Explore the Great Scottish Outdoors at Saddle Mountain Hostel

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

If you enjoy being in the great outdoors you can be sure of a warm welcome at Saddle Mountain Hostel. When we’re not busy at the hostel that’s where you’ll find us!

Mountains

Saddle Mountain Hostel is in the middle of some of Scotland’s most spectacular mountain areas. Within an hour’s drive of the hostel you can be at the start point to climb 65 of Scotland’s Munros. How about these suggestions to whet your appetite?

• Scotland’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
• Iconic ridge walks taking in multiple Munros such as the Five Sisters, the South Glen Shiel Ridge, the Ring of Steall and the Grey Corries.
• Classic scrambles to the top of Munros including the Forcan Ridge, Carn Mor Dearg Arete and Ledge Route.

Add the Corbetts that are also within an hour’s drive (there are just over 30 of them) and we think that’s a pretty good choice!

Hiking

Scotland has some great long distance hiking routes and we’re on the routes of four of them. The Great Glen Way, Cape Wrath Trail and Scottish National Trail and International Appalachian Trail all come through the Great Glen and take you past Saddle Mountain Hostel.  If you’re using the hostel as a base, we have plenty of suggestions to give you a taste of these great trails.

Cycling

There are loads of opportunities to get out on your bike in the Scottish Highlands. You can cycle on the Great Glen Way or the Caledonia Way (National Cycle Route 78), the Glengarry Forest tracks or the spectacular ride to Kinlochhourn.

Paddling

Saddle Mountain Hostel is close to the River Garry, Loch Oich and the Caledonian Canal. You can kayak or raft the white water on the River Garry or paddle part of the Great Glen Canoe Trail between Fort William and Inverness.

Our local area

There’s plenty of the great outdoors to explore starting at the front door of Saddle Mountain Hostel. Good news if you don’t have your own transport or want a day off from driving.

• Head out on one of our local walks to see rivers, waterfalls, lochs, forests and wildlife. We walk these trails regularly so please ask us for our recommendations!
• Climb our local hill, Ben Tee. At 904 metres high it’s one of Scotland’s Corbetts.
• Visit our local castle, Invergarry Castle, a 17th Century ruin on the shores of Loch Oich.
• Discover the history of our local area at the Glengarry Heritage Centre.
• See our local Highland Games in July.

Day trips

Saddle Mountain Hostel makes an ideal base for touring the Highlands. Recommended day trips include:

• Heading north on a tour around Loch Ness visiting Fort Augustus and the Caledonian Canal, Urquhart Castle, a monster exhibition at Drumnadrochit, Inverness, Dores and Falls of Foyers.
• Heading west towards the Isle of Skye through Glenshiel, taking in Eilean Donan Castle. Popular places to visit include Portree, the Old Man of Storr and Quiraing, the Fairy Pools, Talisker Distillery and Dunvegan Castle. You might need more than one trip!
• Heading south to Fort William where you’ll find Inverlochy Castle, the West Highland Museum, Neptune’s staircase, the Ben Nevis Distillery, Ben Nevis and Glen Nevis. From Fort William Harry Potter fans can head west to watch the Jacobite steam train cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

If you’re not sure where to go, we have lots of other ideas and are always happy to help you plan your day out. We love hearing about our guests’ adventures and we’re always happy to provide advice and suggestions based on our own local knowledge.  If you don’t have your own transport, it’s still possible to visit a lot of these sights by bus.

Stay with us for 4 or more days and not only will you have the chance to explore the Scottish Highlands but we’ll give you a 5% discount on the price of your stay!  Find out more about the hostel on our page listing.