Not quite roughing it

Gone are the days of shared bunks and joint cooking, Scotland's hostels are now clean, comfortable and, above all, reasonably priced. Richard Goslan reports

If the thought of youth hostelling brings back memories of draughty dormitories, chilly showers, grumpy wardens and chores in the morning, think again. Since celebrating its 75th anniversary last year, the Scottish Youth Hostel Association (SYHA) has re-invented itself as a more relaxed, family-friendly experience.

Yes, there are still dormitories, but they tend to be smaller than they used to be and many hostels now also have private rooms and family rooms, many of which have en suite facilities.

The days of the curfew are long gone, no-one is going to assign you a list of chores in the morning before you leave, and you can even bring a bottle of wine or some beer into the hostel to enjoy with your meal.

The SYHA has demonstrated a new understanding of what motivates different types of travellers to visit Scotland – which could nowadays be anything from the old favourite of tracing the family's roots, to more recently popular activites of hurtling down one of the country's prized mountain bike trails.

Instead of a ‘one size fits all' approach, the SYHA has divided its hostels into appropriate categories, depending on your interest – so now you can choose between hostels set up for families, walkers, or more youth-oriented action and adventure.

If you decide to stay at Sandra's, the SYHAaffiliated hostel at Thurso, for example, be prepared to share it with some die-hard surfers, chasing waves at one of the world's best – albeit chilliest – breaks. As the range ...

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• By : Richard Goslan
• In : Hotels
• Issue : 34
• Page : 46
• Words : 1,348