Dr Dr Peter McCann
Medical Director, consultant psychiatrist specialising in addictions
leadership
West Linton,
Castle Craig Hospital
Scotland's largest residential addiction hospital, abstinence-based and group-led, in 50 acres of Borders parkland.
AssessedThe clinic has a full assessment in this edition: all ten criteria scored, each with its reasoning, its sources with capture dates, and the gaps we could not close.
Rank #14The clinic's position by public score in this edition.Public score 46The sum of the ten criterion scores, from 10 to 100, using evidence anyone can check, including the clinic's own pages as self-declared statements.TiedAnother clinic has the same public score and shares this rank.
Public evidenceThe headline number is the public score, not the extended score., LROAS 1.0.0, edition 2026-10-01
Public evidenceThe headline number is the public score, not the extended score. · 46
About Castle Craig Hospital
Castle Craig is an abstinence-based residential addiction hospital in an 18th-century Category B listed country house set in 50 acres of private parkland in the Scottish Borders, about 40 minutes from Edinburgh. It is registered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland as an independent psychiatric hospital, with conditions of registration that cap it at 82 residential places and limit it to specialist detoxification and mental health addiction treatment. The operating company was incorporated on 6 January 1988 and the clinic remains family-owned into a second generation, inside the Castle Health group. The model is the Minnesota Model: medically managed detoxification in a dedicated unit, daily group psychotherapy described by the clinic as the backbone of the programme, two 50-minute individual sessions a week with a named focal therapist, evening 12-Step meetings, and complementary work in equine, art, horticultural and fitness therapy inside a therapeutic community. It is the only clinic in this ranking that commissions and publishes independent one-year follow-up outcome research on its own discharged cohorts. This is a clinical hospital operating at scale, not a discretion product: clients live, eat and work alongside each other by design.
Assessed: The clinic has a full assessment in this edition: all ten criteria scored, each with its reasoning, its sources with capture dates, and the gaps we could not close. It does not mean every fact is confirmed. How well the evidence holds up is shown by the confidence rating. What our labels mean
Clinic overview
- Founded
- Castle Craig Hospital Limited was incorporated at Companies House on 6 January 1988, company number SC108534, and was previously named Renewal Clinics Limited until 8 October 2001. The clinic gives 1988 as its founding year.
- Capacity
- The Healthcare Improvement Scotland conditions of registration cap the hospital at 82 residential places. The detox unit, Kirkurd House, has 11 beds. How many clients occupy each accommodation building is not published, and no current occupancy figure is published.
- Languages
- English, with an adequate command of English a stated admission requirement because the programme is group-based. The clinic describes interpreter use as uncommon.
- Licence
- Registered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland as an independent psychiatric hospital, provider Castle Craig Hospital Ltd, with 14 conditions of registration including round-the-clock operation, a registered medical officer with an on-call consultant psychiatrist, and a cap of 82 residential places. The registration number is not shown on the regulator's service page.
- Accreditations
- The clinic publishes an Intertek ISO 9001:2015 certificate on its own site and claims more than 31 years of continuous ISO 9002 or 9001 certification. No accreditor register entry was retrieved, and ISO 9001 is a quality-management certification rather than clinical accreditation. UnverifiedStated by the clinic, not yet confirmed by an independent source
- Payment and insurance
- Self-funding, insurer-funded, NHS-funded and local-authority-funded placements are all accepted. The clinic names Bupa, AXA Health, Healix, TRICARE, Allianz, Cigna, WPA, Vitality, GeoBlue and UHC Global. Full payment is required before treatment and no payment plans are offered.
- Length of stay
- Minimum four weeks, with six weeks or longer recommended and set by severity, detox need and individual assessment. A Foundation phase of four to six weeks is followed by an Advanced phase from six weeks. A 24-week continuing care programme follows discharge.
- Address
- Castle Craig Hospital, Blyth Bridge, West Linton, United Kingdom
Leadership
The clinic publishes a fully named team page listing roughly 50 people across senior management, the therapeutic team, the clinical team, locum clinical staff, governance, admissions, outpatient services, support services and the board of directors.
Prof. Prof. Jonathan Chick
Consultant Locum Psychiatrist, Medical Director 2014 to 2024
medicine
Dr Dr Maria Kelly
Locum Consultant Psychiatrist
medicine
Dr Dr Malcolm Scobbie
Specialty Doctor in Psychiatry
medicine
Dr Dr Giedre Putelyte
Specialty Doctor, detox unit
medicine
Dr Dr Felicity Sasada
Locum Specialty Doctor
medicine
Dr Dr Seamus Macauley
Addiction Therapist, aftercare
therapy
Dawn Dixon
Head Nurse
nursing
Duncan Dewar
Deputy Head Nurse
nursing
Adrian Woods
Senior Nurse
nursing
Jessica Tomlinson Hill
Therapy Programme Manager, occupational therapist
therapy
Teri Lyn Fairnie
Lead Family Therapist
therapy
Dr Dr Margaret McCann
Co-Chair and Co-Founder, board director
leadership
Dominic McCann
Chief Executive Officer, board director
leadership
John Ferguson
Head Chef
kitchen
GMC, NMC and other professional registration numbers are not published on the team page.
