Scandinavian Village Aviemore

I have many many fond memories of holidays in Aviemore. As a child we would often holiday there in a caravan down by the river Spey, now known as "Aviemore Holiday Park". There was a tunnel to access the park with an echo we took full advantage of on our way to get a sweetie from the shop or a poke of chips from the chip shop.
Aviemore back then had so many amenities, such as the swimming pool, ice rink (loved the arcades area), and of course, the now-defunct Santa Claus Land, which I vividly remember. The street where Santa Claus Land existed has been named "Santa Claus Drive", a fun reminder of times gone by.
Now I'm grown up with a family of my own we often visit Aviemore at different times of the year. While there are many fine hotels, B&Bs, and private accommodation in Aviemore, our favourite place to stay is Scandinavian Village.

Scandinavian Village
Scandinavian Village is a holiday resort located in the centre of Aviemore, at the west side near the A9. On-site is a cluster of self catering accommodation types comprised of apartment and villa lodges, villas being the larger on offer.
Free wifi is available throughout the resort. Parking is ample with spaces available at each unit and also at the two overflow car parks onsite. All linen and towels are provided. Onsite laundry facilities are also provided as part of the facilities.
The staff are super friendly and there are a selection of films that can be borrowed from reception (in normal non-covid times). Bikes can also be hired from their on-site bike store. A new play park has also been recently built on site for younger children.
Villas
On our stays at Scandinavian Village, we have stayed in the Villa type accommodation the most. They are very spacious, cosy and homely and can sleep a family or up to six people easily. The fully equipped kitchen is replete with every kitchen utensil you can think of and even comes with tablets for the dishwasher. There is a dedicated living room and dining area, two bathrooms each with two showers, one includes a bath.
The two bedroom Villa has rooms with one with a double bed, and another with 2 bunks. The resort's Villas also come with a washing machine and tumble dryer.

Apartments
We have stayed in the apartments on one occasion. They are much smaller than the villas, but can comfortably fit up to four people in the single bedroom. There is a small kitchen, dining area and lounge in each apartment too, and the upstairs apartments have a cool balcony!
Both Apartments and Villas come with nice flat screen TVs with freeview, and DVD players.

Location
Located in the Cairngorms National Park it is an ideal base for seeing the sights in and around Aviemore, the Cairngorm mountains are visible from the site and usually capped with snow in the winter months - it is an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Scandinavian Village is perfectly situated in central Aviemore, it simultaneously feels away from the centre but also close to the amenities. Aldi and Costa Coffee is a very short walk away on the aforementioned Santa Claus Drive, and further up is a fantastic Chinese restaurant that offers delivery... The Winking Owl across the road is superb too. Tesco is not much further away but it is a little more expensive than larger Tesco stores. The town's train station is a relatively short work away. Cobbs Cafe is great for breakfast, and Alvie Forest Food is amazing after a peaceful walk in the forest.
Our favourite place to eat when staying at Scandinavian Village is the Cairngorm Hotel which is again easily within walking distance... we visited this month and I had my usual Cairngorm burger! They also make great haggis neeps and tatties. There is currently a deal on to receive 15% off your meal on Mondays if you show your Scandinavian Village key fob. The Cairngorm Hotel is also another Aviemore Hotel would we considering staying at, the rooms look lovely.

Frequently asked questions about Scandinavian Village
Are pets allowed at Scandinavian Village?
The accommodation at Scandinavian Village is pet-friendly but I believe there is an additional cleaning fee of £26.
What time is check-in/check-out?
Stays at Scandinavian Village are usually Saturday to Saturday, checking in at 5pm and out at 10am the following Saturday.
How many bedrooms are available?
1 bedroom in the "Apartment" type units, and 2 bedrooms in the "Villa" type units.

How many guests can sleep at Scandinavian Village?
4 in the Apartments (1 bedroom), or 6 in the Villas (2 bedrooms).
Is there adequate car parking at Scandinavian Village?
Yes, there are spaces outside each unit, and there are two overflow car parks.
How much does it cost to stay at Scandinavian Village?
The prices do vary depending on the time of year you are visiting. Special offers are often posted on their Facebook page. Apartments would likely cost in range of £380-£520, and Villas £780-£925 depending on the season for the week - Saturday to Saturday. You can book on their website or via this link.

