Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel
About About this youth hostel
Sitting in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, next to Loch Morlich, seven miles from Aviemore and close to the Cairngorm mountain funicular and snow sports area, Cairngorm Lodge is one of the best places to stay for year-round outdoor fun.
The former shooting lodge offers a range of shared and private accommodation and has great facilities for individuals, families and groups looking to spend some time in the great outdoors.
The hostel has a comfortable lounge area with magnificent views over the Cairngorms, a well-equipped self-catering kitchen and spacious dining area as well as a secure cycle store and drying room. WiFi is available but very limited due to the surrounding mountains. Cooked breakfasts, packed lunches and full evening meals are available every evening
Glenmore is a fabulous area for activities including walking, climbing, mountain biking, snow and water sports, but it's also somewhere to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Scotland, with easy walking and cycling paths through the Caledonian Pine Forest on our doorstep. For something different, why not visit the Reindeer Centre where you can learn about and feed these friendly free roaming animals.
With dog friendly accommodation available, your four-legged friend will be able to join in on all the fun! A small fee of £5 per dog per night will be charged and must be booked in advance to ensure that a dog friendly room is allocated. For further information please refer to our Dog Guidelines.
Hostellers LOVE...
- Fantastic location in the Cairngorm National Park
- Friendly, welcoming staff
- Great food
- Secure lockers and Luggage Store
- Private rooms available
Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel
Facilities & Services
Season
Open all year
Reception Hours
07:00 - 10:00 and 17:00- 22:30/23:00 on weekends
Check in
17:00pm
Check out
10:00am
Access Hours
Late arrival and access outside opening hours is by pre-arrangement only.
Amenities
Free Wifi
Private Rooms Available
Family Rooms Available
Suitable for Groups
Lounge Area
Cafe
Self Catering Kitchen
Alcohol Licence
Laundry Room
Drying Room
Shopping Nearby
Pool Table
Secure Lockers
Luggage Store
Bike Store
Access with limited mobility
Suitable for wheelchair users with assistance
Free Parking (nearby or onsite)
Pet Dogs Welcome
Catering Available (Full Meal Service)
Complimentary Tea and Coffee available in Self Catering Kitchen
Guest Reviews
21/10/18
Great stay for 3 nights. Extremely friendly and welcoming staff. Self catering kitchen good, but rather squashed when shared with a large group.Lovely hot showers.JanTay
18/10/18
great staff, good location near reindeer centre, beach and local pub.andrew
11/10/18
Excellent perfect after a big day in the hill!!!Warm, quiet space for reading & coffee.RWN24230
02/10/18
Wonderful house in a beatiful environment. We will come again :-)Wonderful house in a beatiful environment. We will come again :-)
27/09/18
This was my second night in a hostel and what a hostel Cairngorm Lodge is, it is located in the beautiful caringorm national park. There is a kitchen serving very good food with amazing friendly staff who are happy to help which was much needed following my four days motorbiking around the coast of Scotland. I will be returning next year - a must for anyone planning a trip to the Cairngorms.Ray from Manchester
18/09/18
I'd liked to stay longer and take some walks. Cosy Hostel in a great location for outdoor activities.Tania G.
