Gairloch Sands Youth Hostel
About About this youth hostel
A lochside lodge, sitting on the northern shore of Loch Gairloch, with magnificent sea and mountain views and easy access to fantastic sandy beaches.
Gairloch Sands Youth Hostel is a great base for exploring the North West Highlands, offering guests a range of comfortable private and shared rooms. None of the rooms are en-suite but ample shower and washroom facilities are available.
Guests can opt for a ‘Wee Breakfast’ of cereal, Scottish yogurt, fresh fruit, tea and coffee, or take advantage of the recently refurbished and well-equipped self-catering kitchen and dining room. The hostel is licensed so you can enjoy a beer, malt whisky or glass of wine while relaxing in the cosy lounge with panoramic views over Gairloch, the Torridon hills, Skye Cullins and outer Hebrides (on a good day)!
WiFi is free for all guests and other facilities include lockers, a laundry and a small drying room. Basic provisions, confectionery and soft drinks are available to purchase at reception and the nearest shop is only a five minute walk away. The hostel has onsite parking facilities for up to 13 cars.
Dogs are welcome at Gairloch Sands, for a small fee, when guests book a private room. Please notify us in advance to ensure there is a dog friendly room available.
The hostel is also available for exclusive private rental.
Hostellers LOVE...
- Welcoming staff with great local knowledge
- Stunning loch side location with magnificent views
- Private rooms available
- Secure lockers
Gairloch Sands Youth Hostel
Facilities & Services
Season
April to September (RentaHostel available all year)
Reception Hours
08:00 - 10:00 and 17:00 - 22:00
Check in
17:00 - 22:00
Check out
08:00 - 10:00
Access Hours
The youth hostel is closed between 10:00 and 17:00
Amenities
Free Wifi
Alcohol Licence
Private Rooms Available
Family Rooms Available
Catering Available (Breakfast Only)
Self Catering Kitchen
Complimentary Tea and Coffee available in Self Catering Kitchen
Lounge Area
Laundry Room
Towel Hire Available
Drying Room
Secure Lockers
Pet Dogs Welcome
'Heat it and Eat Meals' available
Free Parking (nearby or onsite)
Guest Reviews
02/10/18
Wonderful house in a beautiful location.The whole hostel team is very friendly and supportive.We really like staying in this house and will come again.Thank you!Axel
30/09/18
Very nice hostel. Very friendly staff. Well equiped kitchen, nice lounge. Views of Sky and a lot of water. Everything clean. Very good value for money. Maybe a little remote, but I liked the feeling.Alexandra from Switzerland
05/08/18
Great place, great staff that give you lots of tips about gairloch, but also for the rest of your trip around the North Coast 500. The view from the hostel is amazing!!! We even saw dolphins passing by. Lovely and I would recommend it to everyone.Dutch backpacker
09/06/18
Beautifully sited hostel with very friendly helpful manager.Wyefour
09/06/18
excellent location the view from lounge is truly amazing .staff very accommodating and friendly will definitely be backmartin
07/06/18
Beautifully situated hostel with superb views. Fabulous beach nearby as is the intresting village of Gairloch. Many hill & aquatic adventures await!The hostel retains its character with wood panelled walls and ceilings - wonderful.Thehappyheadtorch
04/06/18
A great location for exploring the beach and wider area. I'd recommend a sunset walk every night followed by a cosy glass of wine looking out towards Torridan.Scot on tour
20/05/18
This will not be disappointing and is far more sociable/interesting than B&B.Le Corbeau
14/05/18
After 30 years visiting the west coast this hostel was a great new find. A short walk to the sands, amazing sunset and fantastic location for exploring the west coast. Smaller hostel which is fantastic, and good facilities.John Thorne
09/05/18
Excellent hostel, plenty of space.Jane
07/05/18
welcoming and friendlyOmdenker2
04/05/18
Make sure this one is on your visit list.JT
18/04/18
Excellent hostel, immaculate clean, amazing views.Katarina
13/04/18
A small and quiet Youth Hostel .The five-bed family room was pleasant. The kids enjoyed the available games and the binocular provided in the lounge. Beautiful view on the sea.Les 4 As
22/11/17
We rented the whole hostel for my birthday with rentahostel. There were 27 of us staying very comfortably in this beautiful old hunting lodge which has been a youth hostel since 1932. The location is stunning in the shore overlooking the torridon and Skye mountain ranges and our across the munch to the outer isles. The facilities are fantastic and we were all very warm and comfortable and the kitchen easily catered for us all. Would highly recommend this and would return again.Christine
28/09/17
This is an excellent hostel in a beautiful location with sunsets and sunrises which can be stunning. Facilities as in all SYHA hostels are very good and it is a comfortable place to relax after a hard day. Well situated for many mountain expeditions and close enough to Gairloch village and its shops, cafes and bars, it is an ideal location. We shall certainly be back soon.Alan MacRae
15/09/17
From the windows changing weather sheets across the water. To walk or not to walk is the question.Margaret
