Accommodation

Accommodation in Scotland

Accommodation in Scotland runs from wild camping on a Highland hillside for nothing at all to a four-poster in a castle for several hundred pounds a night, and almost everything in between: city hotels, family-run B&Bs, guest houses, hostels, self-catering cottages, glamping pods, campsites, bunkhouses, chartered yachts and converted lighthouse keepers’ cottages. This guide explains the options, what they cost, when to book, and the rules and charges that have changed recently – then use the directory below to search listings by category and location.

Hotels

Every Scottish city has the full range, from budget chains to five-star. Edinburgh is the most expensive and the hardest to book; Glasgow is consistently better value for a comparable standard; Aberdeen fluctuates with the energy industry, which means genuine bargains when the oil sector is quiet. Outside the cities, look for country house hotels – often Victorian shooting lodges or converted mansions with grounds, log fires and serious food. They are a Scottish speciality and frequently better value in the shoulder seasons.

Our city-by-city guides: Edinburgh hotels, Glasgow hotels, Aberdeen hotels, Stirling hotels and hotels near Edinburgh Airport. For the full picture of what to expect and how to choose, see our hotels guide.

Bed and breakfast and guest houses

The B&B is the classic Scottish stay, and in rural areas it is often the only option. Expect a room in a family home or a small guest house, a cooked breakfast that will keep you going until dinner, and hosts who know the area better than any search engine. Prices typically undercut hotels of similar comfort, and in the islands and the Highlands a good B&B host will book your ferry, tell you which restaurant needs reserving and warn you about the single-track road you were planning to drive at dusk.

Guest houses sit between a B&B and a small hotel – usually more rooms, more privacy, sometimes an evening meal. See our guest houses guide. Book early for anywhere on the North Coast 500, on Skye or on the Islay ferry route in summer: small properties with four rooms fill months ahead.

Hostels and bunkhouses

Scotland has an unusually good hostel network, from the Hostelling Scotland properties in the cities and national parks to independent bunkhouses in walking country. Many now offer private rooms as well as dorms, which makes them a serious option for couples and families, not just backpackers. Bunkhouses on the West Highland Way and around Glencoe and Fort William are geared to walkers, with drying rooms and self-catering kitchens.

See our hostels guide for what to expect and how they differ from hostels elsewhere in Europe.

Self-catering cottages and apartments

For anything over three nights, self-catering usually wins on both cost and freedom – particularly in the Highlands and Islands, where restaurants are scarce, close early and shut for the winter. A cottage with a kitchen solves the problem of arriving on the last ferry to find nothing open.

One important legal change: since 1 October 2023, all short-term lets in Scotland – including whole-property Airbnb listings, holiday cottages and B&Bs – must hold a licence from their local council. Booking a licensed property is now the norm, and licence numbers are commonly displayed on listings. If a listing looks unusually cheap and has no licence details, treat that as a warning sign. Some councils, Edinburgh among them, also operate short-term let control areas that restrict new lettings, which is one reason city apartment prices have risen.

Campsites, camper vans and glamping

Scotland is exceptional country for camping and campervanning, and the infrastructure has improved a great deal as the NC500 has grown. Formal campsites run from basic farm fields to full holiday parks with hook-ups, laundries and shower blocks. Glamping pods, shepherd’s huts, yurts and safari tents have spread everywhere and suit anyone who likes the location but not the groundsheet.

See our campsites guide. If you are hiring a motorhome, book pitches in advance for July and August, and read the local guidance on overnight parking – a number of Highland communities have introduced restrictions and dedicated aires in response to pressure on popular passing places.

Wild camping and bothies

Under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, wild camping is permitted on most unenclosed land in Scotland, provided you camp in small numbers, stay no more than two or three nights in one spot, keep away from buildings and roads, and leave absolutely no trace. This is a genuine right that does not exist in England and Wales, and it is one of the best things about walking in Scotland.

Two caveats. First, the right applies to lightweight camping from a tent, not to sleeping in a campervan – vehicles must use roads and car parks and are subject to local parking rules. Second, camping management zones operate in parts of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park during the main season, where you need a permit or a designated site. Check the park’s current rules before pitching around Loch Lomond.

Bothies are simple, unlocked shelters in remote country, many maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association and free to use. They have no beds, no electricity and usually no water supply – take a sleeping bag, a stove and fuel, carry out your rubbish, and never rely on one being empty.

Something different

Scotland does unusual accommodation well: castles and tower houses let by the night, converted lighthouse keepers’ cottages on Atlantic headlands, restored railway carriages, island cottages reached only by boat, and chartered yachts sailing the Hebrides. These book up a year ahead for peak dates, and they are worth the planning if a trip is a special occasion.

What it costs

Prices vary enormously by season and location, but as a rough guide across a normal year:

• Hostel dorm bed – from around £25 to £45 a night.
• B&B or guest house double – typically £90 to £150 including breakfast, more in Edinburgh.
• Mid-range city hotel double – £110 to £220, with big swings by date.
• Country house hotel – £180 upwards, often with dinner packages that make it better value than it looks.
• Self-catering cottage – £600 to £1,400 a week for a family-sized property, peaking in July and August.
• Campsite pitch – £20 to £40 a night for a tent or van with hook-up.

