Loch Ossian
About About this youth hostel ....
PLEASE NOTE - There is no vehicle access to this hostel. Please leave your car at home!
This traditional but homely eco-hostel hostel sits on the southern shore of Loch Ossian and is the perfect place to stay if you’re looking to get away from it all. Loch Ossian is hugely popular with walkers and outdoor enthusiast looking to explore and enjoy the remote wilderness of Rannoch Moor.
Accommodation at the hostel is in male and female specific dorms, but groups and families have the option of booking a dorm for exclusive use. The hostel has a fully equipped self-catering kitchen, with fridge, and basic provisions, snacks and ready meals are available to purchase. Drying is available on two overhead racks and boot stands by the fire - the perfect place to relax after a day on the hills.
Guests can enjoy a welcome hot shower, thanks to the development of locally sourced hydro power complimenting the micro generated solar power supply. There’s also electric panel heating throughout and all bed linen is provided, so no need for sleep sheets or sleeping bags. Other green initiatives include composting toilets, a reed bed grey water drainage system - and even bat-friendly paint!
Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is only accessible by rail, bike or foot. Corrour railway station (Glasgow to Fort William line) is the highest mainline railway station in the UK and the hostel is a short, approximately 20 minute walk from the station along a well-made track.
In extreme weather the hostel normally remains open during the day.
The hostel is also available for exclusive private rental.
Why stay?
- Award winning eco hostel
- Off the grid!
- Beautiful loch side setting with stunning views and dark skies
- Friendly team with expert local knowledge
- Great base for outdoor enthusiasts
- Regular visits from local wildlife
For more information on the hostel, accessibility and the local area please click here
Loch Ossian Youth Hostel
Facilities & Services
Season
Open all year (Opening days vary in the winter - please check online for availability, RentaHostel available all year)
Reception Hours
09:00-10:00 and 16:00-22:00
Check in
16:00 - 22:00
Check out
07:00 - 10:00
Access Hours
Closed between 10:30-16:30. Please note, there is no vehicle access - the hostel is only accessible by rail, bike or on foot
Amenities
Bike Store
Guest Reviews
17/04/2024
Jan could not have been more helpful and welcomingGuest Review
13/04/2024
Jan was a fantastic warden and very, very friendly and helpfulJohn Hudson
12/04/2024
If you want to get away from it all then this is the place to go to truly get that off-grid feeling.Graham
23/02/2024
A brilliant stay in a unique hostel. Jan was very welcoming and helpful. Well equipped kitchen. Dry toilets located in building just outside hostel. One warm shower per dorm.Jean-Baptiste
21/02/2024
Beautiful spot. Jan was an amazing welcoming and energetic wardenAlice
17/02/2024
The best hostel I've ever stayed in! Perfect location.Guest Review
12/02/2024
What a gem of a place! We have just returned from an incredible stay at Loch Ossian YHA as a group. It had everything we needed from big cooking pots (big enough for 20!) to a cosy stove to warm our feet up after a wee loch swim! Jan was a wonderful presence, making sure we had everything we needed throughout our stay. Thank you YHA for maintaining and caring for amazing places and making them both affordable and accessible. We are already planning a return visit!Flora
10/02/2024
Excellent stay, Jan was VERY hospitable and dealt with our complicated travel arrangements graciously. Couldnt have had better accomodation.Guest Review
22/01/2024
A wonderful stay! Jan was really helpful with finding out information about train cancellations and she is brilliant at helping create a lovely and welcoming atmosphere. We really want to return for another trip soon.Esme
07/01/2024
Jan was lovely, welcoming and went above and beyond.-
19/12/2023
From Shaun,Very good hostel, the warden was extremely helpful when the Sunday train was cancelled.Guest Review
19/12/2023
Otherworldly experience - It changes you. One of the best things is that there is no mobile signal or WiFiArun
04/12/2023
The most beautiful location you could imagine, and a super kind and helpful host. Such a memorable stay!Elspeth
02/12/2023
