Staff and residents have returned to the historic Alastrean House care home, following an extensive restoration project.
Alastrean House, situated in the stunning, tranquil countryside around Tarland in Aberdeenshire, has undergone an imaginative re-design of its interior after the building was severely damaged by a fire in January 2016.
A former retreat for Royal Air Force veterans, the grand Alastrean House and its sumptuous surrounding estate is owned by The MacRobert Trust and operated by Balhousie Care Group. Built in 1905 by Lord Aberdeen as a country retreat and passed on to Sir Alexander MacRobert and his wife, Lady Rachel Workman MacRobert, the home remains a memorial to the MacRoberts and their three sons.
Repairs to the structure of the historic property have been undertaken by the MacRobert Trust, with Balhousie Care Group's architect and designer, Lesley Birrell, paying tribute to the heritage of both the house and the RAF in her transformation of the interior.
Lesley has previously refurbished Balhousie Moyness Care Home to an exceptional standard, working with residents and staff to create an environment that is not only welcoming and luxurious but that can have positive effects and make life easier for residents living with dementia.
Simon Power, Estate Manager at the MacRobert Trust, commented: "The MacRobert Trust has undertaken extensive works to Alastrean House, repairing the fire damage after the incident in early 2016 and restoring the house to a high standard and meeting current Care Inspectorate requirements.
“The Trust is delighted to welcome Balhousie Care Group back to the house and wishes them success in their running of the care home."
Fiona Duncan, Alastrean House's new Manager, said: "A team of inspiring, caring and passionate people have been recruited to support residents of Alastrean House to live their life their way.
“An intensive, month-long training programme has been delivered which covers care and support, dementia training, hospitality and customer service. Staff are so impressed with their new workplace that they have already expressed an interest in booking a room for their own retirement!"
www.balhousiecare.co.uk
