YHA Black Sail

What a fantastic, isolated, back to basics, escape from it all location. My husband and myself booked not knowing what to expect, but it far exceeded our expectations. It was such a welcome sight heading down the Black Sail pass after a full day in the fells, to be welcomed by Mike and Ross, check in was easy, just make sure you take photo Id,and enough cash for the duration of your stay, and you will not be disappointed. In the good old traditional way of hosteling you will be informed of your chores (just wash your own pots). The quality of the food for evening meal, dessert and breakfast was amazing, Do not expect a meal choice, a set menu is in place, and you are informed in advance of your stay what it will be, so if it is not to your liking, I recommend taking your own food and cook it in the well equipped self catering kitchen. Do not expect a microwave or toaster, you have to cook or grill your food. Mike explained that because the hut is off grid, modern day appliances drain the solar powered batteries. Our fellow guests were all nice and we sat out gazing at the stars for hours, and chatting, mainly about walking the fells. We loved it, well done YHA, can’t wait to return.

Black Sail is just the most wonderful place to stay - the location is stunning of course. Don't expect spa baths and massages but the facilities are clean and the shower is actually better than mine at home! One of the best things about the place is the staff - Mike the current warden is great and obviously really cares about the place (he also has a good sense of humour which I think you need at Black Sail!), Steve and Ross, his helpers, were also just brilliant. It takes a special person to be a warden of a Youth Hostel and Mike and his team have just the right level of humour and hospitality to make Black Sail a fabulous place to stay whether you like breathtaking scenery or not!

Remote, one shower, no WiFi, jobs to do in the old tradition (very easy jobs but it makes you feel good). But Steve and the rest of the staff are so friendly and efficient, food is fantastic, every comfort is available, great beer and the breakfast would outdo many a top hotel. Add to that good company and a sky full of stars.

This is the 3rd time we have booked Blacksail for exclusive use. |First the positive. The location is the best, the isolation is wonderful and your group can really feel away from it all. |Unfortunately, one of the selling points is exclusivity and YHA still make a point of there not being staff onsite during exclusive bookings. However on arrival there was a man with no I.D who told us he was the warden who now lived on site.|At least twice during our stay he entered the accommodation unannounced. Not really a problem for a bunch of blokes , but had this been a mixed or all female group this could have been an issue. Particularly as isolation is a main selling point for the hut. |If this is now the case YHA should make it clear to customers.

We’ve been a few times over the years and it’s always a thrill to walk over the fell and see Black Sail again. It is everything everyone says it is: Unique, special, beautiful, an experience. It is just wild enough to feel like an adventure, but the comforts provided by the excellent wardens make it easy. The shower is hot, food excellent and bunks and bedding are comfortable and immaculate. We hired towels for the first time. Nice, especially as we were there for 2 nights. You have to hire a whole room now, which makes it pricey for a single person, but if you can afford it, do. It’s an unforgettable experience. ||Black Sail attracts people from all over the world and we have met wonderful characters on each visit, which really adds to the atmosphere. This time it was a joy to meet some Canadian coast to coasters and discover that they were Olympic rowing champions and wonderful company. Steve, the manager, was outstanding. His cooking was the best we’ve known and his cooked breakfast set us up for the day’s walking. We will remember this visit for a long time. Thanks, Steve!

Long been on our bucket list to stay overnight after experiencing the warm hospitality at Black Sail twice before whilst walking C2C and what a fantastic experience we had. Fabulous location as we already knew but just an amazing place to stay as night draws in, chatting to fellow guests from all over the world whilst enjoying a great meal and friendly banter from Steve our Warden for the night. Although we needed to leave before breakfast he made sure we did not leave on our days journey without something we could prepare to eat ourselves. Thank you Steve and our fellow guests, we loved meeting you.

This used to be an incredible place to stay with shared rooms. You were always guaranteed to run into some interesting people and chat the night away over some good beer. Alas now you can only books the whole rooms which I think takes away the charm of he place. I've spoken to the YHA and they say there is no plans to move back to shared rooms which is a shame. I think most hikers would rather it return to its roots rather than be some kind of glamping "experience". Just to add it looks like you can book individual beds in the rooms again!

We love Black Sail YHA. I have wanting to go for 40 years and it didn't disappoint. Incredible place to be in the middle of amazing hills. The warden, Jon, was really helpful and rustled up some tasty dinner when we arrived late, catering for my veggie daughter as well. It was warm and cosy. The beds were comfy and we even managed to mainly dry our wet gear. It is great that the hostel remains open through the day with an honesty box cafe. This is our favourite hostel.