I drive to Inverness on a daily basis and it is a 120 mile round trip. I have been looking for a place to stay for a couple of nights a week and ended up at this hostel. It is, unarguably, the cheapest place to stay in Inverness but it is NOT a nice place and you will leave Inverness with a sour taste in your mouth if you decide to stay at this place.
Inverness has a huge housing and drug problem, and you will see it all first hand if you opt for this place. It is full of local residents on benefits and it has all the problems that come with it. It was an eye opening experience and I am still recovering from it. I saw so many sad episodes, my eyes still fill up with tears when I think about it. The place stinks, it is full of junkies (and honest people who sell the Big Issue) and it is not safe. Saying all that, it is a shame because the location is awesome. I would only consider this place if you have no valuables, to share a twin room with a friend and you do not intend to use the toilets or shower (or any of their facilities as a matter of fact) - the shopping centre is across the road and you can use the toilets there. If you decide to do that, remember that the emergency exits stay open overnight and the place is NOT safe to keep your valuables.
That was a night which will stay forever on my mind and it will take a very long time to forget the depressing scenes I have seen.
I have backpacked throughout the world and have NEVER seen anything like that. That smell is stuck to me and even after getting home and having a shower I can still smell it. I am quite proud of myself to have stayed the whole night. Speaking to some local colleagues of mine, they called me INSANE to have stayed there.
I read the reviews on trip advisor and thought it was perhaps a matter of taste, some like it, some don't and so on. I am here to warn you so you don't have to see what I have seen: It is a homeless shelter full of local residents. I haven't seen a single backpacker while I was there - from 5pm until 8am.
Inverness is awesome and you will spend a lot of money to get here - do not waste it leaving the place with the wrong impression, GO ELSEWHERE!
I will keep looking for other central hostels/cheap guest houses to stay. If I find a good one I will write a review about it. Meanwhile, do yourself a favour and stay away from this place!
PS: This place DOES NOT have a swimming pool!!!
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