Helmsdale Hostel Reviews

Ideal location, spotless, and friendly welocome We had a lovely overnight stay here. The room had recently been refurbished to a high standard and was spotless, as was the rest of the hostel. The COVID protocols were reassuring. We had a very friendly welcome and got informative information about getting a very good fish and chips, and pointed in a the direction of a walk that gave superb views of the village. Thank you very much,we will return.

Spotless comfortable and Marie is the best! We stayed in a family room at Helmsdale Hostel. It was modern spotless and very comfortable. A very generous and clean en-suite. The kitchen facilities were also excellent (no oven - but Marie helped us out there). Tidy and clean (please help to keep it that way!). And the lounge area was very comfortable with beautiful big windows and a log burning stove. On top of all of that - Marie was such an excellent host. We arrived to Helmsdale Hostel after a very low point in our trip and Marie was so friendly and kind. We really appreciated her Highland hospitality. It totally changed the outlook of our day. We only stayed 1 day, but should have stayed longer. Helmsdale is lovely and there are some excellent walks nearby. Thanks Marie!!

Piccolo ma di qualità Ottimo ostello, quasi intimo non essendo un casermone ma una struttura con un numero limitato di stanze. Gli spazi comuni sono ampi e accoglienti, sufficienti anche per tavolate numerose. Camere da 4 con letti a castello e bagno in camera, tutto molto pulito. Materassi non comodissimi ma per 1/2 notti va più che bene. Nonostante l'estate sarebbe opportuno cmq accendere i riscaldamenti al minimo (erano spenti). La Cucina è molto ben organizzata di grande portata, ma dopo le 22 la proprietaria non fa più cucinare. Ci sono il WiFi e codici per accedere all'ostello. Consigliato.

Bellissimo Molto pulito, piccolo ma accogliente, belli e puliti gli spazi comuni, con una cucina molto fornita e un grande giardino. La proprietaria è dolcissima e sempre molto disponibile. Assolutamente consigliato.

NC500 - Helmsdale Excellent experience from start to finish. Inaccurate and spotlessly clean, male dorms consisted of 2 x bunk beds and en-suite shower room. Thick, plush carpets in all dorms. Comfortable beds and warm bedding. Large open plan living space with couches, dining table and kitchen. Marie was a delight to meet, friendly and knowledgeable about the local area. Handy location only 5 mins from shops, pubs, restaurants and chippy which was awesome. Highly recommended and a bargain at £25 per night

Great little hostel Stayed doing a hiking and biking trip. Marie who runs the hostel was very friendly and helpful. It was clean, the bed was comfy, the room was en suite (with plenty of hot water in the shower), and the location is lovely. Easily fitted in a climb up a Munro in a day from Helmsdale. Should say that you ought to be OK with dogs to stay as there is an adorable collie there.

Great value The hostel is clean, warm and comfortable. We were in a newly-refurbished family room with a large bathroom. We slept soundly despite the hostel being right by the A9. The kitchen is well-equipped and Marie the manager is very welcoming and helpful.

Fantastic value accommodation and friendly manager From the moment I walked through the door I loved this place. Marie the Manager is very friendly accommodating and understanding of anyone from anywhere. She’s very knowledgeable and has plenty of good recommendations if you’re interested. Newly refurbished this old school gymnasium has modern dorms with ensuite bathroom and showers in addition to a new kitchen (no oven) and log burning stove to keep you nice and toasty warm. An extremely effective drying cupboard for drying out your clothes if the weather is poor. Outside is the secure bike store, washing line and a bench for chilling out and taking in the seaside air. I will definitely come again thank you again Marie for being so lovely. Craig

Great stopover on our North Coast 500 drive A lovely warm welcome by Marie. The hostel had excellent facilities with everything very clean and well maintained. The hostel is a converted old school hall on a great location overlooking the sea. Parking very easy in road behind the hostel.

Helmsdale vista da vicino! Non ho tantissima esperienza di ostelli ma questo posto, rispetto a quelli che ho visitato, si trova sicuramente nelle prime posizionii. La proprietaria è molto cordiale e gentile, gli spazi comuni sono decisamente molto ampi e ben curati e ti fanno venire voglia di viverli e di fare amicizia con gli altri ospiti. le stanze anche sono grandi (camerate divise) prevalentemente con letti a castello. Ricordo giusto che i bagni erano un po freddi rispetto al resto della casa ma tutto sommato niente di terribile. Consiglio di fermarsi se si è nei paraggi...è un soggiorno piacevole.