Jan was the loveliest host, I was allowed in early and the warm fire that greeted me was much appreciated! This place is magic and I'd recommend it to any other lonely travellers like myself. The hostel is kept lovely and warm, beds are super comfy and the kitchen has everything you might need. Thank you so much!Uzume
30/11/2023
Loved it here! Such an epic location and Jan was incredible.Lucy
27/11/2023
We had an amazing weekend. The hostel is awesome and the host absolutley lovely, it is really a remote place with stunning views and hikes, we even could experience northern lights! Go there if you can, the perfect place to come down and grow at the same timeSarah&friends
26/11/2023
Superb location, friendly welcome, comfortable bed, great value for money.Guest Review
14/11/2023
My daughter and I spent a night at the Loch Ossian hostel in November. It was warm, cosy and welcoming, with a spectacular setting by the loch in the beautiful Scottish highlands: a truly magical place.Clare Rider
08/11/2023
Fantastic stay in this charming and lively hostel. The hostel had a real charm and homely feel. It was toasty on cold evenings with a lovely fire. Beds were very comfy and facilities were great. The warden was really helpful and lovely to chat to. Can't wait to come back!Jill
08/11/2023
What a wonderful experience and warm atmosphere in the hostel. I hope, we will be back!Fabian
07/11/2023
Fantastic hostel in a truly amazing location. We cycled in from Rannoch station and had a great couple of days walking the nearby hills. Very warm welcome, hot showers, great atmosphere.Would definitely recommend!Tom Roberts
04/11/2023
Great location and very friendly helpful manager.Paul
03/11/2023
It's breathtaking. It's wild. It's welcoming. It's warm. It's clean. It's a magnet for fascinating fellow travelers.Keith
29/10/2023
Despite only staying at Loch Ossian for one night (I would've loved to have stayed longer but this popular, magical place was booked up on every other night!), I fell in love with the hostel and surroundings. It felt like being at a retreat... local walks, chatting the evening away with other guests, soaking up the beauty of the landscape... I'm already dreaming of my next visit!N Blake
27/10/2023
Excellent in every way. Made new friends. Warm and cosy after a working day on Loch Treig and what a backdrop.YES publish review
26/10/2023
Second time at this hostel and will not be the last one. I can't wait to come back with my friends, and my family is asking me when I'm going to take them with me. Espectacular views, plenty of munros, hills and paths to keep you feet and clear your mindVERONICA LUQUE
26/10/2023
Always an amazing experience to visit Loch Ossian. A distinctive location and cosy building. Good chatter in the communal room with visitors from all over the world- a memorable destination for one and all. Service excellent. Thanks.Kim
23/10/2023
Loch Ossian YH is a very special place -- its remote location, awesome surroundings, and off-the-grid experience are unique. We came back 40 years after our first visit and were happy to see barely anything has changed over time.Konrad vS
21/10/2023
Awesome place set against spectacular scenery. Highly recommend for those wanting to escape day-to-day life. Jan, the warden, was great.Glenn and Nic
19/10/2023
Incredible place, incredible characterJames Jefferies
Reasons to visit
Set high on Rannoch Moor and surrounded by Munros, Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is only accessible by rail, bike or on foot. It’s the perfect location to get away from it all and access unspoiled natural beauty by the bucket load.
The rail journey to Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is via the famous West Highland Railway line which takes in the magnificent Glenfinnan Viaduct, famous as the bridge from the Harry Potter films, arriving at Corrour railway station, featured in the original Trainspotting film.
Sitting on the banks of Loch Ossian, with truly exceptional views, this small homely eco-hostel is an excellent base for hill walkers of all abilities, providing fantastic mountain and low level walks from its doorstep.
From the local stag who likes to come and visit, to the 'dark sky' that brings the stars to life, it’s no wonder a stay at Loch Ossian is on so many bucket lists.
Video by kind permission of Ailidh Beaton of Ridgeline Prints
