Sweat, plunge, repeat – a wild Scottish sauna safari

CALL it wild, call it new, call it a trend, but really, Scotland’s sauna movement is a return to something deeply human. We’ve always swum in rivers and gathered around fire; this isn’t invention but reconnection.

Still, this “wild” framing has caught hold: wild swimming, wild camping, wild saunas. As though plunging into a loch or sweating in a hut were exotic hobbies instead of what we’ve done for generations. But there is truth in the term – wildness carries that charge, that fizz of freedom, that sense of being awake and alive.

Lockdown blues to sweaty bliss

After the lockdowns, when the rise in wild saunas began here, it was no wonder we were rushing to feel free, play, reconnect. For me, that has meant gallivanting through my local sauna scene – Fife, Perthshire, and Edinburgh.

What I found was a string of encounters that were at once ancient and fresh, ritual and play.

Steamy cruise with a view on Loch Tay

One of the most striking new arrivals is the sauna cruise on Loch Tay, run by Taymouth Marina. Inspired by a trip to Scandinavia, owners Eric and Naomi Strickland created Scotland’s first sauna boat – and when my husband Kieran and I stepped aboard, it still had the air of something brand new, fizzing with possibility.

We were welcomed into a lounge where the resinous scent of fresh wood mingled with the sharper tang of citrus from the bowls of fruit laid out.

The heart of the boat is its wood-fired sauna: a deep, glowing heat that seeps into the bones, the stove crackling as the water hisses off the stones. Through sliding doors, the deck opens straight onto the loch, the scent of woodsmoke giving way to cold, clean air.

Every 15 minutes, the boat stopped to let us plunge into the stunning loch. One end held Kenmore village, the other lifted into green-streaked mountains.

I slipped into the dark, peaty water again and again, the shock giving way to exhilaration, the vast scenery rising around us.

I couldn’t help thinking of Oslo, where I had once watched floating saunas drift in the fjord. I had never dared to imagine one would appear here, so close to home.

And yet here I was, body tingling from heat and plunge, heart swelling with joy.

As the boat pootled back into the marina, we relaxed on the deckchairs. We disembarked in our gowns and lifejackets, looking like an eccentric care home outing – red-cheeked and slightly dazed, but blissfully happy.

Ninety minutes passed in a blur of sweat, woodsmoke, cold water and laughter. It isn’t cheap at £55 a head, but as a shared experience – six people, a roaring stove, Loch Tay as your plunge pool – it’s hard to beat.

Chute into the loch

These aren’t the only sauna adventures at Taymouth Marina. The large glass-fronted HotBox looks across Loch Tay, its fierce heat broken by exhilarating plunges down the chute into the dark, peaty water. There’s a bar, plus hot pool, steam room and lively vibe.

For something quieter, there’s a permanently moored HotBoat, its crackling stove and gentle sway offering a more intimate experience. Together with the sauna cruise, they make the marina a true hub for these rituals of fire and water.

Elie Seaside Sauna makes a splash

On the East Neuk coast sits one of Scotland’s best-known saunas: Elie Seaside Sauna, built by Judith Dunlop and named by The Times as the best seaside sauna in the UK.

There are two cabins here: Dune, bookable for private groups, and Shore, open to individuals. Both face the bay, their large windows turning the sea into a living canvas.

When I stepped out for my first plunge in the clear waters of the bay, the air slapped cold against me. By the time I stumbled back up the beach, my skin was glowing, alive.

Each dip left me tingling and eager to climb back onto the top bench, where the stove roared and the cycle began again. The atmosphere was cosy.

With Judith at the helm, it’s clear that Elie isn’t just a sauna hut by the sea – it’s part of a growing culture, one that welcomes newcomers as easily as it holds space for regulars.

St Andrews Seaside Sauna brings the ritual

Just up the coast, the St Andrews Seaside Sauna sits above the beach at East Sands. Also owned and run by Judith, it shares Elie’s warmth and vision but has its own character.

Judith is a leader in Scotland’s sauna culture, and in St Andrews I learned more about the deeper traditions. She talked about sauna whisking – using bundles of birch or oak branches to brush and beat gently across the skin, releasing oils that fill the hot air with an earthy, forest scent. The strokes stimulate circulation.