Edinburgh is a special case. Rates double or triple during the Festival Fringe in August, at Hogmanay, and on Six Nations rugby weekends. If your dates are flexible, avoid those weeks; if they are not, book the moment your dates are fixed.

Visitor levy

Scotland has given councils the power to charge a visitor levy – a percentage added to the cost of overnight accommodation. Edinburgh is the first city to introduce one, and other councils including Glasgow and Highland have been working through their own schemes. Rates, start dates and the number of nights charged differ by council and are still bedding in, so check what applies to your destination and dates when you book. Most booking platforms now show it as a separate line, and some properties collect it at check-in.

When to book

Scotland’s season is sharper than most visitors expect. May to September is peak, and July and August are genuinely busy. Book six to nine months ahead for the islands, the NC500 and anywhere with only a handful of rooms. For city hotels outside festival dates, two to three months is usually enough. In the shoulder months of April, May, September and October you can often travel with far less planning and pay considerably less – see the best time to visit Scotland.

Winter is the cheapest time by a distance, and much more viable than its reputation suggests in the cities. In the Highlands and Islands, expect a proportion of hotels, restaurants and attractions to close from November to March, and check before you drive three hours to a village where nothing is open.

Choosing a base

Distances in Scotland take longer than the map suggests, especially on single-track Highland roads. Rather than moving every night, pick two or three bases and do day trips. Popular combinations:

• Edinburgh for the east, Fife and the Borders.
• Fort William or Glencoe for the west Highlands.
• Inverness for Loch Ness, Speyside and the north.
• Oban for the Argyll islands and ferries.
• Aviemore and the Cairngorms for walking, skiing and family trips.

Our Scotland itineraries set out routes that keep the driving sensible, and planning a trip to Scotland covers the rest of the practicalities.

Practical points

• Breakfast is usually included at B&Bs and guest houses, and usually extra at city hotels. A full Scottish breakfast will include square sausage, black pudding and often haggis or a tattie scone.
• Single-night stays are sometimes refused at small rural properties in high season. Two nights minimum is common.
• Deposits and cancellation terms are tighter at small properties, where one empty room matters. Read them.
• Midges affect camping and outdoor dining from roughly June to early September on the west coast and in the Highlands. They do not care how much your room cost.
• Accessibility varies hugely in older Scottish buildings. Ask directly rather than assuming – many historic B&Bs have steep stairs and no lift.
• Parking is rarely free at city hotels. Check before you book if you are driving.

Booking direct versus booking platforms

Booking sites are convenient for comparing what is available, but in Scotland there is often a real advantage to booking direct, particularly with small properties. Independent hotels, B&Bs and guest houses pay substantial commission on platform bookings, and many will match or better the online rate, throw in a room upgrade, or hold a table at dinner if you phone or email. In the Highlands and Islands, where a property may have four rooms and no reception desk, a direct conversation also gets you honest advice about arrival times, ferry connections and whether the road you plan to take is currently open.

Read the cancellation terms carefully. Small properties often require a deposit and a longer notice period than a city chain, simply because one empty room in a five-room guest house is a significant loss.

Accessible accommodation

Scotland’s building stock is old, and many of the most characterful places to stay – townhouse B&Bs, converted steadings, island cottages – have steep stairs, narrow doorways and no lift. Do not rely on a general “accessible” tick box on a booking site. Contact the property directly and ask specific questions: step-free entrance, ground-floor rooms, shower dimensions, parking distance, and whether there is a hearing loop. Purpose-built city hotels and the larger holiday parks are generally the safest bet, and a growing number of self-catering properties have been adapted properly.

Travelling with a dog

Scotland is unusually dog-friendly. A large proportion of B&Bs, self-catering cottages, hotels and campsites accept dogs, often for a small nightly charge, and dogs are welcome in most pubs and many cafes. Two rules matter outdoors: keep dogs on a lead or under close control around livestock, especially during lambing from spring into early summer, and keep them out of fields with cattle. Ground-nesting birds on moorland and machair are vulnerable from April to July.

Staying on the islands

Island accommodation follows different rules from the mainland. Stock is limited, seasons are short, and a single ferry cancellation can leave a property full of guests who cannot leave and arrivals who cannot come. Book far earlier than you would elsewhere – six to twelve months for July and August on Skye, Islay, Mull, Harris and the Northern Isles. Check whether your property has a minimum stay, whether there is anywhere to eat within driving distance, and what happens to your booking if the ferry is cancelled. Many island hosts are pragmatic about weather disruption, but you want that established before you travel rather than after.

Search accommodation listings

Use the directory below to browse hotels, guest houses, hostels and campsites across Scotland, filter by category, and see each property on the map.

Accommodation

Accommodation in Scotland ranges from campsites, B&B guest houses, hostels, AirBnB to 5 star hotels. You can even charter yachts, stay on old light house boats, camp in glamping pods or hire a camping van.