For a British youth hostel, I would rate Port Charlotte quite highly.

We had a twin bunk room, which was clean and well-presented, with a sink so that you didn't have to clean your teeth in the communal bathroom! Although cold when we arrived (due to the window being wide open!), the heater soon had the room toasty. We were given a sleeping bag liner and a towel each on arrival; standard youth hostel issue.

The communal areas at the hostel are spacious and comfortable and the lounge has a fair range of books if your tours are rained off. The bathrooms are clean and the showers roomy. Female travellers should note, though, that you cannot lock yourself in the shower (it's a curtain only!), which would make personal security a bit of a risk if you were anywhere other than Islay. This is particularly pertinent when you realise that the hostel remains unlocked until very late.

Unfortunately, the road through Port Charlotte seems to attract a lot of traffic, and we were woken on more than one occasion by the rattle of an empty livestock wagon, or the rumble of a goods lorry. That said, you are only a very short walk from the nearest bar in one direction and a hot breakfast in the other, so the location isn't all bad!