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Edinburgh

St. Christopher’s & Belushis Bar

EntranceLocated in a prime spot at the top of the stairs from Waverly Train Station and just round the corner from the airport bus drop off, St. Christopher’s has potential to be a great party hostel. St. Christopher’s is a chain hostel located all over the UK and parts of Europe. In most cases the hostel is attached to Belushis Bar. In fact, to check in you have to go to the bartender.

Presently they are busy with major renovations and are planning to completely redo the bathrooms all of which are en-suite, except for the 4th floor. There are around 160 beds divided into 4/8/10 bed dorms, twins and doubles. There is also an entire wing that is female only, and disabled rooms available.

For those of you who don’t want to travel far from your beds, there is not one but TWO bars located on the ground floor of the hostel that also provides food. There is live entertainment 7 nights a week and a back garden for BBQ’s in the summer.

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Edinburgh Planning a Trip

Smart City Hostel

Smart City EntranceBarely a year and a half old, Smart City Hostel is located at the bottom of a hill just off the Royal Mile. It is following the way of newer hostels, with the shiny, modern look. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of the vibe that makes a hostel so much fun is lost to glitz and glamour. Catering mostly to large groups with 622 beds in summer, they also offer winter student accommodation. There is a licensed bar and the Smart City Café, a small meeting room and a great outside area for BBQ’s, in summer the chef cooks up a great feast there. All the rooms are en-suite, shower gel and shampoo are provided, on the girl’s floors there is also lotion and conditioner.

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Edinburgh

Castle Rock Backpackers

Castle Rock entranceLocated at the foot of Edinburgh Castle you are welcomed by exceptionally friendly staff along with stunning wall art, coat of arms and suits of armor. Castle Rock is one of the bigger hostels in Edinburgh with over 230 beds ranging from 4 to 16 bed dorms. The huge kitchen provides plenty of space and storage for you to cook to your heart’s content. There is a pool table in the large common room, a movie room with regular showings at 6pm and 9pm, not to mention the “Posh Lounge” for those who prefer a bit of quiet and an outside area that is great for BBQ’s. In the morning there is a decent continental breakfast for a mere £1.90 or you can head down to the Grassmarket and go to Biddy Mulligans for a 2 for 1 full Scottish fry-up, makes a great hangover breakfast and all you need is to show your little orange ticket from the hostel. On Thursday nights be sure to join the hostel for the local Pub Crawl, a great experience, visiting 4 pubs, or was that 3, might have been 5, it’s all a little hazy.

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Edinburgh

High Street Backpackers

entranceJust off the Royal Mile you will find High Street Backpackers, one of three hostels where you can buy your Macbackpacker Tours of Scotland. A good vibe is felt the minute you walk into the door, with friendly staff and a relaxed common room right by reception. The larger common room in the basement has a pool table and a stuffed Loch Ness Monster. Every other week there is a party of some kind, Thursday night you join Royal Mile and Castle Rock hostels on a pub crawl and Sunday nights there is a pool contest. On Fridays and Sundays the staff make burger and chips for £3.

With 152 beds set up in 4 to 18 bed dorms, be aware that there are no safety bars on the top bunks. High street also has a few private rooms with names like “Monica and Bill”, so there is something for everyone.

Categories
Edinburgh

Royal Mile Backpackers

entranceHome of the Macbackpacker Tours and in partnership with the Castle Rock and High Street Backpackers, Royal Mile offers a small homey feel with great staff. Located in a prime location on the Royal Mile just down the way from Edinburgh Castle and surrounded by lots of pubs and restaurants, the door is a little inconspicuous so keep your eyes open. With only 46 beds you are sure to get to know everyone especially if you join the Thursday night pub crawls.

The dorm beds have just been raised to give guests more room for their bags, be aware that the top bunk has no safety bar, (they are in process of adding them), the shared bathrooms are a bit tight and the kitchen is almost non-existent. But it has everything you need at a good price, including just £1.90 for a continental breakfast. One of the novelties here is that the rooms are all named with things such as “Addictions”, “Star Wars” etc… so instead of having a number to remember you have a theme and your bed has a quirky label, I approved of the “chocolate addictions”.

Categories
Edinburgh

Prince’s Street East Backpackers

entranceOne might normally assume that a hostel named after one of the main streets in Edinburgh would be located on it. However, this is not so, Prince’s Street East is located on a side alley behind the main drag and takes a little bit of exploring to find. Add to that the slightly scary looking alley that it is in and the dark, dingy entrance with a long twisty staircase and it almost made me want to run in the opposite direction. There is also the City Center Tourist Hostel located at about stair number 55, that adds to the confusion.

Climbing the 77 stairs to the top floor, the walls are brightly painted with amusing cartoons and you almost feel comfortable. The hostel itself is a maze of interconnecting rooms and amazing wall art, there are 100 beds and a strict age limit of 18-35 years. Free tea and coffee, book swap and a lost and found clothes bin are a few of the perks. On Sundays a guest is encouraged to cook up a feast in exchange for 4 free nights (the hostel pays for the food).