Frequently Asked Questions

Arrival & Departure Times:

To facilitate thorough cleaning please arrive after 4pm and depart before mid-day. We request that you leave the hostel as you found it e.g fridge & freezer empty, bunks stripped & linen put in the bags provided We can be flexible if there are no guests arriving after you. But in any event we need to be able to get in to clean the bedrooms after 10 am on the day you leave.

Directions

On reaching Kirriemuir, follow the signs for Glen Prosen & Cairngorms National Park (ignore signs to Glenisla). These take you out on the B955 to Dykehead.

At Dykehead the main road bears right, you fork left. there is a brown tourist sign to Prosen Hostel. Carry on for 7 miles to Glenprosen village. The public road ends at a red telephone kiosk in the village, here you turn acute right, with a large yellow house on your right, and head up a tarmac track. You will find the hostel after about 150m (once the tarmac gives out) and there is a large car park outside the gates to the hostel. Check out the map What3Words: “afterglow:clay:modem”

Drying Facilities

Another benefit from the log burning boiler is that the boiler room (in a shed opposite the main entrance) is also an excellent drying room.

Access;

The hostel is not manned. A door code will be emailed you on confirmation of your booking. It is essential that you bring this with you.

Linen:

All beds are made up with sheets duvets & pillows. You need to bring towels.

Dogs:

If you are taking the whole hostel, well behaved dogs are welcome in the living area but not on carpeted areas (dirty paws!) so long as you keep them off the furniture
If you are not taking the whole hostel then it is up to fellow guests, as some may fear or be allergic to dogs.

If in doubt please keep your dog out of the hostel & in your car.

Shopping & Eating:

The nearest shops are Kirriemuir, 8 miles away, or Forfar 10 miles. Tesco will deliver, but you must be there to take delivery.

The Drovers Inn Memus is the closest restaurant; Clova Hotel (30 minutes away) serve good pub grub.

Internet:

This is by satellite & very slow (& expensive). The wi-fi is open, but please do not try streaming or uploading photos etc as it is limited to 5gb per month and will stop altogether, if not for you, for the next guests.

TV

Also by satellite. Freeview, so plenty of channels.

Phone:

The nearest mobile reception is at Buckhood, on the main road 2 miles down the glen, though there is the occasional freak spot in the middle of a field.
There is a payphone in the hostel its number is 01575 540456

Cycles:

There is a secure rack to which you can lock 2 cycles in the open fronted shed to the rear (the old boys’ cycle store when the building was a school).

Fires:

There is a woodburning stove in the living area (in addition to full central heating). A basket of logs is provided, and more are available at cost for those staying longer.

The metal raised firepit is in the back yard to the rear. Please do not use the cut logs on the firepit, you are welcome to collect any dead wood (& there is plenty) that you find lying around.

There is also a barbecue.

We ask that you do not start a bonfire on the tarmac of the yard as it destroys it. But there are sites nearby suitable for a bonfire if you wish.

Village Hall;

This is only 100m below the hostel and may be available for parties. The current rate is £80 for a day.

Winter Access:

There can be heavy snow any time from November to May. In recent years there has been very little.

We reckon that the snow plough service in Glenprosen is about the best in Scotland; it’s done by a local farmer with a Council plough blade & gritter. He clears the road from Dykehead to Prosen Village. We have our own Unimog and blade for the last 100m up to the hotel, but there are times that you may have to leave vehicles by Prosen Kirk (500m away) and walk.

Private Rooms:

The hostel tends to be quiet mid-week (Mon-Thurs) and you are quite likely to have a room to yourself. This is much less likely at weekends. If privacy is important to you, the simplest thing is to keep checking availability on line, and contact us if the hostel looks like filling up. If you would like guaranteed privacy in a 4 bed room, we charge as follows for the unused beds: Only 1 guest, 2 additional beds charged; 2 guests, 1 additional bed charged; 3 guests, ½ additional bed charged.