Aviemore Youth Hostel

Staff was kind and very helpful - they borrowed me maps and compass for my hike. They even let me use it on the day I checked out. They were happy to answer any of my questions. It was impressive! This is the first time I have met such kind staff hotel/ accommodation during my stay in the UK. 😆 They were very informative - telling me on store closing time around Christmas time. They also shared about events happening in the town and places to eat. This information enabled me plan better during my stay. They have guide books on all the hiking trails around Cairngorms, which was very helpful to decide which trail to go for. I was staying in a low season during Christmas, so it was very quiet. With low number of people, it was possible to keep all the share space squeaky clean! I love how they have all the amenities during your rest time, including huge drying room to dry for your wet hiking equipment /clothes. Location was great - close to the town center and right on the path towards Craigellachie nature reserve.

Nothing! I was very impressed on the quality of this youth hostel I decided to stay in another youth hostel.

It was awesome.. It had everything you needed.. Lovely laid back atmosphere and very cosy and friendly. Everyone was like minded in loving the hills. Perfectly equipped and well organised kitchen which you could use whenever you liked. The showers were awesome. Lovely rooms in the best location ever right at the foot of the hill surrounded by woodland and gorgeous streams. Charging points everywhere. The perfect place for both long and short trips. Close to bus trains and local public transport just a short drive to the big hill: Cairngorm mountain. Lots of walking climbing skiing biking and kayaking opportunities.

Only 2 things : it would have been really nice to have a personal charging area close to your bed. There could have been more points in the room too. The main thing was the beds. They wobbled and swayed a bit. This meant that when the other person moved you could feel it quite a lot and it could wake you up. But apart from this. All was brilliant

A 10-mins walk from the train station (although the ground wasn’t very even and so it wasn’t convenient to carry the suitcase). From the station, you can take a bus to Glenmore/Cairngorms for some nice walks. All rooms are on the ground floor, so no stairs. Spacious communal areas. Showers were good, with hot water and good water pressure. The drying room was useful. There is a small room for luggage storage where you can keep luggage after checking out.

The 6-bed female dorm was rather small and felt cramped. Only 2 sockets in the room, they were of course taken by other guests. When I raised this with the reception and asked for an extension, the staff gave a dismissive, unhelpful answer in a very annoyed tone: “Yes we know. I’m not the boss. I can’t do anything. I’m closing in 10 mins. You can speak to someone else tomorrow “. It would seem an easy fix to provide extensions, but they refuse to accept/pass on any feedback and to act on it. I had to leave my devices in the communal areas to charge overnight. Wifi didn’t work well, it kept asking for sign in each time I opened my device.

All the rooms (both bedrooms and common areas) were very spacious and lots of places (a cantina, a lobby and big seating area) were provided to relax and get to connect with other travellers. The kitchen was well equipped and had free food shelves with items that would be impractical to buy oneself. Also there were many cooking facilities so that multiple travellers could prepare food without hindering one another. The staff were helpful in recommending local activities abd all facilities were very clean and in order.

We thought the multi-bedrooms could be a bit better equipped. In a six-person room we only had two sockets and two lockers. Also, there was only one big light and no small ones by the beds, so if anyone was sleeping you'd have to use cellphone flashlights. Apart from that it would have been nice to have a key card each instead of one to share.

Unfortunately, I got Covid as soon as I got there. They handled it as well as they could. Luckily, I had a private room and was able to isolate pretty well. They gave me my own toilet and shower by putting Out of Order signs on the doors and I wore a mask whenever I left the room (I tend to wear a mask when traveling even when I don't have Covid). I used the staff kitchen and ate in my room. There were wonderful walks right there for me to take, so all was not lost, but I did not get to do the things in Aviemore that I wanted to do. GB no longer has governmental rules about covid.

Our stay exceeded our expectations. We hadn't stayed in a hostel before so we didn't have high expectations but this hostel was perfect for our trip to the cairngorms. We stayed in a private room of three which was comfy, had lots of space and was very clean. The ensuite was also very clean. The common areas were also very clean, comfy, spacious and very cozy to come back to after a day in the snow. The hostel was also so close to the ski resort and very easy to navigate to. Would highly highly reccomend to other groups for accessing the cairngorms.

Staff were excellent (Douglas on phone) Lee and Susie on reception-friendly, efficient and welcoming. Bed (Room 21) was really comfortable, slept great, lot's of seating areas, big kitchen (complementary milk, as well as tea and coffee), relaxed ambience in an ideal location for the Cairngorms. Very inclusive Hostel in terms of age range with interesting fellow travellers. Easy on-site parking. Will be happy to return-great value, especially for Aviemore.

Not an issue for me, but guests ranging from toddler age, so some noise inevitable!

Excellent location for two days of mountain biking. Weather was wet, so hot showers , an effective drying room, secure/dry bike shed with cleaning hose and comfortable areas to relax and socialise, very much appreciated.

Drying room could be better organised ( more hangers/hanging spaces). Outdoor cleaning area fir hising off muddy stuff woukd be great ( not just bikes but boots ,bags etc . At moment the hose is appreciated, but somewhere to drain water and avoid flooding the place would be an improvement. Squeaky bunk beds!

The room was exceptionally clean with really comfortable beds in the private double room. The facilities were basic but enough for us such as a washbasin in the room, and the shared bathrooms were spacious and really clean with hot water. The lounge areas were comfortable with beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. The self-serving kitchens had everything that one could possibly need. The staff were really welcoming and overall very well supplied.

The room could be a bit brighter as it is not the best for reading or even working.

All the staff very friendly, made you feel very welcome as a lone traveller. Everywhere was exceptionally clean particularly the toilets, showers, kitchen, living room and dining room . Bedrooms very comfortable. Would definitely stay again. Five minute walk from restaurants and bars, town centre. I would recommend the chippy and and Indian restaurant next door. Five minute walk from train station and bus stop. The hostel is conveniently surrounded by woodland and lots of walks. There is a path across the road that will take you into the Cairngorms

Can't think of anything negative to say about this place.