Is the A9 road traffic loud at Scandinavian Village?
I've stayed at Scandinavian Village many times in the past 10 years and this has never been a problem, in the villas or the apartments - we always have a wonderful night's sleep.
Where is the nearest ATM to Scandinavian Village?
There are ATMs are the local bank - The Bank of Scotland, and at the local Tesco, both within a 10-minute walk of the resort.
How to get to Scandinavian Village?
Driving: Inverness Airport (01667 464000) is approx 45 minutes away. Scandinavian Village is 2 1⁄4 hours west of Aberdeen, 2 1⁄2 hours north of Edinburgh,3 hours north of Glasgow and 1 1⁄2 hours north of Perth.
Coming from the South turn off the A9 into Aviemore, turn left after the petrol station, into the “McDonalds Highland Resort”. At the top of the hill, turn left and follow the road round passing the highlands Hotel on the left – you will find us situated on the left.
Coming from the North, turn off the A9 into Aviemore, go straight over the first roundabout, passing Tesco’s you will see the Cairngorm Hotel on your right opposite the train station, take the first right after the hotel into the ‘McDonalds Highland Resort’. At the top of the hill turn left and follow the road round passing the highlands Hotel on the left – you will find Scandinavian Village situated on the left. By Train: (0845 748 4950) Aviemore Train station (01479 810211) run direct from Kings Cross and Euston London connecting with all major cities on route. Scottish City link Coaches: (0871 266 3333) also stop in Aviemore.
Local Transport
A bus service runs to and from Grantown on Spey. There is also a seasonal bus service to and from the ski area. Trains and Intercity coaches travel north to Inverness and south to Edinburgh and Glasgow several times a day. Please check at reception or the Tourist Information Office for times. There are good taxi services operating from Aviemore station: Tel: 01479 811015 or 811111. Taxi company 811015; also offer competitive prices for tours to the distilleries, Airport runs and trips.
Macdonald Aviemore Resort
Macdonald Resort offers a great cinema - The Spey Valley Cinema, again only a 10-minute walk from Scandinavian Village... we saw Frozen 2 here a couple of years back, the kids loved it. We didn't realise how big the cinema was, expecting a room with a couple of rows of seats, it is actually a huge auditorium with many seats. This complex is also home to Spey Valley Shopping which offers many fine items.

Osprey Hide
For the avid bird photographer, there is a brilliant photography hide a short distance from Scandinavian Village. The hide is water level so perfect for action shots of the Osprey hunting fish. More information on booking is available here: Aviemore Ospreys.

Further Afield
Scandinavian Village is an excellent base to check out some of the other sights outside of Aviemore. Loch an Eilein, Loch Morlich, Loch Garten, Boat of Garten and the natural beauty of the Rothiemurchus estate are all just a few miles away.
There is a brilliant soft play area at Coylumbridge Hotel called "The Fun House"; this is probably the best soft play near Aviemore. There is a cheap and cheerful restaurant here, the food is OK... we call them "sleaze burgers", a guilty pleasure.
For the hillwalkers, there are no less than 17 Munros in the Cairngorm range.
The Landmark Forest Adventure Park is very close to Aviemore and is worth a visit if you have deep pockets. At the time of writing it would cost my family of five £114 for the day... don't get me wrong, it is a great day out, and the kids love it, but the prices are extortionate, I feel.
We had great fun at Treezone and Quad Biking at the Rothiemurchus Centre.
We spent an afternoon at Aviemore Kart Raceway, which was so much fun, book in advance to avoid disappointment.
The ruin of Ruthven Barracks is well worth a visit, and Highland Wildlife Park and Highland Folk Museum are both a good day out each too.
Inverness lies about 30 miles to the north, with great shops and other attractions for a day trip out - Our kids love the swimming pool there.
Click here for more information on the best things to do in Aviemore.
New Update - The Cairngorm Suite
In the summer of 2021, we were lucky enough to stay at the Cairngorm Suite, which is a unique unit at Scandinavian Village. Situated above the reception building, The Cairngorm Suite has some more high-end features like a split-level lounge, open plan kitchen and a nice dining area. It also has an ensuite bathroom in the master bedroom. We really enjoyed staying at this unit, and being in the summer Scandinavian Village was full, it gave a really nice vibe to the place, and when England lost the football, there was an almighty cheer...

Conclusion - Scandinavian Village Aviemore
If you are looking for somewhere to stay on your first trip to Scotland/United Kingdom, and especially as a base in the highlands and Cairngorms National Park, Scandinavian Village is a fantastic choice for your stay in 2022.
If you like what you've read about Scandinavian Village, please consider booking via my affiliate link.

All information was correct at the time of writing, please check things like entry costs and opening times before you arrive.
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Hi, please leave a comment below, or why not start a discussion on the forum?
Comments:
ChrisLBS
22nd of April 2022 @ 21:18:09
Hi Robert, thanks for your comment. Yes, I was aware of the different configurations for the accommodation, but wondered if the extra capacity wasn't advertised for a reason. I didn't want to say villas could sleep 8 just in case it wasn't allowed. I might double-check with the reception and see what the official policy is! Thanks for your input.
Robert Fergus
22nd of April 2022 @ 20:47:53
Hi Chris, this is a great advert for Aviemore and Scandinavian Village. As a long term owner of several timeshare weeks can I point out that not all apartments only sleep 4, and not all villas only 6. Many of the villas have 4 bunk beds and therefore sleep 8. Some of the apartments also have a double and 2 bunks in the bedroom plus the sofa bed in the lounge so sleep 6. Anyone reading this who has a bigger family should ask reception when booking if looking for more beds.