Edinburgh Central
About About this youth hostel
Edinburgh Central offers contemporary hostel accommodation in the heart of the city, close to major transport links and ideally positioned for exploring Scotland's capital. The hostel offers a wide variety of private rooms and shared dorm accommodation making it a perfect base for couples, families and solo travellers looking to explore and enjoy Scotland’s capital city on a budget. All rooms have en-suite facilities and individual lockers.
The hostel’s welcoming and vibrant communal spaces are perfect for relaxing and socialising. Our Café Bar is open from 7am to 11pm daily offering a wide selection of delicious food and drink. WiFi is free for all guests and other facilities include: a small but well-equipped guest kitchen, meeting rooms, laundry, secure bike storage and a luggage store for anyone arriving early and eager to head off right away to explore the city!
The hostel is just ten minutes on foot from Waverley railway station, the bus station and close to York Place tram stop. Parking near Edinburgh Central is possible, with on-street Pay & Display spaces in the surrounding area and at nearby Greenside Car Park (contact the hostel directly for more information).
For more information on the hostel, accessibility and the local area please click here
Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel
Facilities & Services
Season
Open all year
Reception Hours
Open 24 hours
Check in
16:00 - 23.00
Check out
07.00 - 10:00
Access Hours
We are happy to welcome you. Subject to availability: early check-in and late check out may be available for an extra £10 per room
Amenities
Free Wifi
Secure Lockers
Towel Hire
Catering
Games Room
Pool Table
Lounge/TV Room
En Suite Rooms
Family Rooms
Guest Kitchen
Laundry Room
Alcohol Licence
Bike Store
Cafe
Suitable for Groups
Private Rooms
Shopping Nearby
Parking - Charges Apply (nearby or onsite)
Free Tea and Coffee in Guest Kitchen
Guest Reviews
12/05/2025
Excellent location,Good value within walking distance of a number of restaurants,Friendly check in staff,Put bikes in a locked luggage stire room which was convenient.Hilary Douglas
12/05/2025
Had a great stay would definitely stay here again when coming to Edinburgh so convenient to get around, great price and location.Laura
11/05/2025
The staff was very helpful, room was clean, enjoyed the stay very much!Alex
11/05/2025
The hostel is perfect for a friends Travel. Rooms are simple but clean. Very useful the tram that pass front by the hostel. Staff is friendly! ThanksCristina
11/05/2025
Ideal location! Friendly staff.Päivi
10/05/2025
As I have said ,quality hostels more like a hotelHenricky
09/05/2025
I travelled to Edinburgh for the Bank holiday weekend in May with 4 more members of my family. After doing a big research and the expensive prices of the hotels we were lucky to find the Edinburgh Central that had everything we needed in an affordable price. We will keep using Hostelling Scotland for our next trip and we could not recommend this hostel enough.... 100% recommended.Eva Martinez
09/05/2025
We are experienced travellers in our late 50s and were in Edinburgh for a short time (2.5 days). We wanted to pack a lot in, so wouldn't be spending much time in our room. We hadn't stayed in a hostel since we were kids but saw the photos of the lounge and breakfast and facilities and thought we would give it a try. Could not have been more pleased. Clean, basic but comfortable, and best of all, fantastic location. Tram at front door and easy walk in all directions. Great value for money.Paul from Vancouver
08/05/2025
This is a clean and comfortable Hostel . Friendly and helpful staff. A really good place for visiting Edinburgh. Highly recommended.Anita
05/05/2025
Excellent hostel. Clean, tidy. Busy but they coped very well. A large well behaved group of French students were there, but not too noisy.Yes
05/05/2025
Very good experience and kind people. Thank you!!Katia
05/05/2025
Very close to the centerAlex
01/05/2025
We had a great stay. The staff were wecoming and helpful, The rooms were clean and bright and the communal spaces were spacious and modern.Dingwall Academy
01/05/2025
This hostel was just what we needed. Easy walk to the heart of Edinburgh and great space. We had a private room which was very clean and spacious.David Katona
27/04/2025
V goodAlan Lucas
27/04/2025
Super stay. Excellent value for money. Extremely helpful staff and spotlessly clean. Would recommend for families, couples or groups of any age.Yes
26/04/2025
Comfortable ensuite room well located in the city (walking or using tram / bus nearby)Clement
24/04/2025
As soon as we arrived it was so seamless. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Storing our luggage was free and convenient. It was such a comfortable space to return to at the end of the day.Lindsay
23/04/2025
Very convenient place. Not as quiet at night than in other hostels but it is to be expected in such a big city.Sylvie
20/04/2025
Qualité et prix, emplacement, accueil, propreté, facilités tout était parfait.Brigitte x
18/04/2025
Booked 29 students and their teachers for 5 nights. Fantastic experience overall in a very secure, clean establishment with a great atmosphere. Would have been even better if there were a few more items available for the wee breakfast such as cheese, ham slices and decent coffee.London on Legs
18/04/2025
The hostel staff were v helpful and efficient. Room was en suite with a double bed. It was clean and quiet. No issues and within walking distance of the city.Pam Mulcahy
17/04/2025
Fantastic can't complainRicky Martin
16/04/2025
Everything was well, a very good experience. The breakfast could have been better though.Christoph
15/04/2025
Handy location, economical stay and friendly staff. Free luggage store room.J Wilson
08/04/2025
GoodEmre
08/04/2025
Very friendly and supportive staff. Hostel rooms nicely kept and the staff responded rapidly to any queries. It proved a great base for a city weekend and the breakfast set us up for the whole day. Bar reasonably priced compared to the city prices.Yes
07/04/2025
Great location. The staff are very helpful and nice.Henar Pérez
06/04/2025
Great value for what you get and great location!YC
05/04/2025
Great stop over to wrap up my cycling holiday before heading homeAinsyboy
Reasons to visit
More than just Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to one of the world's most famous summer festivals. One of the UK's most popular tourist destinations, Edinburgh boasts a plethora of world-class visitor attractions including a number which are free: the National Museum of Scotland, Royal Botanic Gardens, Scottish National Gallery, St Giles Cathedral, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Scottish Parliament Visitor Centre. Many attractions also offer regular free guided tours.
From film locations to museums and galleries, fantastic shopping, a vibrant nightlife and fine or relaxed dining - you can even climb Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano! Add to this the spectacular surroundings of the majestic Lothians, or the opportunity to take a rail trip to the Scottish Borders, and you've got a recipe for an unforgettable break.
Whatever you're looking for Edinburgh has it in bundles and will have you coming back for more!
Some experiences not to be missed:
- Sunrise from Arthur's Seat
- The Forth Bridges and the new Queensferry Crossing
- Underground streets of Mary King's Close
- The Old Town and Royal Mile
- Lunch in the Grassmarket
- Royal Yacht Britannia
- Palace of Holyrood
- The Elephant House Café (famous from the Harry Potter films)
- Take in a free performance at the 'Fringe Festival'
- Whisky tastings!
Look out for free walking tours including: 'Old Town Tour ' and the 'Potter Trail' (muggles welcome).