Inside the Games: a guide to the Athletes' Village

Firstly, it is important because it is so much fun. It is rare that athletes have the opportunity to mix with competitors from other sports and so the Athletes' Village has something of a novelty factor to it. Walking through the Village, you can spot athletes of every shape and size, from tiny gymnasts to enormous rugby players. Commonly, each country commandeers a particular area of the huge dining hall meaning that it is easy to spot your compatriots irrespective of whether you are on your own or with some teammates. Some of my favourite memories of the three Commonwealth Games Athletes' Villages in which I have stayed are of socialising with athletes from different sports.

The Scottish team is unfalteringly friendly - at each of the Commonwealth Games in which I have competed, I have met fellow athletes whom I continue to keep in touch with. I am often asked what the difference is between Team Scotland and Team GB; unquestionably, there is a much friendlier, more amiable atmosphere within the Scotland team in comparison to the British Olympic team. This is partly due to the smaller size of Team Scotland - the Scottish team heading to Glasgow 2014 is, by some considerable margin, the largest ever at 310 members but is still over two hundred athletes smaller than Team GB at the London Olympics. The atmosphere within Team Scotland when they move into the Glasgow 2014 Athletes' Village will be electric; to compete in any Commonwealth Games is special, to compete in a home Commonwealth Games is exceptional and something that so few athletes will ever get the chance to do.

Another reason that the Athletes' Village is such a coveted place for the athletes is because it provides sanctuary from the madness that is their competition venues. Within the confines of the Athletes' Village, you know that you are protected from the prying eyes of the media, from the attention of the public and from the pressure that every athlete feels at a major Games. The distractions from the media are considerable at any Commonwealth Games but this will increase ten-fold for the Scottish athletes at their home Games which is why the Athletes' Village is such an important place for each and every one. Being inside the Village gives you the opportunity to focus on your event - producing their best performance at these Games is something that every one of the Scottish athletes has been training towards for the past four years, if not longer.

Being inside the perimeter fence of the Athletes' Village means you can relax to some extent, although you can never fully unwind until your event is over. One of the best feelings I had during my entire badminton career was returning to the Athletes' Village in Melbourne in 2006 having won a bronze medal. When a Scottish athlete wins a medal, the whole of Team Scotland gets a text message telling them the news so on my return, I had countless people congratulating me on my success.

The Glasgow 2014 Village is exactly how I like an Athletes' Village to be configured- the accommodation is town houses which have had additional walls erected inside them to make extra bedrooms and this layout produces a much cosier feel. In comparison, many Athletes' Villages are high-rise flats- both the London Olympics and the Delhi Commonwealth Games were tower blocks and this gives the Village a colder, less welcoming feel.

Although the Glasgow 2014 Athletes' Village opens its doors to the teams on Sunday, not all will move in straight away. Some teams will not yet have arrived in Britain while some will be in holding-camps around the UK. The Scotland team are due to arrive in dribs and drabs, with each individual sport deciding what is their preferred arrival date to ensure that their athletes get the best preparation possible. One thing is for sure though, as soon as the athletes move into the Village, they know the Commonwealth Games are ready to begin.