Videos
Treatments
Medically Managed Detoxification
Typically 7 to 14 days, integrated into the residential stay
Included in the residential fee
A dedicated detox unit, Kirkurd House, with 11 beds, nursing staff around the clock, resident specialty doctors on site and a consultant psychiatrist on call, handling alcohol, opiate, benzodiazepine and stimulant withdrawal including high-risk alcohol withdrawal. Detox follows NICE guidelines, the plan is reviewed by a consultant psychiatrist, and medication is adjusted as withdrawal progresses. Physical health screening and daily medical review run alongside early therapeutic engagement rather than after it.
Residential Addiction Rehabilitation
Minimum 4 weeks, 6 weeks or longer recommended
-
The core programme. Abstinence-based Minnesota Model treatment combining daily group psychotherapy and psycho-educational workshops, which the clinic calls the backbone of the programme, two 50-minute individual sessions a week with a named focal therapist, mandatory evening in-house 12-Step meetings, psychiatric review, and complementary therapies including equine, art, horticultural and fitness work, delivered inside a therapeutic community on a 50-acre estate. A Foundation phase of four to six weeks is followed by an Advanced phase from six weeks.
Extended Care and Step-Down
Variable, commonly following the primary programme up to 90 days in total
-
A lower-intensity continuation phase for clients who need longer stabilisation, with greater emphasis on relapse prevention, independent living skills, employment and family reintegration, and a progressive reduction of structure before discharge into aftercare.
Behavioural and Crypto-Trading Addiction Programme
Within the 4 to 6 week residential stay
Not separately published
Gambling, gaming, internet and cryptocurrency-trading addiction treated alongside substance dependence inside the residential programme. The clinic publicised the first dedicated crypto-addiction pathway in 2018 and has reported more than 300 crypto-related cases treated since 2016.
Family Programme and Intervention
A structured week for family members plus ongoing sessions
-
A lead family therapist runs psychoeducation, co-dependency work and family group therapy for relatives, alongside a professional intervention service to help families bring a resistant person into treatment. Family visits take place on Sundays with a family workshop.
24-Week Continuing Care and Recovery Club
24 weeks after discharge, plus open-ended alumni access
Included for self-funding clients
A 24-week programme delivered mainly online by CATCH Recovery, the group's own outpatient service, in one of two packages: 12 individual and 12 group sessions, or 24 individual and 12 group sessions. It is case managed and includes one-to-one therapy, recovery coaching, group therapy and an online family support group. In-person sessions are available in Edinburgh, London and Guildford for an additional fee. An online Friday recovery group runs for 12 months and a coaching group for the first six months. Clients returning to the Netherlands, Sweden or London can step down into the group's own outpatient clinics.
Prices
No public price found.
Our assessment
The review base is genuine and unusually polarised. Trustpilot sits at 3.2 from 33 reviews, with 55 percent five-star and 30 percent one-star, and the clinic replies to every negative review. Doctify sits at 4.89 from 46 verified reviews with owner responses visible. A Google figure of 4.6 from 109 reviews circulates but reaches this file through an aggregator rather than a direct capture, so it is not recorded as verified. No evidence of review manipulation was found. The polarisation, the one-star share and the reply rate are all inconsistent with manipulation, and the gap between platforms is normal for a clinical service where dissatisfied clients self-select onto a complaint-oriented platform. Negative reviews cluster on medical care, staff conduct and facility policy. Castle Craig is also the only clinic in this ranking that commissions independent one-year follow-up outcome research on its own discharged cohorts and publishes it with its caveats. The 2015 cohort of 158 clients reported 73.4 percent totally abstinent and 91.8 percent abstinent or reduced at one year, with 81.6 percent classed a good outcome by independent reviewers. These are self-report follow-up surveys of the clients who responded, not randomised controlled trials, and non-responders are not counted. The clinic says so itself. The clinic's own 98 percent satisfaction figure is a self-report and is not testimony.
