High Street Hostel

Stay green- we are completely carbon neutral. Enjoy our easy-going vibe in our character-filled, city-center, historic hostel - dating back to 1564! - yet leave no carbon footprint. We offer Edinburgh's most environmentally friendly backpacker hospitality, and pretty cool with it!

As Edinburgh’s original independent hostel, we’ve been helping backpackers sleep together since 1985. Offering affordable accommodation right in the heart of Old Town Edinburgh, we’re just a few minutes walk from Waverley Train Station.
Our historic 470 year old building was originally known as Morton House and belonged to the 4th Earl of Morton who was beheaded in 1581 for his involvement in the murder of Mary Queen of Scots' husband! In the present day however, our guests can enjoy our large common room, fully equipped kitchen, clean comfortable rooms and free WI-FI. Just step out of our front door to experience all the history and culture which Scotland’s capital city has to offer.
Rooms are cleaned daily and each bed is equipped with a locker for security and peace of mind. Our foyer lounge has free WI-FI so you can stay connected to your friends and family. Whereas our large main lounge is a perfect place to chill out, relax, meet other travellers, and play pool & other games. The nearby shops offer everything you may need so you can show off your cooking skills (or maybe lack thereof) in our fully equipped self-catering kitchen. You’ll also receive great discounts on food and drinks at some of Edinburgh’s best local pubs. Our friendly staff can offer you some great advice on what to see and do and where to eat and drink. They can also arrange for you to make the most of your time while you are Scotland and book you on a MacBackpackers tour to the highlands.
Please note that our check-in time is 2pm but guests are welcome to drop their bags off earlier and use the facilities the Hostel has to offer.
FREE Bed linen FREE Thursday Pub crawl
FREE Lockers with locks FREE Tuesday movie night and popcorn
FREE Coffee, tea and hot chocolate FREE Hair dryers
FREE Electrical adaptors FREE Wi-FI
FREE Book exchange FREE Maps and Advice
Towel rental for £0.20 Laundry service for £3.50
Burger Night Friday and Sunday £3.50 Sunday Pool tournament £1.00
Local food and drink discounts FREE daily walking tours
Breakfast for £1.90 Kitchen use and fridge space
No curfew Luggage and bike storage
Minutes from the bus and train

We also have two other hostels in the Old Town of Edinburgh; the small & friendly Royal Mile Backpackers and Castle Rock Hostel which has awesome views of Edinburgh Castle!

Go green and carbon neutral; Fifteen years ago we bought a 75+ hectare woodland that absorbs more than the total CO2 emissions from fuel used in our hostel and also the other properties in our small MacBackpackers hostel and bus company chain. We also try our best to re-cycle everything (with your help) and our electricity is all sourced from renewable, non-nuclear supplies. Stay with us for a great holiday and minimal environmental impact!