Unlike the English and Welsh YHA, the Scottish Youth Hostels Association does not publicise alternative geographical numbers for its hostels in its handbook or on its website. I enquired why not....

Thank you for your feedback below, which I have answered as honestly as possible –

1.                   Don't you know that these generally don't work for people calling from abroad?

Answer: Full testing was carried out in conjunction with our telecoms provider to ensure that the 0870 numbers work from abroad. Whilst initially experiencing the problems which you suggest, these were quickly resolved and we have no issues with overseas communication.

2. Point 2: These numbers are a rip-off and are especially expensive when people are using mobiles- as will often be the case with people on the move but not booked in advance who wish to book ahead. The policy of using 0870 numbers is at odds with a policy of helping young people with limited means- even such people have mobile phones, of course, but usually pay as you go, where prices to call 0870 are very much more than the misleading "national rate" from landlines (which is actually anything between two and a half times and 20 times the actual rate for a geographical call, depending on time of day).  

Answer: This is a fair point and one which I am slightly uneasy about myself.  We currently have a fixed term contract with our telecoms provider and will be reviewing this policy at that point.  As a not for profit organization, we do not charge admin or booking fees and we encourage customers to book online or at another hostel.  We are fully committed to helping young people with limited means, and overall I would say we are doing a decent job in keeping 20 or so non-commercially viable hostels open for this very reason.

Did you not also ask them for the underlying geographic numbers that these 0870s translate to so they can be published on this site?  Since they admit they know it is a ripoff I'm sure they might be sympathetic to doing this.

While I'm sure SYHA will react positively now they've been woken up to the sublte & insidious deceit of 08... numbers,  in the meantime

http://www.bugeurope.com/reviews/Scotland/

has the numbers for many Hostels in Scotland, including BOTH Geographic & 0870... for the SYHA Hostels.

SYHA Central Reservations, in Stirling can be reached on 01786 891 400   (instead of 08701 553 255).

As a lifelong supporter of this marvellous organisation I just hope this snippet doesn't divert business away from SYHA hostels.

They have fallen for a scam that is as much a con as the one worked by double glazing salesemn for many years.

If we dind't have a so called regulator, Ofcom, run by senior staff formerly working for the scammers and therefore sympathetic to the scammers then then this outrageous confidence trick would never have been allowed to be perpetrated in the first place.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if I knew all the cream from these 0870 calls was going to this particular benificent organisation, but I know that's just not the way it works  &  their benificence is rather being exploited.

(The same might be said of the Disasters Emergency Committee, with their eagerly awaited,
      0870 60 60 900
number for the Asia Quake Appeal.  

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?board=news;action=display;num=1129035386

)

I'm glad I looked at the England and Wales YHA website, as the guidebook I got when I joined only lists 0870 numbers.

The YHA in Northern Ireland doesn't use 0870 numbers at all, just ordinary 028 geographic numbers - good on them!