The review base is genuine and unusually polarised. Trustpilot sits at 3.2 from 33 reviews, with 55 percent five-star and 30 percent one-star, and the clinic replies to every negative review. Doctify sits at 4.89 from 46 verified reviews with owner responses visible. A Google figure of 4.6 from 109 reviews circulates but reaches this file through an aggregator rather than a direct capture, so it is not recorded as verified. No evidence of review manipulation was found. The polarisation, the one-star share and the reply rate are all inconsistent with manipulation, and the gap between platforms is normal for a clinical service where dissatisfied clients self-select onto a complaint-oriented platform. Negative reviews cluster on medical care, staff conduct and facility policy. Castle Craig is also the only clinic in this ranking that commissions independent one-year follow-up outcome research on its own discharged cohorts and publishes it with its caveats. The 2015 cohort of 158 clients reported 73.4 percent totally abstinent and 91.8 percent abstinent or reduced at one year, with 81.6 percent classed a good outcome by independent reviewers. These are self-report follow-up surveys of the clients who responded, not randomised controlled trials, and non-responders are not counted. The clinic says so itself. The clinic's own 98 percent satisfaction figure is a self-report and is not testimony.
Press coverage is extensive and generally favourable. The 2018 cryptocurrency-addiction announcement was carried by the BBC, The Times and The Independent, picked up by the Press Association and Agence France Presse and syndicated widely, and NBC News and Decrypt covered the story. A 2024 Times feature reported more than 300 crypto-related cases treated since 2016. ITV News was granted exclusive filming access inside the facility. No first-hand bylined reporting from inside the facility within the last five years was retrieved with byline, date and on-site description, and a February 2025 trade-press item is partner content rather than independent reporting.
The clinic publishes an Intertek ISO 9001 certificate rated Outstanding in 2024. The Healthcare Improvement Scotland unannounced inspection of 17 to 18 September 2024, reported in November 2024, graded the service Good in all three key focus areas, with no requirements and five recommendations, and recorded that the September 2022 requirement on emergency medicines had been met. No industry award was found.
Facility
An 18th-century country house built in 1798, Category B listed, in 50 acres of private parkland near Blyth Bridge, roughly 20 miles and 40 minutes south of Edinburgh, one hour from Glasgow and two hours from Newcastle. Accommodation is published as Executive Rooms, Private Rooms, Twin Rooms and Shared Rooms for three occupants, all ensuite, with cottages in the Recovery Gardens building and a women-only option. The facilities page describes accommodation as private bedrooms, which the clinic's own brochure and accommodation page contradict by offering twin and three-occupant rooms, and which the regulator's September 2024 inspection report contradicts with a client's account of sharing a room. Visitors are not permitted in client bedrooms. Clinical and communal space includes two on-site medical centres, the Kirkurd House detox unit with 11 beds, small rooms for one-to-one therapy and larger group rooms, a gym with two fitness trainers, a Drawing and Quiet Room in the former billiard room, a library, a chapel, an on-site shop, a computer room and a spacious communal dining area in the Recovery Gardens building. Outdoors there is a Victorian walled garden used for horticultural therapy, woodland trails and outdoor fitness space. Spa provision is limited to acupuncture, aromatherapy and massage, and no swimming pool is published. Free transport is provided from Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. The character is a well-maintained country hospital in a fine building, not a luxury residence.
Food
Meals are prepared on site by a named Head Chef and served in a communal dining room in the Recovery Gardens building. The brochure describes three freshly cooked meals a day. Dietary accommodation is published for vegetarian, vegan, halal, coeliac and gluten-free requirements, and the kitchen is notified of requirements identified before admission. Beyond that, nutrition is not clinically owned: no dietitian or clinical nutritionist is named on the team page, no nutrition assessment on admission by a nutrition professional is published, no nutrition protocol, education or monitoring during the stay is published on the pages captured, and no gourmet credential is claimed. Kitchen hygiene sits inside the clinic's ISO 9001 quality system and inside a registered hospital.
Privacy
shared setting
Castle Craig is a therapeutic community and its clinical model is explicitly group-based. Clients live alongside other residents on a site registered for up to 82 residential places, attend daily group psychotherapy that the clinic calls the backbone of the programme, eat in communal dining rooms, attend evening in-house 12-Step meetings, and join men's and women's groups, a trauma group, group fitness classes and accompanied trips to outside meetings. Bedrooms include twin and three-occupant rooms. Clients meet each other continuously, by design and as the treatment method. Individual therapy runs at two 50-minute sessions a week alongside the group programme rather than instead of it. What exists by way of discretion: mobile phone and tablet use is limited, framed as supporting immersion in the programme rather than as protecting other clients; visitors are not permitted in client bedrooms; the privacy policy names staff confidentiality agreements and training, encryption and access controls; and the service operates under UK data protection law and the regulator's confidentiality requirements. No arrival or departure separation, no client-separation protocol, no scheduling that keeps clients apart and no anonymity guarantee is published. The brochure's reference to a strong emphasis on anonymity and confidentiality names no mechanism. One fact belongs here precisely: the clinic granted ITV News exclusive filming access inside the facility. Admitting a national broadcaster's cameras into the treatment environment counts in the clinic's favour on transparency and against it on privacy. Assessment: a clean confidentiality record inside a structurally low-privacy model. This is a hospital that treats many people together, not a facility built to conceal one person.
