Email Stationmasters Hostel enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
Other places to stay in and around Lochcarron
Welcome to Stationmasters Hostel!
Set in the peaceful village of Strome Ferry on the shore of Loch Carron, Stationmasters Hostel offers a warm welcome to all.
Our rural location means that you are surrounded by natural beauty There are woodland walks 5 minutes away as is the the beach where there are regular sightings of dolphins and otters.
The hostel has excellent cooking facilities which all guests are welcome to use. However there are no shops in the village so remember to bring your supplies with you! The nearest shops are in Kyle of Lochalsh, Balmacara and Lochcarron which are all about 10 miles away. Pubs and restaurants can be found in Plockton, 7 miles away. There are trains and taxis connecting Strome Ferry and Plockton if you don't want to drive.
Stationmasters Hostel Accommodation
Stationmasters is a small hostel with only 20 beds giving a cosy, homely feel. We have a variety of accommodation, from dorm rooms to private rooms. We have a mixture of dorm rooms and private rooms. The largest dorm room we have has 6 beds, we also have doubles, twins and a family room. If you have specific requirements just ask and we will try to accommodate you.
All beds are provided with clean linen (please don't bring your own) and the rooms are centrally heated. There are ample showers and toilets to go round.
Facilities Available:
· Self catering kitchen
· Pool table
· Free Wi-Fi
· Hi-Fi and a selection of music
· Barbecue
· Books & National Geographic magazines
· Train station
We have a well equipped kitchen for all guests to use. The kitchen adjoins the common room which has a pool table, board games, a stereo and a wood pellet stove to warm your feet at.
Outside the hostel there are picnic tables and a barbeque where you can spend the evening having a drink and taking in the marvellous view.
Attractions
Loch Alsh, with Eilean Donan Castle:The Isle of Skye,
Glenelg, Torridon and the Applecross peninsula are all very accessible
from Stationmasters Hostel with a multitude of mountains to climb within
a 30 mile radius.
Stromeferry, the village
In Scottish Gaelic - Port an t-Sròim. Strome in Nordic means stream
or current - the tidal waters of Loch Carron flow between North Strome
and Stromeferry narrows creating a very strong current. There was a ferry
service for hundreds of years to take people and goods across the strome
narrows.
This famous little village was the centre of trade for the West Highlands and Isle of Skye in the 1880's after the railway was built from Inverness terminating at Stromeferry.
A pier was built to handle the traffic bringing in fish from all over the west coast to send it to Inverness, Edinburgh and London by train. Herring fishing was the biggest industry in the area. They were salted or smoked then packed in wooden barrels to travel on by train. There were two steam cranes here on the pier to unload the ships.
The Stationmaster's House
The house was built for the Stationmaster who looked after the Inverness
- Kyle of Lochalsh railway in 1888. The stretch of railway from Stromeferry
to Kyle was the most expensive stretch of rail built in the world because
it is all on bridges, causeways and cuttings along the shore of Loch Carron.
It was also rated at one of the top train journeys in the world by Michael
Palin of Monty Python fame.
Activities
Highland Walks
Stromeferry in Lochalsh region is located in the centre of three mountain
regions: Kintail and Glen Sheil, the Cuillin hills on Skye and the Torridon
mountains. For some more local walks see our activity map. You can get
more information and borrow maps from us once you are here. We will endeavour
to collect the GPS waypoints for our local walks.
Explore the coast by kayak
Sea kayaking is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities and we are
fortunate that the west coast of Scotland offers one of the best coastlines
for this sport, not just in Scotland, but in the world. Sea Kayak Plockton
are a local operator based in the picturesque village of Plockton just
10 minutes from the Stationmaster's Hostel.
From here you have access to some of the finest views of the Isle of Skye, Applecross and the Torridon Mountain Range as well as the untouched local islands and beaches with their abundant wildlife. Excellent kayaks and gear with personal and professional coaching.
Mountain Biking
You can rent bikes from Plockton craft shop and from Broadford. Another
great option is to rent from 'square wheels' in Strathpeffer, Monster
Bike and Highland Bicycle in Inverness. You can then bring the hire bike
from Inverness/Strathpeffer and Stromeferry on the train. Ensure that
you book your bike on the train when you buy your ticket.
Scotland is "one of the hottest places to ride in the world" according to an independent report card on mountain biking. Lochalsh and Skye are one of the best undiscovered areas for this new and all absorbing sport. The great thing about mountain bikes is that they are made for off-road use and are therefore safer and more enjoyable to run full pelt down a muddy track or hill.
Ordinary (solid frame) bikes can be hired locally so you don't have the worry of transporting them. Soon we will post a list of suppliers of 'proper' mountain bikes and All Terrain Bikes (ATB's) bikes in the Lochalsh and Skye area as they become available.
Scuba Diving
World class diving at our front door!
There are some great dives literally outside the hostel. Many british
divers park their vehicles here and walk down the slipway into the loch.
There are also dives off Kishorn and Kyle of Lochalsh. The area is recognized
as providing some of the most spectacular underwater locations in the
British Isles and is particularly noted for its water clarity, underwater
geography and diversity of marine life.
The scenery above water is equally as magnificent, the combination of mountains and lochs attracting visitors from all around the world. We are lucky to have 5 Bells Diving based in Lochcarron, the village opposite Stromeferry.
The business is run by David Black who has been working as a commercial diver and supervisor. He has 15 years' experience of scuba diving and 8 years of working as a dive professional. He has been a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) qualified Staff Instructor since 2001.
Eating and drinking in the area
Excellent produce available locally:
. Achmore Dairy
. Plockton Inn
. Gaelic Whisky Centre
Explore the Highlands by train
NEW for 2011 we have created some train tours departing Edinburgh &
Glasgow. The most popular package stays 2 nights at our hostel and includes
a day trip of the Isle of Skye and a ride along the Harry Potter railway
from Mallaig to Fort William.
Stationmaster's Hostel in Stromeferry is directly opposite the station platform in this peaceful and historic fishing village, former railhead for the Inverness train where all cargo for the islands and west coast was loaded from the boats to the trains.
Today only 15 houses remain leaving a peaceful place to view wildlife and walking. The house sits on the shore of Loch Carron with stunning views.
DIRECTIONS
Only 10 miles from Kyle of Lochalsh and the Skye Bridge (and 50 metres
from the nearest train station!) the Stationmaster's Hostel is easily
accessible. Keep an eye out for the world famous 'Stromeferry (no ferry)'
road sign on the main road.
There is a regular rail service from Inverness to Stromeferry and connections
from there to the rest of the country.
Stromeferry makes an excellent base to explore the surrounding area and
makes an excellent base to explore the surrounding area.
Email Stationmasters Hostel enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