She also introduced aufguss techniques, familiar in Germany, where a sauna master uses towels to whip and circulate hot air. I’d tried this on Kieran during the cruise on Loch Tay – flicking the towel to send a blast of heat across him.

That afternoon, Judith guided us through chakra-focused work – breathing, intention-setting and holding the heat – until we dropped into contented silence.

The sea here is beautiful to bathe in and even when the tide is out, it’s still an easy walk to reach.

Nico, who has lived in Scotland for 35 years, told us about a recent magical experience watching dolphins from the sauna. He visits three times a week saying, “It gives me a good start to the day. It relaxes me and gives me more power and dedication.”  

Another visitor is an 82-year-old woman who is brought to the sauna in a wheelchair by her grandson before enjoying the heat and cooling off in the coastal breeze.

Judith explains how beneficial sauna is for people with reduced mobility, “The heat gets the heart going and boosts circulation, it’s so good for you.”

Six Reasons Sauna Makes You Glow
Cardiovascular health – regular sauna use is linked to improved circulation, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of heart disease.
Cognitive benefits – studies suggest reduced risk of dementia with consistent use.
Immune support – may enhance white blood cell production, helping the body fight infections.
Muscle recovery – heat relaxes muscles, eases soreness, and supports recovery after exercise.
Stress relief – promotes relaxation, lowers cortisol, and boosts endorphins.
Skin health – sweating helps clear pores and improve skin tone.

Into the woods at Montrave Estate

Leaving the coast behind, I drove inland to Montrave Estate near Cupar in Fife, where Katrino of Yogi Oils runs sauna ceremonies beside a natural pool.

The ceremony lasted two hours, moving in cycles of heat, cold, and ritual. We began with silence, oak whisks tapping rhythmically across our skin, each strike releasing the green, earthy smell of the branches.

Each round had its own character as Katrino took us through her personal oil blends based on the four elements. Menthol crystals opened our lungs with sharp clarity and salt scrubs left our skin tingling and alive.

Between rounds we plunged into the estate’s pool, its cold water holding us like stone, shock fading to calm as dragonflies skimmed above.

The pace was unhurried, the atmosphere reverent, the woodland beyond the window a constant, grounding presence of rustling leaves and birdsong.

Here there was ceremony, quieter, slower, tuned to the land. When we emerged into the evening light, skin soft, spirits lifted, it felt less like exercise and more like renewal.

Ritual meets play at Spear Sauna

My final fiery foray was to Spear Sauna at Lost Shore Surf Resort on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Here the atmosphere blended ritual with play, set against the unusual backdrop of a concrete surf lagoon.

This experience began with 20 minutes of gentle yoga, which was perfect for arriving in the body and settling the mind to begin the sauna ceremony.

There were salt scrubs that stung and refreshed, all-natural honey masks that melted sweet on the lips, and buckets of icy water that sent us squealing.

At one point we were sprinkled with a giant watering can, trickling cold streams over us.

Between heat rounds, we stepped outside to watch surfers carving across the lagoon. The waves were off when we swam, so we floated in calm water, marvelling at the unique experience.

Fresh fruit was shared between rounds. Those on the top bench wore sauna hats, provoking more giggles – practical for the heat, perhaps, but not exactly high fashion.

What struck me most was the contrast with Montrave. There, the view was a rustic, here, it was surfers on a man-made wave. Both were ritual, both connected us to our bodies and the moment, but worlds apart.

What I learned from my Sauna Gallivant

From lochs to beaches, woods to surf resorts, every sauna gave me something different: spectacle, serenity, play, ritual, or intimacy. Yet through all of them ran the same cycle: heat, plunge, repeat.

We call it wild – wild swimming, wild sauna. But it’s natural, innate, and deeply healthy. What feels new is only the rediscovery, the willingness to step back into it.

The sauna scene is growing, diversifying, spreading. There is something here for everyone – whether you seek ritual, play, community, solitude, or all of the above.

And maybe that’s the point. The wild isn’t something out there. It’s already in us. And when we sweat, plunge, laugh, and breathe together, we find it again.

Scots Snippet

Word of the Week

“Dook”

(v.) - to plunge or dip.

Perfect for your next sauna gallivant!

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