Assessed 2026-10-01
Rank #14The clinic's position by public score in this edition.Public score 46The sum of the ten criterion scores, from 10 to 100, using evidence anyone can check, including the clinic's own pages as self-declared statements.TiedAnother clinic has the same public score and shares this rank.
Public evidenceThe headline number is the public score, not the extended score., LROAS 1.0.0, edition 2026-10-01
Public evidenceThe headline number is the public score, not the extended score. · 46
Headline basis: Public evidenceThe headline number is the public score, not the extended score., LROAS 1.0.0, edition 2026-10-01
Public-evidence total: 46
The sum of the ten criterion scores, from 10 to 100, using evidence anyone can check, including the clinic's own pages as self-declared statements. For the licence element of C2 only, it can also use an authority ruling held in our sealed evidence room. It is the only number used for the rank.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: medium. ProvisionalA check was still open when the edition closed, for example a register lookup or a video not yet received, or evidence under embargo.: C10.
- C1 Client separation and occupancy · 1
Scored on the occupancy model only; the regulator's place count and the detox unit bed count are not used. The standard offer includes twin rooms and shared rooms for three occupants, and group therapy is described as the backbone of the programme, which is band 2; no separately priced sole-occupancy tier reaches a higher level. One point is deducted because the clinic's own pages contradict each other on bedroom sharing: the facilities page describes 'private bedrooms' while the accommodation page offers single and multiple occupancy rooms subject to availability. Band 2 minus 1 gives band 1.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: high
Known gapsFacts the assessment needed but could not establish.:- The clinic's pages disagree on whether bedrooms are private or shared.
Sources (9 cited items):- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: Conditions of registration: independent psychiatric hospital, specialist detoxification and mental health addiction treatment only.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: Unannounced inspection of 17 to 18 September 2024, published November 2024: inspectors observed community meetings and groups, and a client quoted in the report said they had been unsure about sharing a room.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Bedroom options published as Executive Rooms, Private Rooms, Twin Rooms and Shared Rooms for three occupants; group therapy based on the 12-Step model; Sunday family visits with a family workshop.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Accommodation page: single and multiple occupancy rooms as well as executive rooms, all ensuite; Recovery Gardens cottages; visitors not permitted in client rooms.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Facilities page describes accommodation as private bedrooms, with a spacious communal dining area and larger rooms for groups.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Group therapy and psycho-educational workshops described as the backbone of the programme.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Daily group sessions, mandatory in-house evening 12-Step meetings, limited mobile phone and tablet use, family visits on Sundays.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Detox unit: Kirkurd House.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Privacy policy names staff confidentiality agreements and training, encryption and access controls.
- C2 Clinical governance and medical cover · 7
Healthcare Improvement Scotland lists Castle Craig Hospital as a registered independent psychiatric hospital, provider Castle Craig Hospital Ltd, with the Medical Director, a consultant psychiatrist, as service manager. Resident specialty doctors provide medical cover around the clock with an on-call consultant psychiatrist under the conditions of registration, medically managed withdrawal is delivered on site in Kirkurd House, and the service is itself a registered hospital, so no separate escalation hospital is needed. Band 8 is not reached because no non-psychiatric physician service and no defined complex-psychiatry programme is published, and the ISO 9001:2015 certificate is a quality management certificate shown on the clinic's own site, not clinical accreditation on an accreditor's register.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: high
Sources (9 cited items):- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: Register entry: Castle Craig Hospital, hospital (independent psychiatric), registered; provider Castle Craig Hospital Ltd; the Medical Director is named as service manager; 14 conditions of registration, including operation around the clock and a registered medical officer with an on-call consultant psychiatrist.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: 2024 inspection report: a private psychiatric hospital; senior hospital management by the chief executive officer, medical director and operations manager; staff include psychiatrists, specialist doctors and nurses; the registration certificate was displayed and care was delivered in line with the conditions of registration.
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: Companies House: Castle Craig Hospital Limited, SC108534, active, incorporated 6 January 1988, SIC 86101 hospital activities.
- Castle Craig Hospital: The detox unit runs around the clock with nursing staff, the detox plan is reviewed by a consultant psychiatrist, the unit is led by the Medical Director as a full-time consultant psychiatrist, and resident specialty doctors provide medical cover 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Brochure: medically managed detox following NICE guidelines; a specialist doctor on site around the clock; consultant psychiatrists supervise detox and medical care and prescribe medication.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Dual diagnosis page lists schizophrenia and personality disorders among conditions affecting rehab, with no defined programme.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Clinical governance page: an ISO 9001:2015 certificate hosted on the clinic's own site, and a Clinical Governance Committee with two external consultants.
