Glen Affric Youth Hostel
About About this youth hostel
A finalist in TGO Magazine’s Hostel or Bunkhouse of the Year 2018, Glen Affric Youth Hostel is unique and remote.
A former stalking bothy on the Affric Estate, this friendly eco-hostel offers a warm welcome and an unforgettable experience in one of the most beautiful glens in Scotland. A wind turbine and solar panels provide warm water and electricity, while the comfortable common room and kitchen are heated by wood and coal fires.
The hostel has two private rooms, as well as comfortable dorm accommodation. Because of its remote location, provisions are limited and we ask guests to bring their own sleeping bags, torch, food, drink and appropriate clothing for the duration of their stay. There is a small hostel shop which sells soft drinks, juices, chocolate bars, healthy snacks, crisps and pouch meals. There is no WiFi or mobile phone reception at the hostel.
The hostel is only accessible on foot or by mountain bike, so please allow at least 3-4 hours to walk there. Its unique location is the closest you’ll get to an alpine hut in Scotland and a great experience waits for anyone prepared to make the effort to visit.
PLEASE NOTE:
- We're delighted to have been able to re-open Glen Affric this year but please note that the hostel will be closed for 1 week every month to allow for team rest days. Please check the availability calendar on this website before travelling to the hostel.
- The hostel is situated on the Affric/ Kintail Way, a long distance path which has occasional signposts. However, we recommend that you bring a good map, a compass and torch, along with appropriate clothing for often very changeable weather conditions.
- There is no refuse collection at the hostel, so anything you bring with you will need to leave with you!
The hostel is also available for exclusive private rental.
For information on hostel accessibility please click here
Why stay?
- Unique and remote mountain location with stunning views
- It's one of a kind!
- A warm welcome & fantastic hospitality
- Warm and cosy
For information on our COVID-19 practices and what to expect when staying with us please visit the FAQ’s section. Please also be aware of Scottish Government guidance when making your booking.
Glen Affric Youth Hostel
Facilities & Services
Season
April to September
Reception Hours
07:00-10:30 and 17:00-22:00
Check in
16:00 -21:00
Check out
07:00 - 10:00
Access Hours
Our porch is available for shelter outside opening hours
Amenities
Private Rooms
Drying Room
Guest Reviews
6/28/2022 12:00:00 AM
Enjoyable 2 nights. Good clean kitchen facilities, shower with enough hot water for everybody. Amazing isolated location. Excellent very friendly, hardworking host who communicated well with guests and has developed a very good model of an ecofriendly sustainable hostel.Allan Price
6/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
It's remote, and extremely well run by Alistair. Note it's solar and wind electricity so no fridge, or washing machine. You also need to bring a sleeping bag. That's the only reason I've marked facilities down. Other than that brilliant.Tuscan
6/22/2022 12:00:00 AM
Great experience Fabulous host made us feel very welcome. Plan to vist again soon.Stuart Aitken
6/21/2022 12:00:00 AM
What a place! What a struggle to reach it - that cycle from public road in Glen Affric seems to be harder each time. Recent wet weather has left many sections of the track under deep water.Fortunately, Alistair the warden is such a warm, welcoming person that the hostel is a joy to reach. He greatly adds to the experience.Maciej
6/20/2022 12:00:00 AM
Alastair was a excellent host, friendly, helpful and kept the hostel warm to allow us all to dry out after a very wet couple of days. Thank you Alastair.Jim
6/20/2022 12:00:00 AM
Fabulous host, creating a warm friendly environment. The place was immaculately clean, and an invaluable retreat in such a remote location!Nick
6/19/2022 12:00:00 AM
17 of us had a wonderful stay. The hostel has a great homely vibe and we would love to have stayed longer. Al, the warden, couldn't have been more helpful. The hot shower was a pleasant surprise! Lovely walk in which was suitably challenging for our mixed-ability group, quickest about 3 hours, slowest around 5. Great mountains climbed from the hostel. The Friday night dinner and ceilidh will live long in our memories. None of us would change anything about the hostel. Thank you!British Antarctic Survey - AIMP
6/16/2022 12:00:00 AM
Hostel very remoted, lovely place!Jürgen
6/16/2022 12:00:00 AM
Unique place with a great atmosphere. Not much luxury can be expected but after a day out in the wilderness of Glen Afric you just want a warm, dry and cosy place. Thanks to the host Al the hostel quickly feels like home. Thank you for the warm fire and even Scones!Rieke & Sandra
6/15/2022 12:00:00 AM
Great Warden, great location, really amazing to come back to such a warm friendly hostel after a day of driving rain on the topsSteve
6/14/2022 12:00:00 AM
Alisadair made us so welcome he had even managed to make fresh scones which was unbelievably delicious! We had a great time and looking forward to getting back next season!Amy
6/13/2022 12:00:00 AM
