ROOMS: The rooms were spacious and fairly well kept -- all were co-ed. High ceilings and bright colours add to the "character". Unfortunately, so does the climb up the four storeys or so (no lift). Stone stairwell and walls make it a bit echoey. Good beds (not squeaky or saggy) but bad pillows (tiny, lumpy things that may as well not have been there).

FACILITIES: The showers were quite good! I didn't really use the kitchen much, but from what I saw it was a bit crowded.

PEOPLE: The staff were friendly, but unfortunately, because there isn't a great common room, it's hard just to hang out with people.

NEIGHBOURHOOD: The street it's on (Cockburn) is full of funky, fun stores, good nightlife, but the street noise wasn't bad enough to bother me (then again, I always travel with earplugs anyway). I felt quite secure there (if I recall correctly, there was an entry code system). Next door there is a good cafe where you can get a discount when you show your hostel card. Best of all, it's just below High Street and a 5-m downhill walk to the train station (which unfortunately means a *steep* uphill walk when you first arrive by train).

PRICE: When I stayed, it was £14 - this was during Edinburgh Festival time. (Word of advice: *always* book well in advance if you plan to be in Edinburgh during a festival - which is all of August, for example, and at New Year's/Hogmanay).

Overall, a 7.5/10 - pluses: location, location, location; minuses: common areas, some noise

Now that I have your attention, I should say that the hostel was very helpful. The fellow on the desk got the guy back into his own bed and offered me the option between shifting rooms and getting clean sheets. The hostel also looked after my luggage for free.

The hostel itself has a great location. It is near the train station, but not too far up the hill, so you don't have far to go with luggage. It is also well placed for both the old and new town. It is a pretty standard hostel, with a kitchen and pool table. There is a cafe downstairs, which you get a discount in, but which didn't strike me as special.

The showers are not very well set up, which means that there is usually a lot of water all over the floor, and being winter, this meant they were quite muddy. But at least they were hot.

I would be willing to stay here again if I needed to, but I am sure that there are better (and worse) options.