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland independent healthcare register: Search of Healthcare Improvement Scotland independent healthcare register. Scope: register entry for the clinic or its operator (licence class). Result: record found.
- Care Inspectorate register of care services: Search of Care Inspectorate register of care services. Scope: register entry for the clinic or its operator (licence class). Result: no record found.
- C3 Diagnostic depth on admission · 7
Five elements are met: a free pre-admission assessment by the clinic's doctors to establish suitability, approval by the clinical lead, assessment on admission by a psychiatrist, a therapist and a nurse, confirmation of medical records and prescribing history before detox planning, and a full physical examination that may include blood and urine tests. No specialist diagnostics and no written diagnostic formulation for the client are published, so the band above is not reached.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: high
Sources (5 cited items):- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: 2024 inspection: a pre-admission process focused on individual needs and risks; the clinical lead approves admission; the client is then assessed by a psychiatrist, a therapist and a nurse; medical records and prescribing history are confirmed to allow safe detox planning; weekly multidisciplinary meetings.
- Castle Craig Hospital: The clinic's doctors conduct a pre-admission assessment to establish suitability for treatment, with the admitting doctor and consultant psychiatrist gathering medical information.
- Castle Craig Hospital: A free pre-admission assessment takes place before arrival.
- Castle Craig Hospital: A doctor carries out a full physical examination, which may include blood and urine tests; the detox plan is reviewed by a consultant psychiatrist; medication is adjusted as withdrawal progresses.
- Castle Craig Hospital: A medical assessment by the clinicians is required before any part of treatment begins, and medications brought in are assessed on arrival.
- C4 Clinical intensity · 3
Two 50-minute individual sessions a week with a named focal therapist are published, about 0.24 hours a day, which is the one to two sessions a week of band 3. The clinical team is pooled at a stated 4.5 to 1 client-to-therapist ratio, group therapy is the backbone with no published share of hours, and the timetable publishes no hours. Night nurse and healthcare assistant rosters are on-site cover, not 24-hour clinical presence with one client.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: high
Sources (4 cited items):- Castle Craig Hospital: Two 50-minute one-to-one therapy sessions a week; client-to-therapist ratio 4.5 to 1 at full capacity; minimum stay 4 weeks, 6 weeks or longer recommended, set by severity and assessment.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Each client is assigned a focal therapist who runs twice-weekly sessions; Foundation phase 4 to 6 weeks, Advanced phase from 6 weeks.
- Castle Craig Hospital: The timetable differs by client and no hours are published.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: 2024 inspection: each client is allocated a named therapist; daily handovers between nurses and therapists; staffing adjusted to admissions.
- C5 Continuity and aftercare · 8
Seven aftercare elements are met: discharge planning begins at admission, the therapist writes a detailed aftercare plan, discharge letters with medication and recommendations go to the GP and community clinicians, and a 24-week case-managed programme with one-to-one therapy, group therapy and online family support runs through the group's own outpatient service and is included for self-funding clients. Band 9 is not reached because no psychiatric review after discharge is published and the clinician-run programme is 24 weeks; the cost page's 'up to 12 months' does not establish a clinician-run programme of six months.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: high
Sources (4 cited items):- Castle Craig Hospital: The therapist composes a detailed aftercare plan; a 24-week programme in two packages delivered by the group's outpatient service; included for self-funding clients; in-person sessions in Edinburgh, London and Guildford for an additional fee; a Friday morning recovery club for 12 months; family involvement named in the plan.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Brochure: the group's outpatient service delivers the 24-week programme online with one-to-one therapy, recovery coaching, group therapy and an online family support group; case managed; included in fees for self-funding clients.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Discharge information is sent to the GP and relevant professionals, and an online continuing care programme follows.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: 2024 inspection: discharge planning begins at admission; follow-up after discharge is available from the service; discharge letters with current medication and recommendations go to community treating teams.
- C6 Admission integrity and commercial conduct · 3
One violation: a page on smarmorecastle.ie, a group domain whose footer names Castle Craig Hospital Limited as data controller, is headed as the best options for drug and alcohol treatment in Ireland and lists the sister clinic Smarmore Castle, which counts as an owned ranking on a domain the group controls. No paid recognition presented as independent and no text addressed to AI systems was found. No positive signal counts: the cost page gives a market range rather than a Castle Craig rate, 'we do not work with client-broker referral sites' is not a referral-fee position, and no policy of declining or referring on unsuitable admissions or voluntary-admission policy is published.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: low
Sources (6 cited items):- smarmorecastle.ie: A group page on a sister-clinic domain is headed as the best options for drug and alcohol treatment in Ireland, listing named hospitals and residential centres and then the sister clinic under private rehab; the footer names Castle Craig Hospital Limited as data controller.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Group membership: Castle Craig, Castle Craig Nederlands, Smarmore Castle, Stockholms beroendekliniken and CATCH Recovery, owned by the founding family.
