There are around 340 independent hostels around Britain offering an enormous variety of accommodation: some provide private en suite rooms and well-equipped kitchens, others have only a barn loft without electricity. What unites them is a desire to provide affordable accommodation with shared communal facilities to people who love outdoor activities. And now, conveniently, they have been compiled in a book, called the Independent Hostel Guide, published by Backpacker Press. The following list gives a flavour of what's available.
1. Grasmere Independent Hostel, Cumbria
Bev and Jo Dennison's converted farmhouse is one of the more luxurious hostels with warm comfortable rooms, a large well-equipped kitchen-diner and homely lounge – there's even a WiFi connection. Located a mile out of the village, there is a good pub 300 yards away if you don't fancy cooking an evening meal, or breakfast. Popular with overnighters doing the coast-to-coast route, the hostel is actually a great base for exploring the central fells. Opposite is Helm Crag, walks behind the house will take you towards the Helvellyn Range.
• Broadrayne Farm, Grasmere, Cumbria, grasmerehostel.co.uk, +44 (0)15394 35055. From £18.50 per night. Rooms: 1x3 beds, 1x4, 1x5, 2x6
2. St Johns-in-the-Vale Camping Barn, nr Keswick, Cumbria
The Lake District has 15 camping barns that provide simple accommodation in great settings. St John's is on a peaceful hill farm with stunning views towards Helvellyn and Blencathra and Castle Rock. This 18th-century converted stable and hayloft has an upstairs sleeping area and dining area below, all heated with a wood-burning stove. There are hot showers available and the farm can do breakfasts if given advance notice. There are trails through the surrounding woods where you can spot, with a bit of luck, red squirrels, deer and badgers.
• Low Bridge End Farm, St John's in the Vale, Keswick, lakelandcampingbarns.co.uk, +44 (0)1946 758 198. £7 per person. Rooms: 1x8
3. Fell End Bunkhouse, nr Sedburgh, Yorkshire Dales
The Howgill Fells near Sedburgh are one of England's great undiscovered wild areas and this former 18th-century schoolhouse is well-sited for exploring the hills. There are eight bunk beds in the main building with a cosy communal area heated by a wood-burning stove. Then there is a second three-person house specially adapted for those with mobility problems. A well-equipped modern kitchen completes what is a tiny gem of a place in a fabulous location.
• Six mlles north-east of Sedbergh on the A683 road to Kirkby Stephen, fellend-bunkhouse.org.uk, +44 (0)1539 723766. £9 + VAT per person per night. Rooms: 1x8 beds, 1x5, 1x1.
4. Whitefields Cottage, nr Ripon, North Yorks
You would be pushed to find a more impressive CV for a hostel than Whitefields: located in a medieval deer park and part of a World Heritage Site in North Yorkshire. This 19th-century farmhouse is cared for by the National Trust and is on the edge of Studley Royal Park, a beautiful stretch of landscape inhabited by herds of deer and some of Britain's finest sweet chestnut trees. The ruins of Fountains Abbey are a short stroll away through John Aislabie's 18th-century water gardens.
• Fountains Abbey, Studley Royal Park, Ripon. Bookings: joanne.hudson@nationaltrust.org, +44 (0)1765 643172. £100 per night, £160 Fri and Sat. Sleeps up to 16 (1x8, 1x6, 1x2)
5. Deepdale Backpackers, Norfolk
Deepdale, on the north Norfolk coast, is a big operation in every sense. At the heart of it is a smart well-equipped hostel with both private rooms and shared dormitories. On top of that, however, there are some top-notch tipis, camper-vans, nearby shops, barbeque area and lots more. The hostel has a strong green policy with solar power, compost toilets and rainwater harvesting. There are many miles of coastal path, sandy beaches and small harbours to explore and the place is popular with walkers doing the 47-mile North Norfolk Coastal route.
