, which was a two hour weekend journey away, I wanted her to move to Edinburgh to live near me. I had watched Cairdean being built and she came to stay soon after it opened. The care she has received has taken a great deal of worry from my shoulders. I know she is being well looked after, being treated with respect and is happy. I am now able to visit her much more easily on any day, at any time. The fellow residents and staff-organised activities have given her a social dimension which was largely missing in her life latterly. I would happily recommend Cairdean to anyone.
I can't praise the staff enough from the manager down through to all the staff they were at all times kind, considerate, empathic and most supportive. My mother enjoyed the company and attention which was always positive. The home has a definite home from home feel as every little to big provision is thought through and expertly put in place. There is at all times a calm caring atmosphere which helps residents settle and enjoy their stay. Thank you is too small a word for what Cairndean do.
Very happy and hope to be here a long time.
I like living here and I am kept busy which I love.
I notice that there has been an increase in the number of activities provided and my mother is discussing attending some of these which is encouraging.
Bed Vacancies
Please contact us for latest vacancies.
News (42) & Events (0)
- 29 May 2026
Care UK’s commitment to supporting residents has been nationally recognised, as the organisation took home the large care provider of the year accolade at the 2026 Care Home Awards. At...
- 29 May 2026
Residents in Care UK homes love getting out and about in nature where they can and, for one Dorset-based home, they’re celebrating World Bee Day with a buzz! Wimborne-based home,...
- 29 May 2026
Colleagues across Care UK are celebrating after being shortlisted in eleven categories at the Stars of Social Care Awards, the most the company has ever been shortlisted in at the...
There are no upcoming events for Cairdean House.
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Cairdean House.
Meet the Team (1)

I’m proud to be the home manager at Cairdean House care home. I’ve been a qualified nurse for over 40 years and have managed care homes for the past 18 years. Along the way, I’ve completed my SVQ 4 in management, all mandatory training and hold certificates in working with children with special needs and in inclusion skills.
I chose to work at Care UK because of its strong reputation as a good company. In my role, it’s important to be open, honest, organised, and to have a good sense of humour. Having strong listening skills and responding to issues in a timely manner is essential.
My favourite part of the day is walking around the home, chatting with staff, residents and relatives, and looking for ways to continue improving our environment. One of my proudest achievements was commissioning a care home from a building site into a luxury care setting.
It’s incredibly rewarding to see residents enjoying some well-deserved self-care, feeling happy and getting involved in activities. It’s also great to receive good ratings from external and internal inspections.
Outside of work, I enjoy music, singing and spending time with my granddaughter.
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