Skye Backpackers

16/03/2023

**** N o w H i r i n g ****

Seeking an enthusiastic individual with a passion for brilliant customer service and a desire to meet and greet people from all over the world!

We have live-in, part-time reception vacancy available in our friendly wee hostel in Kyleakin

Previous experience desirable but not essential.

If you’d like to be considered, please email us with a wee bit of information about yourself.

[email protected]

We look forward to hearing from you!

06/08/2021

**** N o w H i r i n g ****

Seeking enthusiastic individuals with a passion for brilliant customer service, housekeeping abilities and a desire to meet and greet the world!

We have live-in, paid reception vacancies available as well as an exchange programme for housekeepers across all five our Highland Hostels.

Previous experience desirable, but all applications will be considered:)

Please contact us with a wee bit of information about yourself to the following:

Skye Backpackers:
[email protected]

Pitlochry Backpackers Hotel:
[email protected]

Inverness Student Hotel: [email protected]

Oban Backpackers:
[email protected]

Fort William Backpackers:
[email protected]

We look forward to hearing from you!

09/10/2020

Friends, I really need your help. My wonderful hostel in Kyleakin has been closed since March due to Coronavirus restrictions and I have received very little government support.

I’ve been running a successful and viable business for the last 11 years and face having to close permanently without more help from our government.

Please sign this petition. I refuse point blank to go down without a fight 💔

Thank you so much for your ongoing support.
Take care & stay safe,
Jo-Jo
X

Save the Hostel Industry in Scotland

14/09/2020

Each month, this message gets harder and harder to write, but we know we’re making this decision for all the right reasons, despite the fact that our hostels long to be filled with life and laughter again.

The steady rise in Covid-19 cases throughout the UK, coupled with tighter (and necessary) restrictions in Scotland, mean the monthly review of our status has to remain the same: we will not be reopening this month.

Scotland’s guidelines are reviewed every 3 weeks and we will continue to consider our options for reopening in line with this advice. It is very likely we will only be able to consider opening during Phase 4 of Scotland’s lockdown restrictions, which seems very far away indeed right now.

We’re hanging in there, though, and cannot thank you all enough for your words of kindness and support, you really keep us going! We’re happy to help with any queries or concerns, just drop a line on [email protected] Please note, we are operating with a very reduced team at the moment, but will try and get back to you as quickly as possible.

Guests with bookings with us over the next 30 days will be contacted by our lovely crew over the coming week and will be offered the opportunity to rebook for a later date or cancel with a full refund. If you’d like to support us in 2021, pop on over to our website and book directly with us using the code YOUROCK10 for a cheeky wee 10% discount off any booking until December 31st, 2021.

Alternatively, you can head on over to Adoptahostel https://www.adoptahostel.com/hostel-directory/841/skye-backpackers/ and purchase an accommodation gift voucher for that special someone, or even make a wee donation if you so desire.

We’ll be back as soon as we can, hang in there, we’re so looking forward to seeing you all again. Stay safe and take care,
Jo-Jo X

14/08/2020

***UPDATE***

Unfortunately, today’s much-anticipated review of government guidelines for the hospitality industry did not bring us the news that we had hoped for 😢

With more and more small outbreaks occurring, the government has wisely tightened rather than relaxed the rules and we feel that it is our responsibility to our guests, staff and local communities to remain closed.

We understand how disappointing this news is for those of you hoping to stay with us in the coming weeks and sincerely apologise for this inconvenience.

As always, we are at the mercy of the rules but understand that with Covid cases on the rise remaining closed is the sensible option for the foreseeable future.

We will continue to review this decision in line with the necessary government announcements, made every 3 weeks, and will continue to contact any of our guests who have been affected by this decision.

We would really love to be welcoming our fabulous customers back but unfortunately the time is just not quite right.

Please stay safe and be kind.
❤️
Jo -Jo
X

15/07/2020

2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for us all, learning to adapt to the 'new normal' and fighting hard to keep our heads above water.

These current norms have stripped away much of what makes a hostel experience welcoming, communal and sociable. Coupled with a carefully considered review of current government guidelines for the hostel sector in Scotland, we have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we are unable to reopen viably along with the rest of the UK hospitality sector this month. In no way has it been easy to reach this heart-breaking decision.

Some of the countless considerations that have informed this decision include the following:

Our accommodation is predominantly comprised of shared dormitories and we are no longer allowed to offer the use of our communal facilities.

