Scottish Youth Hostels Association
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA), founded in 1931, is part of Hostelling International
and provides youth hostel accommodation in Scotland
. It claims over 30,000 current members, and is used by many visitors from outwith Scotland.
The principal objective of the Association is:
'To help all, but especially young people, to experience and appreciate the Scottish countryside and places of historic and cultural interest in Scotland, and to promote their health, recreation and education, particularly by providing low cost accommodation for them on their travels.'
The current handbook lists nearly 70 hostels; some independently owned such as those of the Gatliff Hebridean Hostel Trust. Hostels vary from modern purpose-built premises to historic buildings and country cottages, sited in major towns and cities and in rural locations, including remote islands. The atmosphere varies greatly from one hostel to another, affected as it is by factors such as the location (from the Highlands and Islands
to the bustle of Edinburgh
), and the personality of the warden.
Accommodation
is generally dormitory
-style but increasingly this is being subdivided into smaller units. For example, the most modern hostel, Edinburgh Central, has many single and twin-bedded rooms with ensuite facilities. All have a lounge/sitting room, shared bathrooms and self-catering kitchens. A few large hostels provide meals.
The SYHA is run as a self-governing voluntary organisation, and as a not-for-profit business invests any surplus back into the organisation, both to develop the network and to improve older hostels. Today it faces strong competition from the more numerous independent hostels, and from rural hotels which provide bunkhouse accommodation. Changing demand and limited resources have led to the closure of hostels which had been failing to attract visitors, but hostels nowadays provide facilities undreamt of in the more spartan days of half a century or more ago. Both as well as the cost of accommodation have proved controversial, but for many the hostels continue to do a good job of providing reasonably priced facilities with the bonus of the opportunity to socialise with other hostellers.
It has been claimed that it has left its roots as a working class
movement to "provide accommodation to people of limited means" behind, and become too expensive. The SYHA's defenders, including Allan Wilson
MSP
, point out that hostellers today require higher levels of comfort than when the hostelling movement began .
In September 2007, the SYHA released a Hostel Network and Management Review. The report recommends closing nine hostels and a management restructure. This will result in a large number of hostel managers facing redundancy and the loss of their accommodation, as well as having a negative effect on the economy of local communities.
Hostelling International
Hostelling International, formerly known as International Youth Hostel Federation , is the federation of more than 90 national youth hostel associations in more than 80 countries who have over 4,500 affiliated hostels around the world....
and provides youth hostel accommodation in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It claims over 30,000 current members, and is used by many visitors from outwith Scotland.
The principal objective of the Association is:
'To help all, but especially young people, to experience and appreciate the Scottish countryside and places of historic and cultural interest in Scotland, and to promote their health, recreation and education, particularly by providing low cost accommodation for them on their travels.'
The current handbook lists nearly 70 hostels; some independently owned such as those of the Gatliff Hebridean Hostel Trust. Hostels vary from modern purpose-built premises to historic buildings and country cottages, sited in major towns and cities and in rural locations, including remote islands. The atmosphere varies greatly from one hostel to another, affected as it is by factors such as the location (from the Highlands and Islands
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are broadly the Scottish Highlands plus Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1886 applied...
to the bustle of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
), and the personality of the warden.
Accommodation
Lodging
Lodging is a type of residential accommodation. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, safety, shelter from cold temperatures or rain, storage of luggage and access to common household functions.Lodgings may be self catering in which case no...
is generally dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
-style but increasingly this is being subdivided into smaller units. For example, the most modern hostel, Edinburgh Central, has many single and twin-bedded rooms with ensuite facilities. All have a lounge/sitting room, shared bathrooms and self-catering kitchens. A few large hostels provide meals.
The SYHA is run as a self-governing voluntary organisation, and as a not-for-profit business invests any surplus back into the organisation, both to develop the network and to improve older hostels. Today it faces strong competition from the more numerous independent hostels, and from rural hotels which provide bunkhouse accommodation. Changing demand and limited resources have led to the closure of hostels which had been failing to attract visitors, but hostels nowadays provide facilities undreamt of in the more spartan days of half a century or more ago. Both as well as the cost of accommodation have proved controversial, but for many the hostels continue to do a good job of providing reasonably priced facilities with the bonus of the opportunity to socialise with other hostellers.
It has been claimed that it has left its roots as a working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
movement to "provide accommodation to people of limited means" behind, and become too expensive. The SYHA's defenders, including Allan Wilson
Allan Wilson (Scottish politician)
Allan Wilson is a former Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament. He represented Cunninghame North, a seat which he held between the inaugural Scottish Parliament general election in 1999 until 2007....
MSP
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
, point out that hostellers today require higher levels of comfort than when the hostelling movement began .
In September 2007, the SYHA released a Hostel Network and Management Review. The report recommends closing nine hostels and a management restructure. This will result in a large number of hostel managers facing redundancy and the loss of their accommodation, as well as having a negative effect on the economy of local communities.
External links
- Scottish Youth Hostels Association official website
- Gatliff Trust official website