RentaHostel Words and pictures: Fiona Russell
By Friday teatime, our larger group of two families, my husband and I and a friend, had settled in at Gairloch Sands Youth Hostel.
and #woofhostelling Gairloch Sands Youth Hostel Every arrival over the preceding hour or so had brought the same noisy flurry of activity as adults and children unpacked ladened cars, excitedly explored the large six-bedroomed accommodation and decided where they would sleep. “We can all have top bunks,” a middle sibling of three exclaimed. “Our room has so many beds!” Suddenly, the large fridge in the kitchen was full of food and drink, the dining room had been re-arranged to seat all 11 of us at one long table and the adults were toasting each other with early evening drinks. At first, it was enough to sit or stand close to the huge lounge windows at the front of the building, sipping our beer and wine and staring mesmerised at the fantastic west coast view right in front of us. Then someone suggested we take a closer look. Quickly pulling on shoes and jackets, our group took a short walk along the quiet
B8021 to reach a fabulous wide and sandy beach. With the sun setting over the sea and islands, including tiny, uninhabited Longa Island close by and much larger Isle of Skye, our group strolled amiably along the appropriately named Big Sand. It felt as if we were collectively relaxing, letting go of busy everyday lives and easing into weekend holiday mode. The plan to book a hostel had been hatched at New Year when none of us could bear the thought of a fun few days together at one of our homes coming to an end. We decided to look for a large family-friendly self-catering option for a short break before the holiday high season – and preferably in a beautiful location. Hostelling Scotland’s RentaHostel seemed like a great idea because we could book the entire establishment for our private use. We also picked a facility that is part of the #WoofHostelling programme because we would be bringing one or two dogs. Gairloch, a seaside village in the north-west Highlands and right beside Loch Gairloch, was also unlikely to be busy mid-March and we knew there would be plenty of outdoor activities to suit all ages.
Gairloch Sands
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