- Castle Craig Hospital: The cost page gives no Castle Craig rate: it states that cost is based on the programme the clinical team recommends and quotes GBP 650 to GBP 1,500 a day as what private inpatient rehab in the UK typically costs; no payment plans are offered.
- Castle Craig Hospital: The clinic states it does not work with broker referral sites, which is not a position on paying or receiving referral fees.
- Castle Craig Hospital: A pre-admission assessment by the clinic's doctors establishes suitability, with no stated policy of declining or referring on.
- clinic and group domains, web search: Search of clinic and group domains, web search. Scope: domains checked castlecraig.co.uk, smarmorecastle.ie, smarmore-rehab-clinic.com, catchrecovery.com, castlehealth.com (the "best-rehab-clinics" page returned HTTP 403), castlecraig.nl and stockholmsberoendeklinik.se (domain search returned no pages); searches run: "Castle Craig" rehab best OR top.... Result: sweep recorded; outcome per the C6 V elements.
- C7 Transparency toward the client · 5
Published elements include regulator registration with a link to the November 2024 inspection report, the legal entity (SC108534), ownership by the founding family within the Castle Health group, a privacy notice naming the data controller with a clinical records retention period of typically 8 years or longer, and a statement of registration as a private psychiatric hospital with conditions not treated. The fee inclusions list is not counted because exclusions are not stated, and no cancellation, refund or extension terms and no external care-complaints body are published; without the fee element band 5 is the highest band whose requirements are all met. Companies House shows no registrable person with significant control since March 2024, which does not contradict the ownership statement, so no deduction applied.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: high
Sources (8 cited items):- Castle Craig Hospital: Cost page: an inclusions list, a price range only, no payment plans, full payment before treatment.
- Castle Craig Hospital: FAQ page: no refund, cancellation, extension or early-departure terms were found on capture.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Clinical governance page: registration with the regulator and a link to the November 2024 inspection report, an ISO 9001 certificate and a duty of candour report.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Contact page: a complaints procedure with acknowledgement within 3 working days and a full response within 20 working days; company registered in Scotland number SC108534; the regulator's regulated logo.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Privacy policy: data controller Castle Craig Hospital Ltd, SC108534, an ICO registration, clinical records kept typically 8 years or longer for mental health, and a complaint route to the ICO for data matters.
- Castle Craig Hospital: About page: owned by the founding family and part of the Castle Health group.
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: Companies House persons with significant control: no registrable person since 4 March 2024; earlier individual entries at 75 percent or more have ceased.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: 2024 inspection: information on making complaints to the regulator was available on the service's website and in the client information booklet.
- C8 Track record and regulator standing · 4
The scored finding is a complaint upheld by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and published on 13 April 2026, about the service's complaints policy and investigation not being in line with regulations, with no death or serious harm stated and no requirement notice, condition, fine or order. The latest inspection (17 to 18 September 2024, Good in all three areas, no requirements) predates the finding, so no inspection dated after it lifts the band, which gives band 4. A 2010 fatal accident inquiry determination about the operator is over ten years old and could only affect the top band. Professional-regulator outcomes against individual staff are recorded but not scored, and no court, tribunal or other regulator outcome against Castle Craig Hospital Limited was found.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: high
Known gapsFacts the assessment needed but could not establish.:- Whether the 2010 fatal accident inquiry determination is an adverse institutional finding needs confirmation from the determination itself; it has no effect at band 4.
- The element reading for this criterion is not published as a list; the band is explained in the reasoning.
Sources (16 cited items):- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: Complaint summary report published 13 April 2026, upheld complaints only; complaint area: the service's complaints policy and investigation not in line with regulations.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: The regulator's service page lists the 13 April 2026 complaint summary and the inspection reports from 2012 to 2024.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: Unannounced inspection 17 to 18 September 2024: Good in all three key focus areas, no requirements and five recommendations; the 2022 requirement on emergency medicines was met.
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: Companies House: incorporated 6 January 1988, previously named Renewal Clinics Limited.
- uk.trustpilot.com: Trustpilot: 3.2 from 33 reviews; 55 percent five-star, 30 percent one-star; replies to 100 percent of negative reviews; profile claimed July 2020.
- doctify.com: Doctify: 4.89 from 46 verified reviews, owner responses visible.
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland independent healthcare register: Search of Healthcare Improvement Scotland independent healthcare register. Scope: register entry for the clinic or its operator (last inspection). Result: record found.
