Braemar Youth Hostel
About About this youth hostel
An impressive former shooting lodge, Braemar Youth Hostel sits in extensive grounds in the heart of Cairngorms National Park and is a great base for exploring Royal Deeside with its many castles and distilleries, including Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s Scottish home.
Perfect for groups, families and individual travellers, the hostel boasts many traditional features and offers guests a wide range of room types, from comfortable private rooms to spacious shared accommodation. None of the rooms are en-suite but ample shower and washroom facilities are available.
Guests can opt for a continental breakfast served in the dining room or take advantage of the large, well-equipped self-catering kitchen. Other facilities include free WiFi, a bright, comfortable lounge with TV, a laundry and drying room, free onsite parking and secure bike storage. Basic provisions, confectionery and soft drinks are available to purchase at reception.
Sitting on the ‘Snow Road’, the hostel is the perfect base for outdoor enthusiasts, within easy reach of the Cairngorms and the ski centres at Glenshee and the Lecht.
Braemar is a dog-friendly hostel. If you would like to book yourself and your dog into the hostel, please phone the hostel direct on +44 (0) 1339 741 659 to check availability. There is a small charge of £5 per night for your dog when staying in our hostels.
The hostel is also available for exclusive private rental.
For information on hostel accessibility please click here
Why stay?
- Great location with friendly staff
- Secure lockers
- Private rooms available
Braemar Youth Hostel
Facilities & Services
Season
February - September (RentaHostel available all year)
Reception Hours
Sunday to Thursday 08:00 - 10:00 and 17:00 - 21:00, Friday & Saturday 08:00 - 10:00 and 17:00 -22:00
Check in
17:00 - 22:00
Check out
10:00
Access Hours
Late arrival and access outside opening hours by pre-arrangement only
Amenities
Free Wifi
Private Rooms Available
Family Rooms Available
Suitable for Groups
Catering Available (Breakfast Only)
Self Catering Kitchen
Alcohol Licence
Lounge/TV Room
Laundry Room
Drying Room
Secure Lockers
Bike Store
Free Parking (nearby or onsite)
Shopping Nearby
Pet Dogs Welcome
Complimentary Tea and Coffee available in Self Catering Kitchen
Guest Reviews
19/08/19
Nice old building with lots of character. Manager is a good communicator and very helpful. Excellent kitchen facilities. Bikeshed could do with upgrading as its certainly showing its age.Doug
19/08/19
The wardens, Ian and Edward, at the Braemar youth hostel were most gracious and welcoming. They maintain the building beautifully, and with obvious loving care. The rooms are comfortable and sparkling clean. Staying there was a pleasure. The wardens also are knowledgeable about the village and surrounds, and so were very helpful to this countryside explorer.Marcy
14/08/19
Very helpful and pleasant staff. Positive experience, I would definitely stay here again.Yed
12/08/19
A brilliant hostel in a great location. Very friendly & helpful staff.Paul from Glasgow.
01/08/19
I had a great stay. Area spectacular. Staff are friendly and obliging. Great value for money. I will definitely go back to Braemar hostel.Cee
31/07/19
I had booked the wrong night so having it sorted at check in was great. Good experience and will be staying again some time.David M
31/07/19
The setting was brilliant all the wild life around the hostel. the drying room excellent when you have been Munroing and need to get things dry. Staff were very good ,would definitely come back againTim and John
31/07/19
Stayed in a twin room at Braemar Youth Hotel while on a mini tour of Scotland with a friend from Mexico. Made to feel very welcome when we arrived, clean room with towels in a fantastic location. Breaksfast incredibly good value for money. An excellent stay.Mike Wilson
30/07/19
Great hostel in a great location. The warden was very friendly and helpful, thanks! Great wildlife spotting without even leaving the hostel. The building itself could do with refurbishing, but it does everything it needs to. We had a fantastic night and will hopefully be back.No
27/07/19
Very friendly staff. Perfect location in the southern Cairngorms.Richard H
27/07/19
I've stayed at this hostel two times, both after long treks in the Cairngorms, and I found it easy to rest and relax here. The staff are very friendly and helpful (they'll lend you wellies if your shoes are soaked from the Lairig Ghru, or help you pull out a tick.) The common room is cosy, the bathroom and kitchen facilities are clean and comfortable to use. The hostel is in a quiet wooded location, not far from Braemar center, and the atmosphere is very tranquil. I'd definitely stay here again.Elena
17/07/19
It was a very nice one night stay. The staff was very kind, and the other visites too. We enjoyed it very much !Dominique
16/07/19
