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Achmelvich Beach Hostel
I’ve already written about our experiences of Cairngorm hostel and Port Charlotte hostel. Both are fantastic places to stay as a family. This time we visited Achmelvich Beach Hostel in the North West of Scotland. It’s a great hostel, although a bit smaller than the others we have visited. For this reason it’s best to book your room in advance. The hostel has one shared dorm for adults and then 3 smaller private rooms. Our room had 2 bunk beds and a single bed, plus it was the only room to have its own toilet. There are shared toilets and showers available too.
There is one communal room, which consists of several tables for eating at, a sofa and comfy chairs and the kitchen. It was the perfect size to meet and chat with others, but enough space to make meals ourselves.
Outside is a lovely garden area with benches, which we made good use of in the beautiful sunshine!
Where Is Achmelvich Beach Hostel?
Achmelvich Beach hostel is located in the North West of Scotland, approximately an hour North of Ullapool. It’s on the NC500 route, so many people visit the area for a day at the most. But we recommend staying for longer!
As the roads are smaller up here the traffic can be a bit slower too. So make sure you check how to use passing places on single track roads (stay left and be ready to reverse if you’re closest to a passing place!). Also, remember to pull in if you have traffic building up behind you, there are plenty of lay-bys and parking areas to stop and let traffic past. Remember that people live and work in the area, so not everyone wants to be driving slowly to look at the scenery.
Why Is Achmelvich Beach Hostel Good To Stay At?
So, what are the 5 reasons you should stay at Achmelvich Beach Hostel?
The Location!
This is the top reason to stay at Achmelvich Beach Hostel! It’s literally a 2 minute walk to the most beautiful white sand beach with turquoise waters. Nobody can fail to be impressed by its beauty. Even in rough waves it’s still a pretty place to walk along and sit on the rocks watching the power of the ocean.
You can also walk from here to the Hermit’s Castle nearby, or longer walks along coastal paths to Clachtoll and further. Walk highlands has a list of great walks in the area, including plenty of mountain climbs too.
Self Catering
All the Hostelling Scotland hostels have kitchens for guests to use. This makes life so much easier as a parent. You can cook your children’s favourite meals (that you know they will eat!) and it’s much cheaper than eating out every night.
It’s also a good way to get the kids to help out with the cooking and dishes. My two know that dishes need to be done as soon as we’ve finished eating and they can’t go out to the beach until it’s done. So they happily help to make it quicker.
Budget Friendly
It may not be as cheap as in the past (nothing is!), but for families a room at the hostel is usually a lot cheaper than surrounding hotels. As it also comes with a kitchen you can save money on the food bill by eating at the hostel, rather expensive meals out.
Great For Large Families
Private hostel rooms, like the one we stayed in, can accommodate larger families. As it’s often bunk beds that are used, then there can be anything from 3-4 bunk beds in a room. Giving you plenty of space for families with more children. I know this can be issue if you are not the convention 2 adult and 2 children family.
The Staff
One of the great things about Achmelvich Beach Hostel is that the staff are brilliant. They are always around to chat to, check everything’s ok and give advice on the best places to go. They are who you need to ask for local food recommendations or sheltered walks if the weather turns.
If it wasn’t for the staff we wouldn’t have found local gems like The Jammery at Culkein or Clachtoll Broch. So, friendly and chatty staff are a must!
What Else Is There To Do Near Achmelvich Beach?
There is a lot to do in the local area. At Achmelvich there is the short walk to Hermit’s Castle, the 2 beaches and longer walks along the coast. You can also grab fish and chips from the campsite’s shop in the evenings.
Nearby at Lochinver are several cafes, including the Driftwood Cafe (we had a delicious lunch here!) and Lochinver Larder (homemade pies). You can also take a boat trip out to see local wildlife with North Coast Sea Tours, they are great with kids and often see seals and dolphins. They even emptied a creel of crabs at the harbour so the kids could see them close up.
At Clachtoll there is another great beach and fantastic broch to explore. Flossie’s cafe is just near the campsite too, great for lunches. Further North East is Clashnessie, with a lovely beach and short walk to a beautiful waterfall. The Jammery at Culkein is great for jams and tablet!
In the North of the peninsula is Stoer lighthouse and a great coastal walk to the Old Man of Stoer. On a good day you get fantastic views across the area, although we still had fun in the wind!
You can also find plenty of other walks of varying lengths, including the mountains of Suilven and Stac Pollaidh. Check out Walk Highlands for different walks in the area of Assynt.
Learn more about the awesome hostels all around Scotland!
- A weekend in Oban hostel, gateway to the Isles, the perfect coastal retreat.
- Head North into the Highlands and visit Pitlochry hostel by train or road.
- Enjoy beach days at Achmelvich hostel, where white sand meets turquoise sea
- A stunning island retreat at Port Charlotte hostel on Islay
- Enter Cairngorm National Park for an adventure at Cairngorm Lodge hostel
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