I absolutely loved my stay at castle rock. I would absolutely come back every time I visit…read moreEdinburgh. It's close to Waverly station and you can get lots of places from there. The hostel is just in the shadow of Edinburgh castle (I included a photo I took from the sidewalk). Couldn't ask for a better location. The staff was kind and hospitable, and the vibe was very chill. I WILL SAY THIS. the bathrooms are not gendered, so you'll be showering/pooping (in private stalls of course) with both sexes, so if that's not your tea, be aware of that--but it didn't bother me. LOVE LOVE LOVE CASTLE ROCK!!!!!!

The location is amazing, the staff is so helpful and so kind. The rooms are fine, very small. My…read more"roommates" were extraordinarily messy so if I got up during the night I tripped over all their crap. I ended up leaving a couple days early because I hardly slept a wink. The building is old and very creaky with every step someone takes. Doors slam at all hours. I could hear someone snoring so loudly from next door the last two nights. It would be nice if halls lights dimmed at night so that when people come in at 4am it isn't so bright. Take earplugs and an eye mask. I mean, there is nothing staff can do about the many guests always coming through. It's just if you want a good night's sleep I wouldn't stay here. The showers are fine, hot water and mostly clean. There were contacts in one of the showers for four days so I don't know often they are cleaned. But I felt very safe and the location cannot be beat. Lots of great activities offered.

This was one of the better hostels I've stayed in! The rooms were smaller, only 6 beds, and the…read morebeds were more comfortable than many. The downstairs room was fun. I would stay here again.

There were many things we loved about High Street…read more The location is amazing. You truly can't get better. You are right off the Royal Mile, which makes your stay quiet, but close enough to everything you want to see! The building is gorgeous. It is over 400 years old and it is beautiful with stone and rustic lodging. This makes the stay so special. There are many stairs, but you know that before booking. The wifi is great, and everything is clean! You can rent a towel for only 1 pound. The hostel offers events and breakfast, though we didn't get to try either. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The only reason I'm taking off a star is that our room was TINY. There are bigger private rooms, so I'm not sure how we got unlucky and got the small private room. Overall, I would definitely tell people to stay here!

Over the weekend in Edinburgh, I stayed over at a rather fancy looking hostel, solely so I can…read morepretend that I'm living the life of luxury *twirls curly moustache* The Baxter is a really nice hostel located smack in the middle of the city centre, just behind the Apple Store on Princes St. Based on location, it's pretty damn perfect! The hostel itself is smaller than I expected. Those wide angle shots on Hostelworld could easily fool you! But regardless it was a pretty nice and comfy place, with shiny equipment and deco in the kitchen, which I loved! They have the best stove and ovens. Best you utilise it for dinner when you're there!! The dorms have nice comfy beds, with plug points and reading lamps at every bedside, though I wish they had brighter lighting because it was like a cave! The bathrooms were clean but could use a bit more TLC because the soap dispenser kept leaking and the showers sometimes drain slowly lol (these are the only things I have to complain about really) They make free breakfast for you everyday which is a life saver for those on a budget, and they have really fast free wifi!!! Yipeeee!!! Their staff members are available 24hours a day so feel free to ask for any help or just have a chat with them when you're feeling bored lol I like The Baxter! Would def recommend anyone to stay here if they wanna visit Edinburgh!

6 of us stayed here in 3 rooms - the rooms were clean and tidy. Small breakfast worth it but not…read morethe big breakfast. Was a bit noisy due to large group of young people staying -but over all would stay here again- was nice place to simply walk And see the sights

I wish I'd found places like this when I was backpacking this time last year! It offers "5 Star…read moreBudget Accomodation", if that's not a complete contradiction of itself, or in other words it's just a cross between a very upmarket youth hostel and an ok hotel. I even spotted a conference suite when I was here, which surely isn't something that the majority of youth hostel cientele are going to need, and instead of a bar where you can order food they have a Bistro. Is that really necessary?! In fact, it's so ridiculously high-spec as far as youth hostels go that it's hard to find much to criticise about the place. It was really clean, it was modern yet comfortable, the staff were great and it wasn't expensive. So why only 4 stars? I think to call itself "Central" is a little bit of a claim and not really that accurate. Central would be in the Grassmarket in the Old Town, or around Princes Street like most of the other hostels in the city. Not in Leith.