- HIS inspection report PDF: Search of HIS inspection report PDF. Scope: register entry for the clinic or its operator (last inspection). Result: record found.
- Direct page fetch/pdftotext: Search of Direct page fetch/pdftotext. Scope: HIS IHC-Complaint-Summary-Upheld-For-Publishing-Castle-Craig-Hospital.pdf. Result: record found: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (independent healthcare regulator) published a complaint outcome summary for upheld complaints only, dated 13 April 2026 (PDF creation date), case CAS-01269-L4J7J....
- general web search: Search of a general web search engine. Scope: "Castle Craig" hospital fatal accident inquiry determination sheriff. Result: record found: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (independent healthcare regulator) published a complaint outcome summary for upheld complaints only, dated 13 April 2026 (PDF creation date), case CAS-01269-L4J7J....
- general web search: Search of a general web search engine. Scope: "Castle Craig Hospital" tribunal OR court OR fine OR "Healthcare Improvement Scotland" complaint upheld. Result: record found: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (independent healthcare regulator) published a complaint outcome summary for upheld complaints only, dated 13 April 2026 (PDF creation date), case CAS-01269-L4J7J....
- general web search: Search of a general web search engine. Scope: scotsman.com "Castle Craig" sheriff determination death 2010. Result: record found: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (independent healthcare regulator) published a complaint outcome summary for upheld complaints only, dated 13 April 2026 (PDF creation date), case CAS-01269-L4J7J....
- general web search: Search of a general web search engine. Scope: "Castle Craig Hospital Ltd" OR "Castle Craig Hospital Limited" employment tribunal OR judgment OR court. Result: record found: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (independent healthcare regulator) published a complaint outcome summary for upheld complaints only, dated 13 April 2026 (PDF creation date), case CAS-01269-L4J7J....
- CourtListener API search (type=r): Search of CourtListener API search (type=r). Scope: not run for UK entity. Result: record found: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (independent healthcare regulator) published a complaint outcome summary for upheld complaints only, dated 13 April 2026 (PDF creation date), case CAS-01269-L4J7J....
- press and news search: Search of press and news search. Scope: first-hand bylined reporting from inside the facility, last 5 years. Result: no record found.
- statutory regulator records: Search of statutory regulator records. Scope: inspection history and grades of this site. Result: record found: HIS unannounced inspection on 17 to 18 September 2024, report November 2024: Good in all three key focus areas (Direction; Implementation and delivery; Results), no requirements, five....
- C9 Environment, safety and nutrition · 4
The score is the mean of a health and safety sub-band of 5 and a nutrition sub-band of 3, which is 4. Health and safety elements met include on-site one-to-one therapy rooms and medical centres, 50 acres with a gym and woodland walks, emergency medicines and equipment checked weekly, secure medication storage, Sunday family visits and named housekeeping staff. The emergency element is not met because the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh's 24-hour emergency department is about 40 minutes and 39 km by road, above the 30-minute threshold. Nutrition rests on dietary accommodations only, with no named nutrition professional.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: high
Sources (7 cited items):- Castle Craig Hospital: Small rooms for one-to-one therapy and larger group rooms; medical centres for assessments and check-ups; a gym with instructors; a Victorian walled garden; woodland walks.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Brochure: two dedicated fitness trainers; nature trails and woodland walks; Sunday family visits and a family workshop; three freshly cooked meals a day; 30 minutes' drive from Edinburgh.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: 2024 inspection: emergency medicines and equipment easily accessible and checked weekly; policies for handling emergencies and medicine management; medicines stored securely in the medical centre with a lockable trolley; a weekly contracted pharmacist; risk assessments for fire, health and safety, infection control, oxygen supply, slips, trips and falls, and water systems; housekeeping and maintenance staff; gardens maintained by the gardener.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: Conditions of registration include no alcohol consumption during treatment; registered address Blyth Bridge, West Linton, EH46 7DH.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Medications brought in are assessed on arrival, and vitamins in sealed containers are inspected.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Team page names a Head of Housekeeping and a gardener; no dietitian or nutritionist is named.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Vegetarian, vegan, halal, coeliac or gluten-free meals as required; the kitchen is notified of requirements identified before admission; no named nutrition professional, assessment, protocol, education or monitoring is described.
- C10 Clinical seniority and academic standing · 4
Relevant clinicians are named, and the Medical Director's stated specialist listing in general psychiatry counts provisionally because GMC register reads for seven doctors returned HTTP 403. Eight credentials are confirmed on official registers (four BACP, three NMC, one COSCA), while the BACP Register returned no match for nine of thirteen therapists covered by the clinic's class-wide statement that all therapists hold that accreditation, which lowers the index. Eleven register checks remain open, so the score is provisional.
