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High Street Hostel

Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland

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Address
8 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh   Map
Price
Dorm beds from US$14.25. Private rooms from US$35.63/person. Price may vary by season - Check Current Prices by Date Here
Location/Contact
Details
Their Description

Features

  • 24 Hour Free Hot Showers
  • Pool Table
  • Washing Machine (laundry)
  • Lounge / Common space
  • Travel information provided
  • Kitchen
  • Gameroom
  • Phones (public or in room)
  • Food/Restaurant
  • Lockers
  • Bike Rental
 
The Hostelz.com Review
Bright and cheery, the High Street Hostel is full of color and character. Plaid wall-hangings and upright full sets of knight's armor stand side by side with a giant draped rainbow and vivid splashes of paint. Located just off the Royal Mile (High Street), this hostel is literally within spitting distance of the Edinburgh Castle, the Waverly train/bus station, and a slew of the best restaurants and pubs in Edinburgh.

High Street Hostel is in great condition and is well staffed, with twenty-four-hour reception -- someone is always at hand to answer questions and to stash or retrieve one's valuables in/from a secure locker. Lodgers are given a pink slip with the details of their lodging information, which they must present to the receptionist each time the hostel is entered. Smoking is not permitted in the hostel. Wireless internet is available for free in the reception and adjacent sitting room, the leather sofas and chairs of which make for a comfortable place to rest after a trek through the city.

A relatively large hostel, High Street can be a great place to socialize and meet people. A large kitchen and dining room, equipped with a pool table in addition to tables for eating, bustle with people at all hours of the evening, with games and music growing louder as the night progresses. The sleeping accommodations are modest and clean, and the bathrooms are small and clean, with the exception of the larger bathroom on the ground floor near the kitchen, which is less well kept. Full Scottish breakfast is offered each morning for a small price, and tea, coffee, and hot chocolate are always available for free.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review


Your Comments
This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites, we don't censor out the negative comments.
We do not validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.
Comment by Linda, The Netherlands
January 2008
Great location, friendly staff, cheap, and good quality
I've been in this hostel for four nights and I really liked it. The atmosphere was good, the staff was friendly, and the beds were nice and clean. The showers and toilets were ok too and there was enough place in the lockers to keep your valuable stuff. The location is perfect, right in the center of the Old Town so you can go everywhere by foot. I would definitely recommend this hostel!
Comment by bjkasten, United States
May 2007
The dorm rooms were adequate -- nothing fancy. The atmosphere was fun and energetic. The people are very friendly. There are a lot of long-timers staying who are friendly and ready to show you a good time if you include yourself. All in all, a fun place for a cheap buck.
Comment by Kerami and Andy Roberts, England
April 2007
We had a fabulous trip to this hostel and I'm booking another almost as I type. We chose the hostel as it was cheap and close to where we needed to be. We were very pleasantly surprised at how clean, comfy and friendly everything is. Breakfast is basic but I don't think £1.90 is expensive for roll, cereal, and juice! Fab bacon and egg shop up the road anyway! I was five months pregnant when we stayed and it was so easy. Bathrooms were close, people in the dorm very considerate, and we could come and go as we pleased. I particularly appreciated being able to have a snooze and a cup of tea even after we'd checked out. We'll be back very soon, and lots more after that!
Comment by Mireia
April 2007
I was there three times, and all of them were very different experiences. The place where is situated is lovely. The best is the people. They are friendly and I have very good memories from there. If you are in Edinburgh I wouldn't miss it.
Comment by Chin
June 2006
If you like a room shared with ten others, and nowhere to put your bags. If you like a hostel that you don't want to go back to, even after a long day outside. If you like to just go into the room and sleep and pretend you are somewhere else. Then please, book a room here. On the upside, the kitchen is pretty large, with loud music and a pool table.
Comment by Joseph Redford
May 2006
This is by far the worst hostel I have stayed in. The staff were rude, and patronising, they asked me for ID to stay in there, and said it was a "government regulation" even though they were the only hostels in Scotland to obey it. The breakfast was overpriced and awful, the hostel itself was overpriced, and the room I stayed in was in complete squalour. It was like a messy bedroom. The mattress and pillow I slept in was unclean and I actually got fleabites from sleeping there. There are many, many other hostels in Edinburgh to choose from, so avoid this one at all costs. If I could, I would give zero stars.
Comment by Scotland Trip 2006
May 2006
The location of the hostel is great, just in a side street of the Royal Mile. Also the staff is very nice and helpful. The doorms are ok -- however you cannot lock the door and there are no secured lockers for your luggage.
Comment by sunshine
February 2006
i was there this week-end and i really had a great time... friendly atmosphere, a huge kitchen and a very big space to share with the other guests.
Comment by Jo Dunn
October 2005
A great place to stay — great mates I made. Great memories. Miss you, Pops Jo from Oz.
Comment by Karen Dundas
September 2005
I stayed in this hostel in Nov. 1987 and June 1989. It is when I was staying there in 1989 that I met a local (Michael) and married him two years later at the Edinbugh Zoo's Zoological Members House. Since then, I have moved back to New Jersey with my husband and I have three beautiful boys. I loved my experience at the hostel and who knows, maybe you'll find the love of your life there too.
Comment by Pete
April 2005
I agree that the long-termers have taken over this hostel, but it is still a good place to stay. The price is right, and so is the location. It's kept quite clean, but if you're in a full room there is a risk of it getting pretty stuffy and smelly. It has a good free walking tour of the Old Town.
Comment by Maggie Olson from California
December 2004
The BEST hostel in Edinburgh! High Street is a super friendly, homey backpacker's hostel located in the heart of Edinburgh's historic Old Town. You'll find bright, colorful rooms with comfy beds, high-powered showers, a massive self-service kitchen, ample lounge space, a pool table, a jukebox, and a music room, all in a sixteenth century building just off the Royal Mile. Full breakfast, laundry service, valuables lock-up, and storage lock-up are available. Activities: movies on weeknights; hot food and parties on weekends; talent shows, theme parties, and other all-hostel events throughout the year. Open 24 hours and staffed with only the grooviest working holidaymakers. Word for the wise backpacker: remember to take advantage of the Macbackpacker Bus network, based out of High Street Hostel, which runs a series of Scotland tours led by spirited, kilt-clad Scottish drivers. =)
Comment by Ethan
November 2004
This is the first hostel I ever stayed in. It's in a great location, and it's clean. It gets the job done.
Comment by Rachel :-)
October 2004
I've stayed here twice (and loved it), including during the Edinburgh Festival. This place has a friendly atmosphere and helpful reception. Events were organized in the hostel at peak times. It's in a great location; the castle is a five-minute walk from here. The beach is a one-hour walk (or a quick bus ride!). This hostel has clean bathrooms, a spacious kitchen, pool table, juke box, and sometimes an evening film. It has great burgers for 1.50 (UK pounds) on weekends. There are many good clubs and bars nearby. There is also a free guided tour of the Royal Mile in the mornings.
Comment by Peter
October 2004
The staff are really friendly but the long-termers have taken over this place. I found it very impersonal and lacking in social atmosphere.
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