As hostels go, this one is clean and cheerful. Great kitchen and good space for storage. Showers are clean though maybe not plentiful enough. Beds comfy and clean.

Only negative points are that the walls are paper thin between the rooms. Maybe not good if you have young kids with you/ staying next you! Also, while I appreciate that sometimes people need a bit of guidance towards being considerate, it seems here that you can't turn around without seeing a 'polite' notice put up by the caretakers 'reminding' you to... recycle, not use too much hot water, not make noise at certain times, not put the wrong things down the toilets, switch off the telly but not to watch too much telly...etc. There must be literally dozens of these notices everywhere! I wouldn't mind if they were maybe in English and Gaelic - the language of many of the local Islay folk.

Oh, and maybe free wi-fi would be good?

After ten days travelling around Scotland in various youth hostels, Port Charlotte was by far the best! The building is right next to the bus stop and couldnt be closer to a beautiful wee beach with crystal clear water and nice sand. The lady running it was friendly, helpful and gave us excellent help with local bus times, restaurant recommendations and advice on things to do. The beds were large (not the usual youth hostel coffins), the rooms clean and the communal areas excellent- overlooking the beach! A perfect hostel!

The only tiny downside is its remoteness for those without a car or bike- two buses from the ferry terminal in Port Askaig, changing at Bowmore.

We went last year and the children liked it so much they begged to go back this year. The hostel has friendly staff who go out of their way to be helpful. Like most SYHA hostels you have to go out for a few hours each day so the place can be cleaned, and the kitchen is not open at lunch times , but here is loads to do in Islay and there are lots of places to eat if you don'y want to pack a picnic.

You get your bedding and can hire a towel if you don't have one. The bedrooms are what you expect in a hostel- clean, basic and not huge.The kitchen and dining area is spacious, as is the lounge- has tv and internet access There's a laundry and drying room.We didn't notice any road noise, and the clientelle were friendly, quiet at night ( there is a curfew) and clean up after themselves in the kitchen! The bathrooms and showers are clean and there is one that you can lock yourself into if you are worried about security( see previous review) I'm female and felt safe at all times: I had no concerns for the children's safety either.

The hostel is great for kids as it is on the beach (safe for swimmimg) and there is a natural history centre downstairs. The village has a park with really good selection of play equiment and a sports field with football goals. There is a cafe next to the park which is family friendly and has a pool table.

These 2 managers ticked all the right boxes. Need I say more. I marked the Hostel down slightly, as I wish there were more bathrooms / toilets; but I know they are resricted for space.