ProvisionalA check was still open when the edition closed, for example a register lookup or a video not yet received, or evidence under embargo.: Clinician register lookups for this criterion were still open at the edition cut-off (see known_gaps). The points count as assessed on the evidence available; the band may change when the lookups are completed, which is resolved in a later edition.
ConfidenceHow well the evidence supports the score.: medium
Known gapsFacts the assessment needed but could not establish.:- Eleven clinician register checks were not complete at publication; the C10 band may change when they are completed.
Sources (8 cited items):- Castle Craig Hospital: Team page names the Medical Director (stated as on the specialist register for general psychiatry and US board-certified), specialty doctors, the nursing team, therapy leads and therapists with individual registration claims, locum consultant psychiatrists and a board of directors.
- Castle Craig Hospital: Team page class-wide statement: all the clinic's therapists hold IC&RC, BACP and COSCA accreditation and a university degree or diploma in addiction counselling. The BACP Register contradicts this for 9 of the 13 named therapists it covers, so the statement gives provisional verification to no one.
- Castle Craig Hospital: The detox unit is led by the Medical Director, a full-time consultant psychiatrist.
- healthcareimprovementscotland.scot: Facility licence: the regulator's register of independent healthcare services lists Castle Craig Hospital, provider Castle Craig Hospital Ltd, independent psychiatric hospital, registered, with the Medical Director as service manager.
- bacp.co.uk: Register lookup: the BACP Register confirmed Registered Member status for four named therapists and returned no match for nine others on 2026-09-15.
- nmc.org.uk: Register lookup: the NMC register confirmed three named nurses as registered on 2026-09-15; a fourth name returned 16 entries and a CAPTCHA on 2026-09-16 and needs a person.
- finder.cosca.org.uk: Register lookup: the COSCA register confirmed one named counsellor as a Practitioner Member and returned no match for another on 2026-09-15.
- gmc-uk.org: Register lookup: GMC register reads for seven doctors returned HTTP 403 and remain open on the browser route, so those credentials stand as provisionally verified rather than confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
What does treatment at Castle Craig cost?
Castle Craig publishes no price of its own. Its cost page states that private inpatient rehab in the UK typically costs GBP 650 to GBP 1,500 a day, or around GBP 18,000 to GBP 40,000 a month, as a figure for the UK market rather than a Castle Craig rate, and says that at Castle Craig cost is based on the programme the clinical team recommends. Enquirers are asked to call admissions for a personalised quote. Inclusions are listed: medical detox, individual and group therapy, 12-Step facilitation, the family programme, accommodation and meals, and aftercare. Exclusions, cancellation, refund, extension and early-departure terms are not published. Full payment is required before treatment and no payment plans are offered. Insurer-funded, NHS-funded and local-authority-funded places are also accepted.
Where is Castle Craig and how do you get there?
The hospital is at Blyth Bridge, West Linton, Peeblesshire, EH46 7DH, in the Scottish Borders, about 20 miles and 40 minutes south of Edinburgh, one hour from Glasgow and two hours from Newcastle. It occupies an 18th-century Category B listed country house in 50 acres of private parkland, and the address appears on the Healthcare Improvement Scotland register. Free transport is provided from Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. International clients are accepted, though the clinic requires an adequate command of English because the programme is group-based.
Who is Castle Craig designed for?
People with serious alcohol, drug or behavioural addiction who need medically managed detoxification followed by an intensive abstinence-based residential programme, including those with a co-occurring mental health condition. The hospital takes self-funding, insured, NHS-funded and international clients side by side. It is not a single-client discretion product: treatment happens in a therapeutic community where residents live, eat and work in groups together, so it suits people who want peer recovery rather than seclusion.
How does admission work?
Admission begins with a telephone assessment through the help centre. The clinic's doctors then run a free pre-admission assessment to establish suitability, gathering medical information with the consultant psychiatrist, and the clinical lead approves each admission. After approval a psychiatrist, a therapist and a nurse each assess the client, a doctor carries out a full physical examination that may include blood and urine tests, and medical records and prescribing history are confirmed so detox can be planned safely. No referral is required. The minimum stay accepted is four weeks, with six weeks or longer recommended.
What happens after discharge?
Discharge planning begins at admission and the client's therapist writes a detailed aftercare plan. A 24-week continuing care programme follows, delivered mainly online by CATCH Recovery, the group's own outpatient service, in one of two packages and case managed, with family involvement named in the plan. It is included in the fee for self-funding clients and may be a paid extra on other funding routes. In-person sessions are available in Edinburgh, London and Guildford for an additional fee, an online Friday recovery group runs for 12 months and a coaching group for the first six months. Discharge letters with current medication go to the client's GP and community treating teams. Psychiatric review or medication management after discharge is not published.