The True Loch Ness Hostel
How to find Lochside Hostel
We are blessed to have the best location of any hostel on the Great Glen. No other hostel can claim to be closer to the mysterious Loch Ness than us and we’re proud to call this place our home. So whether you’re arriving by boat or up the A82 from Fort William or Inverness, we’ve got all the details on how to find us for your next visit to Lochside!
Travelling from Edinburgh
Scotland’s capital is a great spot to start your journey into the Highlands and there are plenty of ways to get to Lochside.
- By Car
A trip to Lochside takes around 3.5 – 4 hours and takes you along some of the most scenic roads in Scotland. We’d highly recommend the A9 so you can stop off in Pitlochry (home of our sister hostel Pitlochry Backpackers Hotel), The Hermitage near Dunkeld, Killiekrankie, The Falls of Bruar, Dalwhinnie Distillery and the bottom end of the Cairngorms National Park. This wonderful part of our country will give you your first taste of the Highlands and get you excited for your arrival at Loch Ness.
There’s a lot of car rental options at Edinburgh airport for any budget and we have plenty of parking spaces at the hostel.
- By Public Transport
If you’re not comfortable driving up see us, then you’ll be happy to know that we’re easily reachable via a combination of trains and buses. From Edinburgh hop on a train or bus to Inverness or Fort William before transferring to the 919 or 917 buses which you can book on the Scottish Citylink website. This will drop you directly outside our home at the Loch Ness Youth Hostel bus stop.
- Jump on a Tour
Another option to get to experience a night at Lochside is to jump on a tour with our tour company MacBackpackers. The 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye and 5 Day Skye & Highland Fling spend a night with us, so you’ll get to see our home and learn about Scotland on the way!
Travelling From Glasgow
Travelling from Scotland’s largest city? Not to worry, it’s also very easy to get to us from here, plus you’ll get to see another beautiful route to Lochside!
- By Car
Glasgow is a slightly shorter drive and offers you the opportunity to visit the famous Loch Lomond, Scotland’s second most famous Loch. This is a very easy and beautiful route where you stay on the A82 which winds its way up towards the Highlands passing places like Glencoe, Fort William, The Trossachs and Fort Augustus. We’d highly recommend a stop in the charming town of Luss on Loch Lomond, Ballachulish and the gift shop at Spean Bridge. The route takes just over 3.5 hours and is one of the most beautiful roads in Scotland.
- Public Transport
Just like from Edinburgh, the trip via public transport comes in two parts. We’d recommend taking the train or bus to Fort William/Inverness before catching the 919 or 917 which will drop you outside our home at the Loch Ness Youth Hostel bus stop. You can look up times and book your buses on this website.
Have any questions or simply want to chat? Get in touch with us by emailing lochside@macbackpackers.com