The extreme measures required to keep these areas safe, when applied to our unique and quirky properties, mean we simply cannot comply with current guidelines.

Above all, we feel a huge responsibility to our staff and vulnerable local Highland communities who are understandably nervous about tourism restarting so soon after the easing of Scotland's lockdown, and whilst the virus is still a very real threat to us all.

We sincerely hope that the progress that has been made in suppressing the virus in Scotland continues and that our government guidelines will be relaxed even further in the near future, allowing us to offer a viable hostel experience for our beloved guests.

We will be monitoring announcements closely, adapting our strategy accordingly, and look forward to welcoming you back to our hostel once we are confident that the time is both right and safe to do so.

We can only imagine how disappointing this news will be for those of you who were planning to stay with us in the coming weeks. Many of you have also come to the same conclusion and have reached out to defer your bookings - thank you for your support and understanding. We wish we knew exactly when we could potentially throw open our doors and start welcoming our guests back safely, but understandably this is outwith our control.

We will be reviewing our decision on a monthly basis for now, and will be contacting all guests with a booking between now and the 15th of August to arrange a refund. We are truly gutted and would like to thank all of you for your wonderful messages of support during this difficult time - our global travel community has really pulled together in this time of crisis and we are so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful family.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch should you have any queries or concerns and we will do our very best to get back to you as quickly as possible.

Please continue to stay safe and take care.
Jo-Jo
X

19/05/2020

A wee message for our friendly family of beautiful backpackers, wide-eyed wanderers and digital nomads: we sure do miss you right now.

We hope you and your loved ones are keeping safe and well during these extremely difficult times. Current UK lockdown restrictions mean that we need to remain closed for now.

The thing is, small independent hostels like ours depend on our business to operate as usual to cover our expenses, month to month. We currently haven’t received any financial help from our government. We, like thousands of other small companies, now find ourselves in a predicament, waiting on government funding and loans to help cover these outgoings which will hopefully allow us to function in a reduced capacity and prepare for our eventual reopening.

Would you consider throwing us a lifeline?

We've joined a fantastic initiative called Adopt a Hostel in the hopes of relieving some of this pressure and would greatly appreciate any support you're able to offer.

Gift cards purchased on Adopt a Hostel can be redeemed on any future stay up until December 31st, 2021. Alternatively, any donation, great or small, would truly make a huge difference to us.

To thank you during this difficult time, we would like to offer you a 10% discount on our gift cards, applied at the time of purchase. Please use the code "adoptahostel" to obtain your discount. For more information, terms and conditions, and to purchase a gift card or simply donate to us, click here:
https://www.adoptahostel.com/hostel-directory/841/skye-backpackers/

We can only thank you for taking the time to read this - know that we will not go down without a fight! We are working extremely hard to keep our heads above water so we can continue to meet amazing people like YOU.

AdoptAHostel

Situated on the West coast of mainland Scotland, the Isle of Skye is the largest and best-known of the Inner Hebridean Islands. One of Europe’s most dramatic and haunting landscapes, words do little justice in describing her awesome beauty. The majestic Cuillin Hills dominate the rugged landscape,...

01/04/2020

Wilson is a Good Boy. Let’s be more like Wilson.

22/03/2020

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have made the decision to temporarily close the doors to all 5 of my hostels in the Highlands.

First and foremost, I am trying to look after my brilliant team and am working out how best I can support them all during this difficult time.

It is so important to me that they are part of the future of Jo-Jo’s Hostels, not just the past and I am working my socks off to do my best to look after each and every one of them.

Many of the communities surrounding my hostels are being inundated with C-19 travellers who are fleeing some of the worst hit areas. This irresponsible travel is putting huge pressure on fragile infrastructures and has the potential to overwhelm the NHS and deprive communities of essentials at the remote ends of the food chain.

As heartbreaking as this decision has been, I need to play my part in assisting our amazing NHS staff on the front line by keeping social interactions to a minimum and following UK government guidelines.

For now, we are hunkering down and doing our best to ride this out.

Please stay safe and be kind to each other.

Peace & love
Jo-Jo
Xx

19/03/2020

Please could any of our future guests unable to arrive for their booking get in touch with our reception team on [email protected] or 01599 534 510?
Postponing your reservation to a future date, instead of cancelling altogether, extends small businesses like ours within the travel industry a much-appreciated lifeline during this difficult time. We’d still love to meet you!

06/03/2020

The lighter mornings have been glorious the last few days 🙌

07/02/2020

Rare sighting of people enjoying their game of Monopoly! 😉