Royal Mile Backpackers
Small, cosy and quaint.
Scotland provides a comprehensive choice of accommodation to suit all visitors.
For budget travel, the options are campsites, hostels and cheap B&Bs. In highland areas you'll find bothies – simple walkers' hostels and shelters – and in the Shetlands there are böds (characterful but basic shared accommodation).
Above this price level is a plethora of comfortable B&Bs and guesthouses (£25 to £40 per person per night). Midrange hotels are present in most places, while in the higher price bracket (£65-plus per person a night) there are some superb hotels, the most interesting being converted castles and mansions, or chic designer options in cities.
If you're travelling solo, expect to pay a supplement in hotels and B&Bs, meaning you'll often be forking over 75% of the price of a double for your single room.
Almost all B&Bs, guesthouses and hotels (and even some hostels) include breakfast in the room price.
Prices increase over the peak tourist season (June to September) and are at their highest in July and August. Outside of these months, and particularly in winter, special deals are often available at guesthouses and hotels.
If you're going to be in Edinburgh in August (festival month) or at Hogmanay (New Year), book as far in advance as you can – a year if possible – as the city will be packed.
Tourist offices have an accommodation booking service (£4), which can be handy over summer. However, note that they can only book the ever-decreasing number of places that are registered with VisitScotland. There are many other fine accommodation options that, mostly due to the hefty registration fee, choose not to register with the tourist board. Registered places tend to be a little pricier than nonregistered ones. Visit Scotland's star system is based on a rather arbitrary set of criteria, so don't set too much store by it.
Small, cosy and quaint.
The Heb is a friendly, easy-going hostel close to the ferry, with comfy wooden bunks, a convivial living room with peat fire and a welcoming owner who can provide all kinds of advice on what to do and where to go.
Ratagan Youth Hostel is a good hostel. It has excellent facilities and a to-die-for spot by Loch Duich. If you want a break from Munro bagging, this is the place...
From its racy red duvets that wish you goodnight in several languages, you can tell this bright hostel is cheeky and cheerful...
Friendly, laid-back and very comfortable, this is a cracking hostel smack bang in the middle of town, with three- to eight-bed dorms that are in mint condition. There are also good-value en suite twins and doubles, with beds, not bunks...
Inverness’ modern 166-bed hostel is 10 minutes’ walk northeast of the city centre. With its comfy beds and flashy stainless-steel kitchen, some reckon it’s the best hostel in the country...
Set in a beautifully converted historic building, with clean, modern kitchen, pool room, and an ideal location right in the city centre. Can get a bit noisy at night, but that's because it's close to pubs and nightlife.
This converted school is now a well-equipped hostel with eight-bed dorms in a tranquil spot 800m north of the bridge, on the eastern bank. Although it's popular with outdoor enthusiasts, you may just about have the place to yourself...
This is a friendly place with a good vibe and a large and attractive communal lounge with lots of sofas and armchairs. Buffet breakfast is included in the price, plus there’s free tea and coffee, a laundry service (£2.50) and powerful showers...
With its bright, spacious, single-sex dorms, superb views and friendly staff, the 200-bed Castle Rock has lots to like...
Well-run and comfortable, with a spacious kitchen, dining area and lounge, this is a real haven for walkers or anyone passing through Crianlarich...
Basic self-catering flats (available mid-Jun to mid-Aug), or plush B&B rooms at Kings Hall in the heart of Old Aberdeen (available year-round).
Summer only; all single rooms in student accommodation.
You’ve got to hand it to the SYHA; it's chosen some very sweet locations for its hostels. This is as close to the water as it is to the town’s best pub: about four seconds’ walk...
This highly convenient central hostel is friendly, roomy and sociable. The colourful, spacious dormitories are clean and light, there’s free tea and coffee, a good kitchen and a laissez-faire atmosphere...
A 10-minute walk from the bus and train stations, this lively and welcoming hostel is set in a grand Victorian villa, perched on a hillside with great views over Loch Linnhe.
A rustic, hospitable place to stay with great facilities, Comrie Croft has a bit of everything: camping; a pleasant, airy hostel with plenty of bed space; and Sami-style tepees (£60 to £75) with wood stove that sleep up to four...
This fun spot piles on the extras, with bike storage, pool tables, laundry and a colourful chill-out lounge. You'll pay a little more for four-bunk dorms, but larger dorms are great value...
This modern and comfortable hostel is housed in a former distillery building with views over the loch.
In the north of the island, this hostel has clean, spacious dorms, helpful owners and buckets of information about Arran. Its worn furnishings are offset by the lovely views.
Edinburgh Backpackers is clean, bright and friendly, with a lively bistro-bar on the ground floor. It’s right in the heart of Edinburgh’s pub culture, which makes it great for partying but not so good for a peaceful night’s sleep.
Tongue Hotel is a welcoming spot that offers attractive, roomy chambers in a former hunting lodge...
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