17/09/18
We had a wonderful stay and the staff could not have been more helpful or keen to ensure that we were having a good experience. They took on board and accommodated our needs, listened to our children and provided wholesome hearty meals. Our children were able to develop and practice some independence skills in a safe environment. The area surrounding Cairngorm Lodge provides many opportunities for all abilities to explore and immerse themselves an a beautiful environment.Grangemouth High School
13/09/18
Extremely knowledgeable staff on routes and local weather conditions, Good size rooms and plenty of space in dining hall, common room. Excellent drying facilities and it's nestled in middle of Cairngorms next to lake, woodland and a fantastic ski lodge style bar. Great location.Emma
10/09/18
As always at Cairngorm Lodge very kind, pleasant and helpful staff. A pleasure to visit.Old timer
05/09/18
Cairngorm hostel was lovely. The staff could not be more helpful and friendly. Facility are great and the place was spotless. Felt like a second home due to the staff.Molly
01/09/18
Great for walks, including walks for people with hip replacements (many of them marked paths easy to follow). Great for families as well. Wish we had brought our bikes, because of the many excellent cycle tracks. Also enjoyed steam train, train up to Cairn Gorm, Reindeer Centre. Lovely lochs with walks and views. Acres and acres of pine forests.D and S from Northeast England
31/08/18
This Youth Hostel was a fabulous place to come back to after a couple of days hiking in the Cairngorms. The views from the Hostel made it possible to relive the memories. The contrast between camping high up in the mountains and curling up in a comfortable bed afterwards was a great contrast which heightened the experience!Nao from Pershore
26/08/18
The walk to the green loch is really worth it and a lovely break after coming down the peaksTracey Alexander
06/08/18
Fantastic location, bus stop right outside, car parking and loads to do right outside the doorJane
02/08/18
Water Sports and Cycling activities within easy walking distance of the hostel.Graeme Baxter
09/07/18
Youth hostel was a great base for the activities we planned. Did zip lining and gorge walking with G2 which were well organised. It was our first time at a youth hostel, kids loved it and can't wait to go back.Caro
09/07/18
Great location for outdoor activitiesT.Willis
30/06/18
Excellent location for hikes into the Cairngorm National Park. You can take a bus, walk for roughly 5 kilometers or hitchhike into the base station where many trails start. Some hiking routes pass the hostel from 100 meters away and they take you into the mountains or elsewhere in the national park. The bus service into and from Aviemore stops around 5 pm so after that getting to the hostel is somewhat harder.Eemeli Saarelainen
30/06/18
Great location for a hike into the mountains of the Cairngorm National Park. You can take a bus to the base station where many trails begin or walk there yourself for 5 kilometers or so. The trails are very close to the hostel. Hitchhiking also works wonderfully. Bear in mind that the bus service from Aviemore to the hostel stops around 5 pm or so. After that you have to take a taxi which will cost you around 14£, walk ~10km or hitchhike.Eemeli Saarelainen
10/06/18
Outstanding location with very friendly staff. Lodge has good range of facilitiesroger g
30/05/18
A great base for exploring the Cairngorms, comfortable and welcoming.Gromit
29/05/18
Lovely place, beautiful location and great for driving to nearby Aviemore, or Fort Augustus and Fort William. Highly recommended!Steph R
13/05/18
Excellent base-camp to discover the Cairngorms!Friend of Scotland
08/05/18
The location was perfect for walking, water sports on Loch Morlich and live entertainment in the Pine Marten bar across the road. At night, the beds were cosy and the hostel drying room was a handy facility after getting caught in the rain!Sophie
05/05/18
A brilliant hostel at the heart of the Cairngorm's National Park. You will be made very welcome by Caroline & David, the hostel managers.Paul
02/05/18
This hostel has extremely friendly staff and is in a great location. My preferred hostel in Aviemore because it feels homely and welcoming. Thanks for making me so welcome.paul lewis
08/04/18
Brilliant lounges and games books etc for children and all the family. Gorgeous view of the Cairngorms from our family room. Staff could not have been more helpful or friendly. Strongly recommend!Young Glasgow family
04/04/18
A great place to stay. Welcoming, well run and excellent location.Mary D
02/04/18
Great to note that, over the years, the high standard of CGL has been maintained.Footloose
26/03/18
Excellent location and great food at a most reasonable price.PeterMac
Hostellers LOVE...
- Fantastic location in the Cairngorm National Park
- Friendly, welcoming staff
- Great food
- Secure lockers and Luggage Store
- Private rooms available
Reasons to visit
Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel sits within the Cairngorms National Park, voted one of the top 20 places to visit in the world by National Geographic Traveller Magazine. The park, in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, has something for everyone - from castles and distilleries to family attractions, water and snowsports, wildlife watching, and some incredible high and low level walking and cycling routes.
Visit the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd, sample a craft beer at the Cairngorm Brewery, discover Loch Morlich and the highest sandy beach in Britain, take a trip on the Cairngorm Funicular Railway and explore the Craigellachie National Nature Reserve.
Cairngorm Lodge is the perfect location for families, groups and individuals looking to take advantage of this natural playground.
