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
04/09/2025
Fantastic stay in well equipped cosy hostel in spectacular and unique location. Really appreciated the additional informative email re: info particular to the location/ setting. Superb welcome, facilities as promoted: don't hesitate: book it!Amanda
30/08/2025
There aren't many places to stay in the area, but this is a fantastic place to be if you want to get off grid and into the full experience of being in the wilds. Its a wonderful wee hostel on the banks of the loch with no road access which to my mind makes it a bit special. It is basic, but clean and comfortable and overseen by the wonderful Jan who is both helpful an knowledgeable.Bonny
30/08/2025
Loved it! Beautiful location and hostel and wonderful atmosphereHoney
29/08/2025
So welcoming and friendly. A great place to really feel the wilderness.Lewis
28/08/2025
The location and the atmosphere.Yes
25/08/2025
Friendly and welcomingMichael
22/08/2025
Just brilliant again. Jan is lovely and the loch water was warm! This really is a gem of a place.Lawrence
18/08/2025
We booked Loch Ossian Hostel for a hoped-for Munro Compleation weekend. As it transpired, I still have seven to go, but we still had a great celebration with family, friends and club members, climbing Beinn na Lap and two Corbetts, circumnavigating the loch on foot and bike, swimming, and in the evening sharing good food and wine, fiddle music, songs and poetry, and thanksgiving for the goodness of a loving God who created all these things for our enjoyment!Malcolm
10/08/2025
Loch Ossian Hostel is a magical place. We were wonderfully looked after by Katrina and Hillary and the hostel made a great base for walking up a few of the nearby Munros. The loch is a top spot for a refreshing swim after a day on the hill.Mark and Alex
10/08/2025
Great location and staff. Remote and fairly basic but this the the charm. Great that the cafe at the station is an easy walk as it's dinner and breakfasts were also great if you didn't want to self cater.Yes
07/08/2025
Three nights at Loch Ossian YH and it was perfect. During the day walking the Munros and then a good shower and was able to prepare my own food. The number of visitors accommodated is small [24] and so the amenities are readily available. Short walk from Corrour Station which has a great cafe/restaurant. Even shorter walk to the nearby substation with wifi. All the better for not having wifi at YH. Long drop toilets were no problem. Jan and Katrina, the wardens, were friendly and helpful.Jason Corbett
06/08/2025
GoodCéline
05/08/2025
superb place to relax, great place for gravel bike rides and love the remoteness coupled with the history of the location and great travel in on the train.Philip Gilholm
04/08/2025
Very nice!Gavin
31/07/2025
5 star faultlessFraser
31/07/2025
Truly special location with a wonderful warden to boot.Tenbury Cyclist
29/07/2025
Unique location, lost in the middle of nowhere, at a shore of a lake, all so quiet and beautiful!Vincent
29/07/2025
It's a really special place, misty views east along the loch, south across Rannoch moor, west towards Nevis range, and free from roads :-). Since we were three, and only two bunks were free (it's peak summer season), one stayed in a tent but for a small charge used the kitchen and facilities, appreciate such flexibility. Arrived by train, scaled Ben Alder, cycled out to Loch Laggan, look forward to visit again in winter when snow dusts the tops, as the interior looks so cosy.Ben
29/07/2025
Great stay, highly recommendedAllan
26/07/2025
I totally enjoyed staying with YHA at Loch Ossian!hannah
25/07/2025
AwesomeYes
24/07/2025
A stay at the Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is a truly unique experience.The location by the lake is magical, the perfect place for a timeout, to go hiking and enjoy the beautiful nature.But the best thing is the atmosphere. Thanks to the really cosy shared “living room”/kitchen the guests form a real connection.This is possible thanks to the kind hospitality of the manager Jan.We really felt quite at home.Luise&Thea
20/07/2025
Wonderful stay at Loch Ossian Hostel. The hostel is beautiful, the kitchen/living room very comfortable and useful. The location is a real paradise !Quentin Delage
17/07/2025
excellent +Ron
15/07/2025
A wonderful hostel in a stunning location, delightful host. Easy access to different types of walks and hikes suited for different abilities. We had the added benefit of excellent weather.Karina and family
08/07/2025
Wonderful hostel on the shore of Loch ossianCorinne
07/07/2025
Nice hot shower and a warm bed to crash in.Billy H
07/07/2025
Fantastic to be backYes
06/07/2025
It's great a hostel exists in such a remote area. I used it to get a shower and rest whilst cycling the Badger Divide route.NO
04/07/2025
Unbeatable location, unique experienceJim Morrison
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
