The Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA) is Scotland’s largest network of tourist hostels, with around 60 locations spread across the country. We aim to provide comfortable, value accommodation with a friendly welcome for people travelling round our beautiful country.

We also run a number of activity holidays and city breaks, and a thriving social inclusion programme, Give Us A Break, which provides activity breaks to disadvantaged young people from Scotland.

Our Charitable Objectives
Our Mission is: “The advancement of education, for the public benefit, by helping all, but especially young people, to experience and appreciate the Scottish countryside, environment, natural heritage and places of historic and cultural interest in Scotland, and through the promotion of their health, recreation and education, particularly by providing low cost accommodation for them on their travels”.

Membership
We encourage customers to become members of SYHA, which gives you a range of benefits which are exclusive to our members. Student and junior memberships are free, and individual adult membership costs only £10 per year (£8 for senior citizens). You get a say (and a vote) in how the Association is run, and have the opportunity to join special-interest Members’ Groups if you want.  Non-members pay an additional £2 per night for temporary membership to stay in our hostels.

International Youth Hostelling
SYHA is a leading member of Hostelling International (HI). As a member of SYHA, you can stay in 4000+ hostels in over 90 countries worldwide which come under the umbrella of Hostelling International. We are also members of the European Federation of Youth Hostel Associations (EUFED), which represents 19 youth hostel associations across 16 European Countries.

Green Tourism
SYHA is the original green tourism business! Environmental care has been part of our philosophy ever since SYHA was founded in 1931. We were the founding member of the VisitScotland Green Tourism Business Scheme for Hostels, and we have more awards within this scheme than any other organisation. Most of our hostels now have at least the bronze award, and more and more are achieving silver and gold awards each year.

History
The Scottish Youth Hostels Association was established in 1931, and we celebrated our 75th anniversary in 2006. Our first hostel opened in Broadmeadows, in the Scottish Borders, and the most recent addition to our network was the stunning new Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel, just 5 minutes from Princes Street in the heart of the city.

We continue to have hostels all over Scotland, from big city hostels to small, remote and rustic hostels in some of the most stunning and isolated parts of the country. We also have a number of affiliate hostels – run independently of SYHA but working with us to extend the network of hostels available to our customers.

Charity
As a not-for-profit company with charitable status, any surplus we generate is put back into the hostel network. This enables us to run hostels in some of Scotland’s most inaccessible areas – locations which would not be viable for commercial operators, but where tourists and travellers can benefit from having quality, value accommodation. Our big city hostels have an important part to play in generating the income used to support the smaller hostels.

We receive no funding from government sources, and are reliant on the sales of our overnight accommodation, and associated catering and other services, for most of our income. We also seek to raise funds from other organisations and individuals who wish to work with us to meet our charitable objectives.

Economic Impact
We are a major player in the Scottish tourism industry, providing over 500,000 bednights each year. About 60% of our customers come from outside Scotland, which contributes significantly to the economy, both nationally and locally. Crucially, many of our hostels in more remote areas are vitally important to the economic well-being of their locality, and many have an important role to play as the base for the local mountain rescue team, local coffee shop or stopping-off point on a long-distance walk.

Governance of SYHA
Members of SYHA are invited and encouraged to put themselves forward for nomination for election to the Council and possibly also the Board.

The Association is looking for individuals who wish to play a vital and responsible role in ensuring the continued good governance and sustainable development of SYHA. Nominees from the broad cross-section of membership are encouraged to come forward and volunteer their services and experience from a wide variety of occupations, activities and interests, in order to provide a balanced mix of skills in the governance structure.

For more detailed information about the responsibilities of Council and Board members. Download: SYHA Governance PDF

If you are interested in receiving a nomination pack, please contact the PA to the Chief Executive’s Office at SYHA National Office on 01786 891 400 or by email to company.secretary@syha.org.uk

Scottish Youth Hostels Association (also known as SYHA)
is a registered Scottish charity, No. SC013138 and a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland, No. SC310841

Registered Office
7 Glebe Crescent
Stirling
FK8 2JA