Strathspey Hotel, Aviemore 1977

The Strathspey Hotel in Aviemore, Scotland, has long been a familiar name to visitors of the Highlands. Opened in the 1960s, it formed part of the original Aviemore Centre, a bold and ambitious leisure development created to turn the village into a modern, all-season tourist resort.

Built during a period of optimism and investment in Scottish tourism, the hotel was one of several large accommodation blocks that sprang up around the Aviemore Centre. Alongside other attractions like an ice rink, swimming pool, cinema, and ski school, the Strathspey Hotel offered comfort and convenience to the growing number of tourists visiting Aviemore for skiing, walking, and Highland scenery.

With its modernist architecture and large windows offering views of the Cairngorm Mountains, the hotel quickly became a popular base for both summer and winter travellers. It hosted countless family holidays, coach tours, and skiing parties throughout the 1970s and 1980s, reflecting the peak years of Aviemore’s development as a planned resort.

Over the decades, the fortunes of the Aviemore Centre declined, and many of its original buildings were demolished or redeveloped. However, the Strathspey Hotel endured and was eventually incorporated into the Macdonald Hotels & Resorts group, becoming part of their Aviemore Resort complex. The building was refurbished and modernised, though it retained much of its original layout and Highland character.

The hotel has continued to serve as a well-placed hub for exploring the Cairngorms, attending events, or enjoying a relaxing break in Scotland’s dramatic mountain landscape.