What Are the Best Hostels in Edinburgh for Solo Travellers?
- Jay
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Quick Answer: What Are the Best Hostels in Edinburgh for Solo Travellers?
Here in this article we explore why central location, social spaces, events and facilities make the best solo travel and backpacker experience. In which case, these Scotland's Top Hostels locations in Edinburgh are unbeatable:
Royal Mile Backpackers, located slap-bang in the middle of the city on the historic Royal Mile, offers a friendly, cozy experience. With just 38 beds, you'll soon get to know all of your bunkmates by name.
Castle Rock Hostel, with three large social lounges, a cinema room, well-equipped kitchen, and well-renowned for lively social events like their free weekly Thursday Pub Crawl.
High Street Hostel, where you'll get the warmest welcomes, explore the city with new friends on Free Walking Tours, join in the hostel community with Quiz Nights and Pool Tournaments, and use their large kitchen and relaxed lounge space.
What Solo Travellers Should Look for in an Edinburgh Hostel
Speaking with solo travellers around Edinburgh over the years, they've always told us how much they value three things - accessible social spaces, free/fun/safe social events, and a central location. Here's why each adds to your experience as a solo traveller:
The vast and vibrant Main Lounge at Castle Rock Hostel
Accessible Social Spaces
There's nothing worse than walking into a hostel and feeling like you don't know how to introduce yourself - right? Castle Rock Hostel's three lounges offer you the perfect icebreaker then. In the expansive Main Lounge, you'll find a free pool table, board games, card games, mega Jenga and more, alongside free tea and coffee. It's never difficult to open a conversation when you have freebies!
Just next door the Cinema Room shows movies every night from 6pm - 11pm, meaning you can share popcorn, opinions and much more over three movies every evening. Perfect if the Scottish Weather Gods have decided to let it lash down, or if you need to rest up after a busy day trekking around our hilly and historic city.
The value of social spaces is only there for backpackers if it's easy to use, open to all and spacious enough to suit everyone's vibe and mood. Castle Rock Hostel strikes the perfect balance of these to create a welcoming, vibrant hostel community perfect for solo travellers looking to make new friends before heading out on their legendary free Thursday Night Pub Crawl, or to Wednesday Night's Traditional Scottish Dance event.
Prices for beds at Castle Rock Hostel start from just £15 per night in a 16-bed dorm, with many options still available for March 2026, so be sure to check out the best options for your potential stay.
Free/Fun/Safe Social Events
Often times when you rock up to a hostel in Europe, the receptionist will offer up a £15 pub crawl for that evening's only social event. That's far from the case at Scotland's Top Hostels, where almost all of the social events are included in the price of your stay (apart from the ones where you're tasting whisky!) - yes, that means they're free and open to all staying!
The hostel in Edinburgh that likely strikes the best balance of this is High Street Hostel. Located centrally just off of the Royal Mile in the Old Town, the events programme there makes the most of being in the middle of it all whilst offering a friendly, welcoming atmosphere with many events also hosted in-house.
Take for example their Saturday Morning Free Walking Tour - it's hosted only with other guests from the hostel, meaning you won't be stuck in small talk with people who don't understand the backpacking lifestyle. Or their Monday Evening Quiz Night, which breaks the ice in a friendly environment by putting you and your bunkmates' knowledge to the test.
And after any of their events, if you fancy keeping the good times rolling, you're not far from a quick walk up to the top of Calton Hill, the perfect sunset spot, or from sharing a pint on the bars of the bustling Cowgate street, where all Scotland's Top Hostels get handy discounts on drinks.
Each of the Scotland's Top Hostels locations in Edinburgh offer up free nightly events for their guests, so you can be sure whichever you choose there'll be something to do with new pals.
Prices for beds at High Street Hostel start from just £14 per night in an 18-bed dorm, with many options still available for March 2026, so be sure to check out the best options for your potential stay.
The Kitchen & Snug at Royal Mile Backpackers overlook Edinburgh's most famous street!
Central Location
Forget needing a daily public transport ticket when you stay at Royal Mile Backpackers, because each day you wake up you'll take a walk down the stairs onto the most central, famous street in Edinburgh. Located close to all of the attractions and offering up warm welcomes, free tea and coffee, and charmingly cosy vibes with just 38 beds, it's often said you get to know everyone else staying at this hostel by name!
Given you can hear the bells of St. Giles Cathedral ring at night, it's no surprise to find that a stay at Royal Mile Backpackers puts solo travellers right in the middle of it all, meaning you're wasting no time sat alone on a bus, tram or train to get into the city centre. Instead, you can wake up and see who'll join you for today's adventure from the gang hanging around in the comfortable lounge.
You can find yourself at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Scottish Parliament Building within just a few minutes walk, or in the other direction heading towards Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum of Scotland, and the National Galleries in no time at all. Best of all, many of Edinburgh's museums are totally free to visit - so if you spot another solo traveller looking for something to do during your stay, they've little reason to not join you.
Prices for beds at Royal Mile Backpackers start from just £16 per night in a 10-bed dorm in March 2026, so be sure to check out the best options for your potential stay.
Old Town vs New Town: Where Should Solo Travellers Stay?
The short answer: we recommend the Old Town. It's the perfect balance of proximity to the major sights, affordable places to eat and drink thanks in part to the student population, and generally offers up more hostels with a social vibe than the New Town, which has a reputation for being considerably more upmarket.
Solo Travellers who stay in Edinburgh's Old Town at Scotland's Top Hostels can also take advantage of the discounts negotiated for guests staying at Castle Rock Hostel, High Street Hostel and Royal Mile Backpackers, which help keeps cost down.
Check out our article exploring a local's honest opinion on where to stay as a backpacker visiting Edinburgh.
Is Edinburgh Safe for Solo Travellers?
Yes! Solo Travellers are highly unlikely to face any issues with safety while in Edinburgh, and I'd extend that to any visitor to the city. Edinburgh is regularly ranked as one of the safest cities in the UK, owing to its well-lit city centre streets, a very low crime rate.
While you should undertake standard preparations to avoid any potential pickpocketing as with visiting any city internationally, this is unusual, and very few tourists are likely to encounter problems while travelling throughout Scotland.
Staying central helps make sure you're always in familiar, well-lit areas, especially around Edinburgh's Old and New Towns.
Nightly Free Social Events Keeps Making Friends Fun & Easy while Solo Travelling at Scotland's Top Hostels
How Much Should Solo Travellers Budget for a Hostel in Edinburgh?
In the low-season, expect to pay between £14-25 per night for a bed in a dormitory in Edinburgh.
In the high-seasons from May-October, expect to pay £25-35 per night for a bed in a dormitory in Edinburgh.
During the month of August and over Hogmanay, festivities in the city mean that prices spike dramatically, be sure to plan ahead if you're solo travelling to the city during these periods to avoid disappointment.
So, Which Hostel Is Right for You?
Want friendly, welcoming vibes and plenty to do? → High Street Hostel
Want lively social events and loads of communal space? → Castle Rock Hostel
Want cosy, calm, inclusive energy? → Royal Mile Backpackers
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