Scotland’s Best Outdoor Saunas For Cosy Season
Highlands & Islands
There’s something particularly wonderful about an outdoor sauna in Scotland. Maybe it’s the powerful contrast of stepping from intense heat into cold Scottish air. Or perhaps it’s simply being cocooned in a cosy cabin, surrounded by a wild landscape, that is so appealing.
Outdoor saunas have been popping up across the UK in recent years, from rustic wood-fired cabins by the sea to beautifully designed spaces tucked away in the countryside.
But it’s in Scotland’s northern reaches and islands where you’ll find some of the most dramatic settings, with remote, wild landscapes that can make the journey feel every bit as worthwhile as the sauna itself.
As cosy season approaches, these oh-so-toasty hot boxes are the perfect antidote to winter wellness.
I’ve been seeking out some of the outdoor saunas worth knowing about across the Highlands and Islands, looking for places where the experience is as much about the destination as it is the sauna.
Because while a sauna session is reason enough to go, it’s the setting that makes these places extra special.
So here are the Scottish outdoor saunas I think are worth a detour, with a particular focus on the Highlands, Islands and West Coast.
Scotland’s Best Outdoor Saunas
As always, we’ve focused this list on the Highlands, Islands and Scotland’s northern reaches, but if you’re looking for outdoor saunas further south, around Edinburgh, Fife, and the Borders, this handy guide is a good place to start. Finally, if you know of a sauna that should be on this list, then let us know!
Set beside the River Oich near the historic suspension bridge, Great Glen Sauna is a converted horsebox sauna with a wonderfully wild setting. This is our closest outdoor sauna and one of our favourites - it sits right alongside the Great Glen Way and Caledonian Canal, with the river providing the obvious cold-water option afterwards. Social sessions and private hire are available, and there are no changing or toilet facilities on site, so come prepared for a properly outdoorsy experience.
For something a little more polished, Newhall Mains has its own six-person sauna tucked into the grounds of this stylish Black Isle retreat. The timber sauna sits in a field overlooking the unspoilt Black Isle countryside, with decking for cooling off and a cold plunge pool for those embracing the full Nordic bathing ritual.
This sauna is available for exclusive use, and guests staying at boutique Newhall Mains can book a one-hour session at reception. This is a strong contender for the bougiest outdoor sauna on our list!
Cromarty Community Sauna, Black Isle
Cromarty’s distinctive red community sauna is as much about people as it is about heat. The location changes throughout the month, but the idea stays the same: a wood-fired sauna, the Cromarty coast, and the chance to cool off in the sea before warming up again. Sessions are shared rather than spa-like, making this a lovely choice if you like your sauna experience sociable and rooted in the local community. One of our favourite saunas in the Highlands, though changing facilities are limited, so come prepared.
Perched above the trees at Woodlands Glencoe, this Finnish sauna offers one spectacular view: across Loch Linnhe towards the mountains and Ardnamurchan. The experience includes a cold plunge, bucket showers and an outdoor shower, with the sauna seating three comfortably or four if you don’t mind getting cosy. It’s a particularly good option for adding a little post-hike luxury to a Glencoe or Lochaber trip.
Shared sessions are restricted to very early morning or late evening, but you can hire Wilderness for a private session during the day.
Staffin Sea Sauna, Isle of Skye
One of Skye’s most dramatic sauna settings, Staffin Sea Sauna sits at the end of the shore road beside Staffin Harbour, with views towards Staffin, Flodigarry Island and, on a clear day, Harris and Lewis. It’s close to the beach, the Quiraing, Kilt Rock and the Old Man of Storr, making it an easy addition to a day exploring Trotternish. Sessions include 50-minute shared bookings and private hire, but it’s a popular stop with locals and visitors alike, so book ahead.
Meaning ‘Sauna by the Sea’ in Gaelic, Sauna na Mara is tucked into the waterfront at Carbost, with the Cuillin providing the backdrop. It’s a small wood-fired sauna designed around the simple pleasure of heat, sea air and a cold dip, and unlike some sea-based saunas, you’re not restricted by the tide. Choose between a shared session or private hire, then pick your cooling option: sea, cold shower, or simply the fresh Skye air.
Right on Inveraray’s waterfront, Solas Wild Sauna is one of the newest saunas on Scotland’s West Coast, and it brings a compact wood-fired sauna experience to the beautiful shores of Loch Fyne. Sessions include access to cold plunges, with both individual and private bookings available. It’s a lovely one to pair with a wander around Inveraray, and for me, a trip to one of Inveraray’s amazing foodie stops like Ocho or the Inveraray Seafood Shack.
