Halfway House Hostel Berriedale
Halfway House is a small hostel near Berriedale on the John O’Groats Coastal Trail and NC500, with kitchen, lounge and private rooms.
Halfway House Hostel Berriedale, Lower Newport, Berriedale, Caithness KW7 6HA
Call Jay and Gillian on 07526 281088 or 07833 617164
A small walkers hostel on the John O’Groats Coastal Trail and NC500
The Halfway House Hostel is a small, informal place to stay near Berriedale, Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. It offers a shared self-catering kitchen, a cosy lounge, three bedrooms, and a shared bathroom. The rooms include a family room (one double and one bunk bed), a double room, and a single room.
Created with walkers in mind, it is ideally located on the John o' Groats Coastal Trail and is run by volunteers involved with the route. The hostel sits at the end of Stage 8, just under nine miles north of Helmsdale, marking the halfway point between Inverness and John o’ Groats. All proceeds from your stay go towards maintaining and developing the trail.
On the popular North Coast 500 road route, cyclists and car-based travellers are welcome.
It is also possible to hire the entire hostel for exclusive use by groups of up to eight people.
As there are no restaurants in Berriedale, the hostel provides a well-equipped self-catering kitchen (no full oven, but a small countertop oven and all other essentials). Basic food supplies—such as pasta, rice, porridge pots, tinned goods, tea, coffee, and condiments—are available for guests to prepare dinner, breakfast, or packed lunches. Milk, eggs, and bread can also be provided on request.
There is a café in the village open from 10:00 to 16:00 (last food orders at 14:30), but the hostel itself is usually unstaffed, so it’s best to plan ahead. Bed linen and towels are provided.
All donations directly support the upkeep and continued development of this still-evolving trail.
Created with walkers in mind, it is ideally located on the John o' Groats Coastal Trail and is run by volunteers involved with the route. The hostel sits at the end of Stage 8, just under nine miles north of Helmsdale, marking the halfway point between Inverness and John o’ Groats. All proceeds from your stay go towards maintaining and developing the trail.
On the popular North Coast 500 road route, cyclists and car-based travellers are welcome.
It is also possible to hire the entire hostel for exclusive use by groups of up to eight people.
As there are no restaurants in Berriedale, the hostel provides a well-equipped self-catering kitchen (no full oven, but a small countertop oven and all other essentials). Basic food supplies—such as pasta, rice, porridge pots, tinned goods, tea, coffee, and condiments—are available for guests to prepare dinner, breakfast, or packed lunches. Milk, eggs, and bread can also be provided on request.
There is a café in the village open from 10:00 to 16:00 (last food orders at 14:30), but the hostel itself is usually unstaffed, so it’s best to plan ahead. Bed linen and towels are provided.
All donations directly support the upkeep and continued development of this still-evolving trail.
The Halfway House is a small hostel near Berriedale, nine miles north of Helmsdale on the John O’Groats Coastal Trail and the NC500. It welcomes individual walkers and offers a shared self-catering kitchen, cosy lounge, three private rooms and a shared bathroom. Run by volunteers, all proceeds support the John o’ Groats Trail charity. As there are no local restaurants (just a daytime cafe), some basic food supplies are provided. Bed linen and towels are included. Cyclists and car travellers are welcome and the hostel can also be booked for exclusive use by groups.
The Halfway House Hostel is a small, informal place to stay near Berriedale, Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. It offers a shared self-catering kitchen, a cosy lounge, three bedrooms, and a shared bathroom. The rooms include a family room (one double and one bunk bed), a double room, and a single room.
Created with walkers in mind, it is ideally located on the John o' Groats Coastal Trail and is run by volunteers involved with the route. The hostel sits at the end of Stage 8, just under nine miles north of Helmsdale, marking the halfway point between Inverness and John o’ Groats. All proceeds from your stay go towards maintaining and developing the trail.
On the popular North Coast 500 road route, cyclists and car-based travellers are welcome.
It is also possible to hire the entire hostel for exclusive use by groups of up to eight people.
As there are no restaurants in Berriedale, the hostel provides a well-equipped self-catering kitchen (no full oven, but a small countertop oven and all other essentials). Basic food supplies—such as pasta, rice, porridge pots, tinned goods, tea, coffee, and condiments—are available for guests to prepare dinner, breakfast, or packed lunches. Milk, eggs, and bread can also be provided on request.