Glen Affric is a rustic hostel in a remote location. We booked it in order to complete Glen Affric Munros. The warden was extremely welcoming and made this rustic hostel as comfortable as possible with the resources available to him. We would recomend it to other walkers.Munro Bag Lady
6/12/2022 12:00:00 AM
great hostel, the warden dave? was great with local knowledge and stories, don't ever change anything, would highly reconmmend anyone who wants a traditional experience of hosteling ,cliff
6/4/2022 12:00:00 AM
Allistar is the best host you can wish for, so hospitable, kind and friendly. He was present all the time trying to help the guests and resolve the issues all on his own. The hostle was clean, cozy, warm and has all the amenities you need, which is very impressive given the fact the closest settlement is 10 miles away. you really feel the spirit of Highlands, perfect refuge for all the hikers.Mo
6/3/2022 12:00:00 AM
The location is unbeatable and it can act as a base to explore some of the most beautiful places that exist, seriously.The facility is clean and warm and the atmosphere from the fellow guests is brilliant.chrismckay
6/2/2022 12:00:00 AM
We really enjoyed our 1 night stay at the hostel. Alistair the warden was very friendly and helpful & keeps the place very clean. The hostel is cosy & the location amazing. Well placed for munro bagging or doing the Kintail trail. Would highly recommend.Karen
5/30/2022 12:00:00 AM
Thank you Alasdair for your welcome and helpfulness.NHB
5/27/2022 12:00:00 AM
An almost unique experience & offering- Glen Affric is a justifiably cherished resource. Its limitations are almost its greatest assets- no communication links, check to jowl social spaces, the journey in. The interior's lovely, communal socialising was diverse & amiable. A spirited host in Alasdair. Good eco features too. An eye opening experience for my 15 year old.Kim
5/26/2022 12:00:00 AM
Fabulous hostel and utterly unique. Small, friendly and all ‘in it together'. All nationalities, all chatting and sharing. Wonderful and welcoming host, Ali.Audrey
5/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
An excellent spot, very well and hospitably run by the warden, Al. Great to get into the (very) warm and cosy hostel and dry off after a tough cycle in. I've scored-down some features on a relative basis, compared to what I'd expect in a "mainstream" hostel, but actually comfort/facilities/cleanliness were far better than I expected for this remote location and size of hostel - certainly wasn't expecting a hot shower.Pete B
5/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
Fantastic hostel in a wonderful location. Worth the walk and such a wonderful experience to be with other walkers and mountain bikers who made the trip and the most of the experienceAnne-Marie
5/19/2022 12:00:00 AM
Great hosting from hostel manager (Al) - very welcoming, friendly and happy to help out at any time of day or night. Excellent location for Munro's. Great mix of outdoor folk with lots of chat and banter. Basic but all you need - shower / warm rooms / cooking facilities etc.Happy Hillwalker
5/3/2022 12:00:00 AM
Staying here was an absolutely fantastic experience. The hostel is a beacon of rest and shelter in a sublime but remote area, and it's been fantastic to gather around the wood burner with like minded people, share hiking stories, do a jigsaw puzzle, and share an appreciation for nature. The hostel has a well equipped kitchen, cosy common room, dorms with plenty of space for your stuff, and a great warm shower. It's an awesome base for doing a few Munros. Will come back & highly recommend!Nromijn
4/30/2022 12:00:00 AM
Great little hostel in a remote area with fantastic views of the mountains. Extremely warm welcome from Alasdair.Rhian
4/28/2022 12:00:00 AM
Wonderful stay. A welcome stopover on the Affric-Kintail Way. Alasdair is a great host.James FitzGerald
9/23/2019 12:00:00 AM
The warden was superb. Friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable, and providing a fresh scone and jam both evenings.Brian
9/17/2019 12:00:00 AM
Hannah immediately made us welcome and warm, with blankets, homemade scones and cups of tea. The atmosphere of the hostel, with its cosy kitchen and common room, both stove-warmed, was really welcoming — all the more so for the appalling weather outside!Great cooking facilities, hot shower, A++, a haven in Scotland's remotest wilds: will stay longer next time!Conrad
9/12/2019 12:00:00 AM
A warm welcome from Hannah, the warden awaited us on arrival - as did the homemade scones! This cosy hostel has to be the jewel in the Hostelling Scotland crown.carole hamilton
9/8/2019 12:00:00 AM
It was just a perfect stay, friendly and warm, we will come back....George and Ute
9/7/2019 12:00:00 AM
Hannah, the manager of the Hostel, is keeping the hostel so very well organised and provides such a friendly atmosphere that it is very easy for the guests to „tune in“. This makes the stay very easy going and pleasant, and everybody is just feeling fine!Sebastian Stier
Reasons to visit
Nestled amongst beautiful scenery, this former stalking bothy on the Glen Affric Estate is a haven for walkers and mountain bikers, nature lovers and those seeking solitude.
One for real outdoor enthusiasts, the hostel has 15 Munros on its doorstep and good tracks wind through the valleys for both walking and mountain biking.
The Falls of Glomach, a seven mile walk from the hostel, is well worth a visit.