We stopped by the back garden area to sit outside and distance, slightly, from the throngs of…read morepeople. This was a pay at your table and have drinks brought to you. Cool vibe, nice crowd, good drinks including a non alcoholic cider.

Cant think of anything i didnt like, really. My boyfriend and I were in a six person mixed-sex…read moreroom. Most of the bathrooms are also unisex which is fine because the doors are full length. One shower had only a curtain but the rest also had doors. The water was hot and pressure was good. The food was filling and cheap. It was centered right in the middle of town, right by the castle and shops. There is laundry on site but only two washer dryers so gotta get there early. I guess it kinda sucked going up to the top floor because there was no elevator but exercise is always good. In the rooms there were lockers if you brought your own lock but i just left my stuff on the bed and it was fine. On the bottom floor there is a 1£/day luggage storage. We fit all of our bags in one. Though we wasted one pound fiddling with the lock at first haha. The card keys were a bit iffy sometimes is the only thing i found annoying i guess. But i had a somewhat negative idea of what hostels were so this was my first one and it was great!

The best hostel I have ever stayed in! Beds are so comfy, nice noise isolation, close to the city…read morecentre but in a quiet street, and the staff is amazing! If you forgot anything, they got you covered: toothbrush, shower gel, charger, towels... the service is amazing!

Perfect location, right off the Royal Mile! The rooms had lockers (so bring a lock if you're not…read moresure who will be in your room), and our room had a bathroom and shower. The shower was kind of gross, so definitely bring flip flops. The beds had privacy curtains, which is big, because a lot of hostels don't. The breakfast is very average, but the bar is fun and has great options! I will definitely stay here again when I come bacK to Edinburgh.

Imagine this: You're a 30-something year-old solo traveler who's going on his European backpacking…read moretrip, and that trip is going to be well over three months long. You happen upon Safestay, the first of many hostels you plan to stay at, and you're a bit worried how it's the whole trip is going to shake down. Well, that poor sap was me. However, Safestay Edinburgh easily had one of the best on-site bars of any of the hostels I stayed at. The beer taps were cold, clean and delicious, the staff were attentive and polite, and their Monday night sing-a-long turned out to be one of the most happening spots throughout the entire city. The hostel itself was great, and it's conveniently located between the central part of the city, nightlife area and Holywood Park, a must-do attraction for any nature lover in Edinburgh.

We came to Edinburgh, Scotland and had to book last minute accommodation, and saw this place online…read moreso decided to give it a shot. Laura checked us in and was so welcoming and helpful. She offered us free wi-fi and even told us we could use the laundry room free of charge! We stayed in a 8 bed mix dorm with our own ensuite. The beds were really comfortable and the heaters worked really well. (You'd be surprised how many hostels have shitty heating systems.) For an 8 bed dorm, the room was really large and roomy. Not like other hostels, with small cramped spaces. The price is totally resonable for such a great place. It was so good we came back again when we came back to Edinburgh to get a flight out! If you are in Edinburg, I highly recommend this place! Great place to stay for a great price. And Laura was awesome!

I only stayed there 2 nights in the beginning of July and it was quiet and clean. I had an 8 bed…read moredorm all for myself! The staff was okay and willing to help, and they had a very cute doge. The kitchen was absolutely wonderful and had comfy sofas. The location is amazing, New Town has a lot of things to go and see, plus there are many many restaurants.. The only negative thing was that doors couldn't be locked although they had a code system to be opened. All in all I think it is a good place to stay when it's not very crowded.