There is a café in the village open from 10:00 to 16:00 (last food orders at 14:30), but the hostel itself is usually unstaffed, so it’s best to plan ahead. Bed linen and towels are provided.
All donations directly support the upkeep and continued development of this still-evolving trail.
Created with walkers in mind, it is ideally located on the John o' Groats Coastal Trail and is run by volunteers involved with the route. The hostel sits at the end of Stage 8, just under nine miles north of Helmsdale, marking the halfway point between Inverness and John o’ Groats. All proceeds from your stay go towards maintaining and developing the trail.
On the popular North Coast 500 road route, cyclists and car-based travellers are welcome.
It is also possible to hire the entire hostel for exclusive use by groups of up to eight people.
As there are no restaurants in Berriedale, the hostel provides a well-equipped self-catering kitchen (no full oven, but a small countertop oven and all other essentials). Basic food supplies—such as pasta, rice, porridge pots, tinned goods, tea, coffee, and condiments—are available for guests to prepare dinner, breakfast, or packed lunches. Milk, eggs, and bread can also be provided on request.
There is a café in the village open from 10:00 to 16:00 (last food orders at 14:30), but the hostel itself is usually unstaffed, so it’s best to plan ahead. Bed linen and towels are provided.
All donations directly support the upkeep and continued development of this still-evolving trail.
This accommodation is featured on our map of North East Highlands of Scotland and here is its own website.
Availability
Details
Beds & Rooms:
7: 1x1, 1xdb, 1x4 (family)Open:
All yearPrice per night:
Single room £45, Double room £70, Family Room (2 people) £85, Family Room (3 people) £125, Family Room (family of 4) £140. Camping £15 per person. Exclusive hire of the whole hostel £255. (A small donation to cover the cost of the food provided at the hostel is also welcomed.)Booking:
Please book by phone or email. Pay by cash, bank transfer or by donation to John o' Groats Trail jogt.org.ukDirections:
The Hostel is accross the A9 road from the John o’ Groats Trail. Look for two short white pillars. Walking south: Look for the turn for the hostel about a mile before Berriedale (where the cafe is). Look for a wooden box on a post that has a small sign. (“Open Me”) After that, cross one more field to find a small gate. At the gate, you’ll see an old plough. (If you get to a bird hide just by the clifftop trail, you’ve gone a little too far.) Don’t go through the gate. Turn right at the plough and follow the fence line uphill for a couple minutes and go through a large gate to the A9. Walking north: As you walk north from Berriedale proper (the river, the cafe, the suspension bridge, etc.) along the trail, it’s about another mile along the trail. You’ll pass a wooden bird hide perched near the clifftop, and soon after that go through a gate. At the gate, you’ll see an old plough. (If you get to a wooden box that says “Open Me” you gone a little too far.) Turn left at the plough and follow the fence line uphill for a couple minutes and go through a gate to the A9.Public Transport :
On the X99 bus route from Inverness to ThursoWalks :
John o’ Groats Trail North Sea Cycle Route Land's End to John O Groats on foot LEJOG Land's End to John O'Groats by bike North Coast 500
Wild Swimming Small Hostels Individuals welcome Hostels with log burners and open fires Accommodation for Cyclists Discount for Sustainable Travel
This accommodation is available at the following peak times
Available May Day Bank Holiday 2026 Available Spring Bank Holiday or Half Term 2026 Available August Bank Holiday 2026 Available October Half Term 2026 Available for Christmas 2026 Available New Year 2026 / 2027 Available February Half Term 2027 Available Easter 2027Facilities
Map
News & Offers from Halfway House Hostel Berriedale
Secure Storage for bikes on the North Coast 500
March 17th 2026
The Halfway House is a small hostel near Berriedale that is especially welcoming to individual cyclists. It offers private rooms and a self-catering kitchen. Run by volunteers from the John O’Groats Trail, the hostel is often unmanned, but guests are provided with an access code for entry. Linen and basic food supplies are left for your use. There is also a secure bike storage area with a dry, concrete floor that can be locked. Walkers and Car tourists and welcome too. The hostel can be booked for exclusive use by groups as well.
Contact Halfway House Hostel, Berriedale
Visit this accommodation's website & social media
Visit Website