The Costs of Cots on the Scots’ Coast

If you want freedom and flexibility while touring coastal Scotland and the islands but would also like some assistance in making transportation and accommodation arrangements, the Scottish Youth Hostel Assn. can help. SYHA offers independent travelers do-it-yourself tour packages incorporating vouchers for youth hostel accommodations with rail, bus and ferry travel.

SYHA has 80 hostels throughout the mainland and islands. Both SYHA packages are valid for use between April 1 and Oct. 31. Each includes a SYHA handbook and map and a Scotpass card.

The Explore Scotland package offers seven days of unlimited coach travel on Scottish Citylink, which covers the mainland and the Isle of Skye. Also included are six overnight vouchers for use at any SYHA hostel. The cost is $242.15. The Scottish Wayfarer Go as You Please packages are available for seven or 14 nights. They include unlimited rail travel throughout Scotland (second class) for eight or 15 days. This transportation pass also is honored for sailings on most of Caledonian MacBrayne’s West Coast Ferries. Scottish Wayfarer package travelers also get a one-third reduction on P & O’s Scrabster-to-Orkney sailings. The seven-night Scottish Wayfarer package costs $308.95.

For more details, contact the SYHA Head Office at 7 Glebe Crescent, Stirling, Scotland FK8 2JA; telephone 011-44-1-786-891400.

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A new youth hostel in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been added to the Hostelling International-American Youth Hostels network for this year. It is called The Avenues and is in a downtown residential neighborhood at 107 F St.; tel. (801) 359-3855 or (888) 884-4752.

Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. She can be reached at https://www.izon.com