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House, now in use as a care home, built by A G Sydney Mitchell in 1903 with modern additions, set in the remains of a 17th to 19th century designed landscape. Originally named Cromar House, it was built as an autumn shooting lodge for the Marquis of Aberdeen, and was renamed in 1934. During World War II it was used as a recreation and leave centre for aircrew if RAF and Commonwealth Air Forces on active service. It remained an RAF officers' leave centre until almost totally destroyed by fire in 1958, and was extensively refurbished and reopened. The house was built in a Baroque Revival style of Aberdeen bond pink granite. It has a two-storey, five-bay hip roofed central block with three-bay gabled wings forming a U-plan. The grey slate hipped roofs have coped ridge stacks and lead flashing. The principal north elevation is a five-bay central block with a single-storey, advanced, gabled porch to the centre in rusticated granite. The two-leaf timber door is flanked by blocked pilasters supporting a polished granite plaque inscribed 'COMRADES OF ALL THE BRAVE THE FAITHFULL AND THE TRUE AND IN GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THE FEW.' The gablehead is roughly carved with the RAF arms and inscription, 'ALASTREAN HOUSE, IN MEMORY OF MY SONS SIR ALASTAIR, SIR RODERIC SIR IAIN MACROBERT'. Windows flank the entrance piece. Engaged two-stage drum towers flank the porch, terminating in candle-snuffer roofs breaking the eaves. The outer bays have olain regular fenestration. Three-bay advanced gabled wings flank the main block to form a front courtyard. Modern four-bay blocks, built in sympathetic style, abut the outer corners of the wings. The rear south elevation is nine-bay with regular fenestration. A triple central bay has plaques bearing the arms of Lord Aberdeen carved to the upper storey, flanked by engaged drum towers. The plain outer bays are also flanked by additional engaged drum towers to the corners. There is a two-storey, rectangular-plan irregular advanced wing to the outer east, with a timber forestair linking the garden to a billiard room. The east side elevation is obscured by modern additions in similar style. The west side elevation has irregular fenestration with an advanced single-storey bipartite window to the centre and large modern U-plan additions (2001-02) in a similar style abutting to the outer north. The interior has plain but elegant 1960s timber panelling and plasterwork throughout, following the 1958 fire. Although the billiard room in the south wing retains its original Jacobethan-style panelling, with ornate pilasters and strapwork carving over the fireplace. In the garden is a sundial, comprising a freestanding narrow Salomonic column on a plinth, terminating in a plain capital bearing a bronze dial.
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Historic Environment Records (HER)