Excellent. Reception was staffed at 9.30pm when i arrived. Shed for bike storage, wi-fi and door code easily accessed. Great facilities and excellent showers and toilets. Big old house surrounded by wildlife. Will be returning at first oppertunity.R Arbuckle
16/07/19
ExcellentNo
06/07/19
Lovely setting, clean and well stocked areas. Friendly staff and welcoming.Gillian
05/07/19
Great spot even for short stay. Excellent facilities. Very conscientious manager. Short walk to town. Highly recommend cafe behind outdoor shop. After several overnights with tiny showers, the hostel's were heavenly. We will be back with more time to spend.Hollows of Helena
04/07/19
Very warm welcome even though we were late at arrival. The kindly staff made the start of our holiday unforgettable.jf
29/06/19
Upon checking in, we asked the host for information about local hikes. He was very gracious and gave us loads of great advice. We appreciate the time he spent letting us know about the hostel and we had a very relaxing time here!Elizabeth & James
28/06/19
Perfect for my stop in the middle of a long walk.Paul
24/06/19
A fantastic stay, got a brilliant warm welcome, lovely atmosphere, will definitely be back in the futureCarole
22/06/19
Lovely building in a superb setting and a great location Staff were friendly and helpful and hostel was clean and tidy with all the facilities you would expectTony Thorley
20/06/19
Very helpful staff, happy for us to drop off our bags at the hostel in the morning before checking in that evening, so we could explore Braemar unencumbered during the day, not having a car. Also let us leave some stuff to pick up later next day so we could go hillwalking very early!Mary W
18/06/19
Lovely Hostel in the heart of the eastern Cairngorms. Love it.Antoni Anderson
18/06/19
Cheap and cheerful. Staff were lovely and the place was spotless. The kitchen is huge and very well appointed. Quiet and peaceful after 9pm which was super. Sitting by the window at breakfast I saw a grouse foraging for food, some rabbits frolicking on the lawn, and a couple of red squirrels scampering through the trees.Niemand
14/06/19
Very comfortable with good cooking and washing facilities. Chatty fellow hostellers. Reassuring wardens.Miriam
13/06/19
Excellent wildlife location especially Red squirrels.Ken & Christine
12/06/19
A very warm welcome, we were able to access the room at 12.30 and left for us. The hotel is very well located and allows for beautiful hikes. We enshrined the visit of small animals (rabbit, squirrels). The kitchen is very large and everything is available to travelers. The places are clean. Thank you for this night and for your kindness.Ludivine&Elisa(20 years old, French travelers)
10/06/19
Pleasant, friendly, warm, and accommodating.Dave H
Perfect for groups, families and individual travellers, the hostel boasts many traditional features and offers guests a wide range of room types, from comfortable private rooms to spacious shared accommodation. None of the rooms are en-suite but ample shower and washroom facilities are available.
Guests can opt for a continental breakfast served in the dining room or take advantage of the large, well-equipped self-catering kitchen. Other facilities include free WiFi, a bright, comfortable lounge with TV, a laundry and drying room, free onsite parking and secure bike storage. Basic provisions, confectionery and soft drinks are available to purchase at reception.
Sitting on the ‘Snow Road’, the hostel is the perfect base for outdoor enthusiasts, within easy reach of the Cairngorms and the ski centres at Glenshee and the Lecht.
Braemar is a dog-friendly hostel. If you would like to book yourself and your dog into the hostel, please phone the hostel direct on +44 (0) 1339 741 659 to check availability. There is a small charge of £5 per night for your dog when staying in our hostels.
The hostel is also available for exclusive private rental.
For information on hostel accessibility please click here
Why stay?
- Great location with friendly staff
- Secure lockers
- Private rooms available
Reasons to visit
The village sits on 'The Snow Road', a 90-mile journey which takes you from the picturesque market town of Blairgowrie to the traditional Highland town of Grantown-on-Spey. The route traverses the highest public road in Britain through some of the most impressive landscapes in the eastern Cairngorms, linking the communities of Braemar, Ballater and Tomintoul.
With no less than 24 Munros within easy reach it's no wonder the area is popular with outdoor enthusiasts. It's also a perfect base for winter sports, as Glenshee is just eight miles to the south and the Lecht is to the north.
This ancient village is also home to the world famous annual Braemar Gathering and Highland Games. Held on the first Saturday in September, the event is regularly attended by the Royal Family and features the best pipe bands, pipers, Highland dancers and athletes.