• Deepdale Farm, Burnham Deepdale, deepdalebackpackers.co.uk, +44 (0)1485 210256. From £9.50 per person per night. Rooms: sleeps up to 50 in various rooms
6. Yarde Orchard Bunkhouse, Devon
In Devon, on the Tarka Otter trail, is this gem of a hostel that emphasises the green. The two-bedroomed bunkhouse is homely and comfortable – families can use the downstairs room which has a double bed plus a bunk bed. In the lounge there is a wood-burning range. The building is very eco-friendly with rainwater-flushed toilets and reedbed treatment system. Cooking can be done in a well-equipped kitchen, but there is also a cafe open during the day (weekends only in winter). Food is largely organic and free trade with plenty of local produce too.
• Yarde Orchard, East Yarde, Petersmarland, Torrington, yarde-orchard.co.uk, +44 (0)1409 281461. £12-14 per person per night, family room £40 a night. Rooms: 1x6, 2x4 + cottage.
7. Outdoor Alternative, Anglesey, north Wales
Located in seven acres of coastal grassland and within five minutes of Anglesey's Rhoscolyn beach, Outdoor Alternative is well-placed for walking, bird-watching, rock climbing and diving. Andy Short, who runs the centre with his wife Jacqui, is also a kayak coach and there are many classic paddles within easy reach. The original centre was set up over 30 years ago in an 18th-century farmhouse but now extends to nine bedrooms in twin modern buildings. For those who want to cook there is a well-equipped kitchen, but locally-sourced three-course dinners are available, too. The common rooms are stocked with maps and guides to help guests get the most out of this beautiful area.
• Outdoor Alternative, Rhoscolyn, Holyhead, Anglesey. outdooralternative.org, +44 (0)1407 860469. £15.70 per person per night. Rooms: 2x2, 1x3, 3x4, 1x5, 2x6 in 2 buildings
8. Glen Affric Backpackers Hostel, Highlands of Scotland
Cannich is a great base for walking up into Geln Affric, one of the Highlands most beautiful stretches of countryside, and part of what will soon become Britain's first coast-to-coast footpath done entirely through forest. The Backpackers hostel offers single beds in two- or four-bed rooms – no need to share if you don't want to. There are two common rooms with log fire and reading material, one also has a television. For meals there is a fully equipped spacious kitchen.
• The Glen Affic Backpackers Hostel, Cannich by Beauly, Inverness, glenaffric.info/affric_backpackers, +44 (0)1456 415263. £10 per person per night. Rooms: sleeps up to 70 people in 2 and 4-bed rooms
9. Rattray Head Eco Hostel, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
No doubt about the dramatic location: Rattray Head Hostel is nestled in 11 miles of isolated sand dunes in the most easterly part of Scotland. This former lighthouse shore station was built in 1892 of local granite and its sturdy rooms now house a variety of dorms and private rooms. The North Sea Trail passes close by and the area boasts Scotland's driest, sunniest and most midge-free climate. Out among the dunes you might find orchids and wild strawberries, the beach itself hides at least four wrecks within a mile of the hostel. For birdwatchers there is also the 2,300 acre RSPB Loch Strathbeg Reserve, an important site for wetland birds.
• Rattray Head Eco Hostel, Rattray Head, Rattray, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, rattrayhead.net, +44 (0)1346 532236. £12 per person per night including bedding, orange squash, tea and coffee. Rooms: 1x2, 3x4.
10. Inishbofin Island Hostel, Co Galway, Ireland
With a population of just 200 and a stunning location off the west coast of Ireland, Inishbofin is one of the more remote hostels available. There are several fine sandy beaches on the island, which is just 6km long and a half-hour ferry journey from the mainland. In the evenings you might catch a traditional music session – there are two hotels and a pub, plus a shop and a post office. The hostel is a converted farmhouse with private rooms, small dorms and a self-catering kitchen.
• Inishbofin Island Hostel, Inishbofin Island, Co. Galway, inishbofin-hostel.ie,+ 353 (0) 95 45855. €18-20 (£15.50-17.25) per person for a dorm, €23-25 for private rooms. Rooms: can sleep up to 38
• All the hostels mentioned can be found in the Independent Hostel Guide, which costs £4.95 plus £1 p&p if ordered through independenthostelguide.co.uk
• For camping barns in the Lakes, lakelandcampingbarns.co.uk