Up on Scotland’s far north coast, Seaview Sauna has one of those settings that makes the journey north feel particularly worthwhile. The wood-fired sauna overlooks Dunnet Bay, and the 90-minute sessions include a cold plunge. There are communal, family and private options, making it an easy addition to an NC500 itinerary, although I’d be tempted to allow a little extra time simply to take in the view.
Up on Scotland’s far north coast, Seaview Sauna has one of those settings that makes the journey north feel particularly worthwhile. The wood-fired sauna overlooks Dunnet Bay, and the 90-minute sessions include a cold plunge. There are communal, family and private options, making it an easy addition to an NC500 itinerary, although I’d be tempted to allow a little extra time simply to take in the view.
Saltbox takes the wild sauna concept and runs with it, using mobile, off-grid saunas that pop up in some seriously beautiful corners of Lewis and Harris. The current fleet includes smaller saunas for intimate sessions and larger versions for groups, with panoramic windows, wood-fired temperatures and freshwater cooling. Locations change, so check the current schedule before setting off; recent summer locations have included Northton on Harris and Reef Beach on Lewis.
At HAAR, sauna culture feels particularly at home in Shetland. The original sauna sits beside the extraordinary St Ninian’s tombolo, where wood-fired heat, sea swimming and huge open skies make a memorable combination. There are community and private sessions, and HAAR now also operates in Lerwick and at other island locations, so you can make the experience part of a Shetland itinerary rather than simply a one-off stop.
Set right beside the water in the pretty conservation village of Luss, Hot Tottie is all about the view. Its panoramic window looks across Loch Lomond towards Ben Lomond, while a plunge into the loch right outside is perfect for cooling off afterwards. Shared sessions are 55 minutes and can fit up to eight people, but you can also book a private session if you’re bringing a group.
This is an easy addition to a day out on Loch Lomond, and it’s one of the more fun saunas in Scotland on our spot in terms of aesthetics. I’ve visited twice, and my top tip is to book later in the day; the sunset over the loch is really magical.
Wild Bathing has not one but two coastal saunas around Oban: The Catalina at Ganavan Sands and The Coorie In at Tralee Bay. Both are 10-person wood-fired saunas, with individual seats or private hire available, but they feel quite different.
Catalina is right on Ganavan Sands with views across the water to the islands, while Coorie In sits beneath woodland at Tralee, a short walk from the sandy beach. Sessions are 55 minutes, making either an easy addition to a day around Oban.
Island Sauna Shack, Isle of Mull
A sauna that moves with the island, Island Sauna Shack pops up at some of Mull’s most beautiful coastal spots, including Salen Bay, Aros Pier, Fidden and Port nan Gael. The converted horse-box sauna means the view changes with the season and the weather, but the premise remains the same: wood-fired heat, wild sea air and the option of a Hebridean dip afterwards. Check the current location when booking, as the sauna rotates between sites throughout the year.
There’s something wonderfully unfussy about Watershed Sauna, a wood-fired Nordic-style sauna housed in a converted vintage horse box. It’s based on the dunes above glorious Findhorn Beach, where you can book a communal session or hire the sauna privately and cool off in the sea afterwards.
We passed this sauna recently on a hike along the Moray Coastal Path, and it was so inviting. Look out, too, for its occasional pop-up sessions in more unexpected locations around the Moray Firth.
Tucked into the dunes just beyond the beach huts at Hopeman East Beach, Fyrhùs is about as close as you can get to a classic Scottish coastal sauna experience. Heat up inside the wood-fired sauna, then step outside for a dip in the Moray Firth, with the beach and sea just moments away. The sauna offers communal and private sessions and has other locations around Moray, including a meadow setting with views towards the hills and Burghead Bay.
A slightly more refined take on outdoor sauna-ing, Ballintaggart’s eight-person sauna sits on the farm near Grandtully, with views across the Perthshire countryside. We visited recently while staying at East End Cottage, and it is by far one of our favourite sauna experiences.
Sessions include access to a super-cold plunge pool, plus lush drinks and light snacks from the onsite shop, including marshmallows for toasting on the firepit, making it a leisurely afternoon rather than a quick post-walk warm-up. Sessions last 60 minutes and are available to both hotel and cottage guests and visitors.
