The best youth hostels Kirkwall

This picturesque hostel overlooks Kirkwall harbour and is just a short walk from the town centre and the beautiful cathedral. The hostel is friendly and well appointed, even offering budget single rooms and two refurbished fishermen's cottages. Most of the rooms have a view of the harbour or at least the water. Each resident benefits from three kitchens, three bathrooms and the common room. Parking is free on the street, and motorcycles or bicycles can be parked in a courtyard.

The Kirkwall hostel is less than a kilometre from the city centre in a quiet street on the way to Scapa. Housed in a former World War II base, it still looks like a barracks from the outside, but the interior is well appointed, with a mix of dormitories and private rooms with 58 beds. The kitchen, dining room and living room form a block on their own and are very practical and friendly for settling down and meeting people. Free parking is available.