09/09/17
Quiet location with wonderful views over THE LOCH.Redduster
08/09/17
Great hostel. A bit of a trek from the main village so you'd have to drive/cycle to the shops/restaurants. Stop at the nature reserve near Loch Maree just before Gairloch there are some cool waymarked walking routes.Rhiannon
03/09/17
Lovely hostel with great views. Nice kitchen and lounge and not too far outside Gairloch.Samantha
01/09/17
I had a wonderful stay in this hostel, It was clean, in a wonderfully peaceful location and the staff could not have been more helpful. Gairloch is a wonderful unspoilt little town and is now my favourite spot in Scotland. I will be back to further explore next spring.Robert from Ireland
01/09/17
Great welcoming and friendly place to stay. Beautiful location and great facilities, very clean. Plenty of things to do locally including hill walking and boat trips. Lots of nice places to eat and an interesting museum for rainy days. Great atmosphere at the hostel and great recycling facilities!Meadowsweet
29/08/17
The room was very cold as the window was half broken but otherwise our stay was great !Alicia
27/08/17
I remember staying at this hosted decade ago, when it was known by the house name, Carn Dearg. It has got wonderful views of mountains stretching for miles in the distance, but on this occasion, the weather was cloudy and misty. Enjoyed my stay, nevertheless.PiperBob
26/08/17
Great area to stay in, wish we had planned to spend more time there and do more things. The town was really well supplied for food, restaurants and activitiesM. Newell
17/08/17
Good value for the money, I can definitely recommend Gairloch Sands Youth Hostel to those who appreciate the nature, isolation, calm.Dalia Mikkelsen
17/08/17
efficient and great atmosphere !Felix B
12/08/17
friendly welcome; very good equipped and clean kitchen; clean bathrooms but could have a couple more toilets; great for a family stayclimbing down into one of the little coves and going für a swim - we had the place on our ownMaria
11/08/17
Le lieu est incroyable, la prestation est à la hauteur de ce qu'on peut attendre d'une auberge de jeunesse. Seuls hics, (i) les oreillers et la couette ne sentent pas très bon, laver les draps c'est bien mais il faut aussi laver le reste de temps en temps et (II) Les places sont limitées pour les voitures et à cette distance delà ville, cela commence à être problématique. Nous y avons tout de même passé un très bon séjour et la région est magnifique.AB
22/07/17
Location was great, beach nearby, we could see dolphins from the lounge. Notice that the hostel is closed during the day so you cannot access your room and other facilities.july_guest
Gairloch Sands Youth Hostel is a great base for exploring the North West Highlands, offering guests a range of comfortable private and shared rooms. None of the rooms are en-suite but ample shower and washroom facilities are available.
Guests can opt for a ‘Wee Breakfast’ of cereal, Scottish yogurt, fresh fruit, tea and coffee, or take advantage of the recently refurbished and well-equipped self-catering kitchen and dining room. The hostel is licensed so you can enjoy a beer, malt whisky or glass of wine while relaxing in the cosy lounge with panoramic views over Gairloch, the Torridon hills, Skye Cullins and outer Hebrides (on a good day)!
WiFi is free for all guests and other facilities include lockers, a laundry and a small drying room. Basic provisions, confectionery and soft drinks are available to purchase at reception and the nearest shop is only a five minute walk away. The hostel has onsite parking facilities for up to 13 cars.
Dogs are welcome at Gairloch Sands, for a small fee, when guests book a private room. Please notify us in advance to ensure there is a dog friendly room available.
The hostel is also available for exclusive private rental.
Hostellers LOVE...
- Welcoming staff with great local knowledge
- Stunning loch side location with magnificent views
- Private rooms available
- Secure lockers
Reasons to visit
Gairloch Sands provides excellent wildlife watching opportunities with dolphins, whales and otters often spotted at the front of the hostel. Golden sandy beaches are only a five minute walk away and boat trips to watch whales and dolphins are available from nearby Gairloch. The Torridon mountain range is a short drive away and the local village also boasts fine pubs, coffee shops, local seafood and an award-winning heritage museum. The famous Inverewe Garden is close by.
Loch Maree is one of the most picturesque lochs in Scotland and well worth a visit. Take a boat trip on the loch or walk through the surrounding countryside and catch sight of the wild deer who roam its banks. The more adventurous can take to the water with kayaking and canoe trips available locally.
With a number of Munros on the doorstep, Gairloch Sands is a popular destination for serious hillwalkers but there are a number of less strenuous walks nearby. The walk to Flowerdale Waterfall is uphill and fairly rocky, so not suitable for pushchairs or anyone with limited mobility, but for those able to make the climb the rewards are glorious views over the woodland and loch beyond and an impressive waterfall (especially after heavy rains).
