Portree Independent Hostel

The bathrooms were a mess, with toilet paper on the floor and seats that wouldn’t stay up, so urine was often left on them. The hygiene was appalling. The 12-bed dorm is in the basement with very little ventilation, and it reeked of feet, sweat, body odour, and old tobacco. It felt unhygienic to sleep there. I’ve stayed in more than 20 hostels in different countries and this was easily my worst experience. I’ve even lived in a boarding school with middle school boys, and those dorms were noticeably cleaner. The whole place felt run-down from the moment I walked in, with a damp, stale smell throughout. The kitchen had a constant rotting odour that made cooking uncomfortable. There’s very little storage or seating, no lockers for valuables, and just one chair for whole bunks, so whoever gets there first gets it. Ventilation in the dorm was poor too. I paid for my stay but checked out a day early because the conditions were so bad. To put it bluntly, an Air India bathroom after a 10-hour flight smells better than that dorm. I believe Scottish tourism authorities should inspect the hostel for hygiene and safety. This was filthy and poorly maintained, not just basic. Save yourself the regret and pay a little more to stay somewhere else.

The kitchen is big, and the bathrooms were clean. The hostel is also well located, close to the center and restaurants. The beds were average, though, and curtains would make them much more private. You have to put your own sheets on, and the place is very self-service. There was a security scare while I was there: someone got in with an old code and fought with a person I assume was the owner. It was stressful. I was glad the staff took it seriously, and I hope they learned from it, since keeping the same codes is a security problem. Most of the time it smelled like food, and I’m not sure why, but they should improve that. The rooms had a slightly odd smell too, though I suppose that’s typical in hostels. The price felt high, but Skye is pretty remote, so I don’t know if that’s justified, haha.

The kitchen has ovens and fridges, but watch your food closely. Ours was thrown away by the host less than five minutes after we went upstairs. When we asked why, he didn’t seem to care that he’d binned unopened eggs and whole packs of fresh food. The heating is centrally controlled and switches off at random, so bring thermals. The air purifiers blow cold air and don’t help. Room entry codes are easy to guess, so keep valuables out of sight. There’s a communal lounge with just three sofas and a very insecure place to leave luggage, so don’t leave your things there. The so-called drying room is really cold, and the washing machines seem older than the hostel. I know the saying is “you get what you pay for” with a hostel, but this was the worst place I can imagine staying. I’d pay a bit more for the hostel down the road. Wouldn’t recommend this at all.

The kitchen has loads of useful amenities and is well equipped. The hostel was clean and organized, the staff were friendly, and the price was quite reasonable. Reading some other reviews, I’m convinced some people just can’t be pleased 🤷