Bazpackers Hostel

Bazpackers' Hostel is farther from the intercity transportation than several other establishments, but the extra walk is worth it. A little ways up the hill from Inverness Castle on Culduthel Road behind a small restaurant, it is about five hundred meters from High Street and the town center and is just as convenient for any activities in and around Inverness as any other local hostel.

Although it appears from the outside rather tucked away behind a restaurant, stepping inside, you find yourself at home. The approach is deceiving, however: somehow, by a trick of its placement on the hill, the hostel looks over most of Inverness and back up the Great Glen—a spectacular scene come sunset.

The common areas and kitchen can feel a bit tight, especially around dinner time, but the people you meet will soon make this minor drawback seem instead an addition to its character. On the whole, a smaller establishment (the smallest in Inverness in fact), it is all the cozier and you may be tempted to spend a larger portion of your day simply taking a load off in front of the elegant fireplace. Clean and very well-maintained, the only strange bit is that there is only one bathroom per floor, which leads to some odd, groggy looks when you enter in the morning to find a man or a woman has beaten you to the showers. However, the awkwardness doesn't last, and the dorms are themselves separated. The beds are quite comfortable and the rooms plenty spacious enough, although one has a slight heating problem (which the staff is quite aware of and does its best to make up for).

Situated in an old Victorian town house, the hostel exudes warmth, with a bit of stonework, wood paneling, floor rugs, and a comfortable decor. Coming to Bazpackers', you can just retire for a good night's sleep if you like, but you can also spend a cheery evening in the common area, taking advantage of extraordinary cordiality of everybody who ends up there. Personally, I found it one of the most pleasant stays I have had in a hostel so far!

— Avis exclusif de Hostelz.com
January 2005