Scotland's Nordic Renaissance: Embracing Oudoor Sauna

By Ally Collingham

Mobile Horse Box Sauna sited at Pollokshields, Glasgow.

Scotland is currently undergoing a positive cultural shift towards a more Nordic approach to winter weather.  

Glasgow’s newest outdoor community, Horsebox sauna, host Mim Black said: “We live in Scotland, a really cold country, and we should adopt a Nordic approach.” 

As a nation, we have previously preferred the warmth of indoor facilities and shied away from the cold outdoors.  

However, the continued closure of public indoor saunas has fuelled the growth and passion for the outdoor sauna.  

Black said: “There are no public saunas available in Glasgow. They all got shut down during COVID and never reopened.” 

This Nordic style approach to saunas is not new to Scotland. Archaeological evidence suggests similar structures to ancient Finnish smoke-style saunas existed in the Orkney Islands as far back as 4000 years ago and were used for hygiene and ritual purposes. 

The ancient belief that saunas are cleansing persists today and science back physical and mental health benefits.  

Harvard Health said: “Frequent visits to a sauna are associated with lower death rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke.”  

There are a wide variety of health and well-being benefits from lowering cholesterol and blood pressure to reducing stress and anxiety. With the loss of central meeting points in communities, they also supply a creative social space. 

Sauna Preneurs is creating original wild sauna spaces for quiet activists to enjoy at a rapid pace all over the country.  

Aside from the recent surge in outdoor saunas in Glasgow, the currently most popular area is on the East Coast, with the likes of Bees at Broughty Ferry Castle Beach in North Dundee and the Wild Scottish Sauna in St Andrews.  

Catching the East’s tail fast and the West Coast with new places popping up, such as ‘Hott Tottie’s’ nestled by the Lifeboat House in the charming conversation village of Luss, Loch Lomond.  

One thing they all have in common is that they ooze the idea of luxury pampering in a scenic retreat.  

Growth has been so fast that the website saunamap.uk/all-saunas/ has been created to map and keep track of all the existing and newly appearing facilities. 

Soon Scotland will be like Finland, who have as many saunas as it has television sets, with most people having access to one at home.