Prisvärt vandrarhem Helt ok vandrarhem på skotska kusten sär inte så många alternativ finns. Några restauranger finns, men den mest hypade, Le Mirage var fullbokad! Vandrarhemmet. Ligger vid huvudvägen genom byn, ok rum, trevligt kök men högt i tak, öppen spis och bra möjligheter att laga sin egen mat.

Well maintained and friendly. I spent two nights at this well maintained and welcoming hostel. Babs, who was managing the place whilst I stayed there, was friendly, and the dorms, kitchen and lounge were all clean and welcoming. Helmsdale is a very small but attractive fishing village and the Hostel sits on the hill above the village centre. It was excellent value for money.

nice but too many rules This hostel in one of the few in the far north of Scotland and therefore in a very convenient location. The rooms are well-presented and very clean and quite a good value for money as you get a smaller room (sleeping four) with its own bathroom for the price you would normally pay for a dormitory bed. This was perfect for our party of four. The common room is absolutely lovely, with a great fireplace, lots of interesting books to borrow and great amenities. And free wifi is always a bonus. My only complaint is that there are too many rules in place and while that is probably part of the reason why it is in such a great condition, I think these should be somehow relaxed. As long as you are not disturbing the other guests there should not be a cut off point for cooking dinner or sitting in the common room/kitchen.

A great base for Highland exploring Touring the Scottish Highlands on my motorcycle I needed to find a hostel that located within easy reach of my daily destinations. Finding Irene's fantastic Helmsdale Hostel enroute to the far North-East tip of Scotland was a real bonus. On my arrival Irene made every effort to welcome me - opening the garden gates to allow easy access for my motorcycle & even very thoughtfully providing a tile for my side stand. The hostel itself is full of character having been originally built in the 1930's as a gymnasium. Every possible need is catered for from a well equipped kitchen (complete with free milk for travellers - never an easy food product to carry on a motorcycle!) & the very comfortable & homely living area with wood burning stove. There are airy two separate male & female dorm rooms & two family/couple rooms. The whole arrangement is conducive to meeting your fellow travellers - several of which I found were able to provide with valuable tips on where I should ride. I can't recommend a stay at Irene's hostel highly enough - I only wished that I been able to stay more than two nights. If your visiting the very top of Scotland don't bother to stay any further North than at this hostel in Helmsdale - with a little planning on a map it's easy to see how being located there provides the best base from which to explore from... Also, a real bonus was the easy to use, fast & free wifi...especially when many Scottish hostels charge around £1.00 for 20 minutes internet use...

My first hostel experience Where to begin, this was my first time staying in a hostel,we had a lovely welcome from babs, she showed us around and let us know we could help our selfs to tea,coffee and there was milk in the fridge. Off to a great start , I shared a room with my husband and our two friends, we had our own en-suite with two sinks a shower and separate toilet , facilities were great , thank you to Irene who I was in contact with and emailed several times, it was great to meet you and have a chat .

Quite good Small hostel with friendly (stand in) staff on our visit. Would have preferred double family room opposite, but too late booking and this had already been reserved. We had double bunk room en suite room to ourselves for £50. Communal area v pleasant.

A wonderful place to find at the end of my LEJOG. What a find. Arrived in Helmsdale unsure where to stay and was directed here by a local. Wonderfully spacious lounge / kitchen area. No TV but frankly who cares...? Radio playing made forva relaxing ambience. Very warm welcome.

Hillwalking in Helmsdale Enjoyed an excellent week at the comfortable well run hostel in Helmsdale. Irene the warden couldn't have been more helpful and Molly the collie was a real star. Hope Irene has a good cycle run from San Francisco to Mexico in November !

A Great Great Stop Over Everything a backpackers should be. Can't be faulted. Please be aware that there is no ordinary oven to cook a pizza etc.Just a microwave, However the owner, Irene cooked it for me in her kitchen. A very nice touch and a very friendly person. 10 ourt of 10 any day

Home from home :) Stayed at the hostel last week in May. Place was great, clean and the log fire was braw! Irene and Molly make you feel right at home...the tea, coffee and milk is a sweet touch on your arrival. Will def stay here again.