We tried wild swimming at Plodda Falls. Satisfy your wanderlust, go wild swimming, exploring and so much more when you stay with Crerar Hotels. One thing to be aware of when swimming in Loch Leven is that it contains a large number of blue-green algae, so please steer clear of these! GPS coordinates: 56.09933, -4.56248 The craze of wild swimming, or as others call it simply swimming outside, has made a huge splash across . Comments have been closed on this article. If you are interested in getting started from The Outdoor Swimming Society, then click here. Located 25 miles off the coast of Land's End, all of Scilly's islands are stunning. Read our article on wild swimming kit to make sure you have everything you need, pick a beautiful swimming hole and dive in carefully. Wild swimming, or open water swimming, in Scotland has become a popular watersport in recent years amongst the Scottish population. A sunset dip here is unbeatable. Britains longest lake and home to the Loch Ness Monster. 5 mins, 58.1703, -5.3069. / And as an ambassador for the Outdoor Swimming. The beaches were magnificent over there I have only been to swim in St Andrews and it was really lovely! We are delighted to be able to bring you a variety of sessions which aim to accommodate all levels of Wild Swimmer. The Outdoor Swimming Society 's membership grew by. All within a 30 minute journey by car or bike, you could glide along the colourful waters of the east coast. Daniel Start, author of Wild Swimming, shares his tips for taking the plunge . Perfect for an afternoon dip. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to When you get in the cold water, your blood shuts off to your extremities and starts to go towards your core to keep your organs warm. Dan taught me breathing methods, mindfulness practices as well as swimming techniques. Many places to swim from shore and potential to swim out Small lake by roadside in the pointyhilled Faerie Glen. Whether its gliding through the vibrant waters of Loch Lomond at Milarrochy Bay or taking a dip with Largs picturesque Pencil Monument in the background, there will be a special place for you. Large Waterfall or Gorge plunge pool nearby. The glen is fairly low-lying so it makes for an easy walk up to the waterfalls. You can swim across the 1km Gulf of Corryvreckan in slack water between the tides. To see safety information on rip currents when wild swimming in the sea click here. Its shallow parts provide a great place for beginners to paddle the day away. And finally, more important than whether you decide to take a wetsuit or a pair of water shoes, Armour advises you to always take a friend with you when you go wild swimming. It isnt far from the main road, and as such is popular with campers and other swimmers. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and . The annual Monster Swim event takes place here during the summer and is where expert swimmers can partake in a five-kilometre swimming race. With plenty of science museums, historic ships, theatres, art centres and quirky bars, it is the ideal location to stay. Pedn Vounder Sands, near Penzance, Cornwall. One City Place, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 3BQ, United Kingdom. Your email address will not be published. Swimming with the backdrop of such lovely landscapes in natural water bodies is definitely a unique experience. Theres nothingmore refreshing on a hot summers day than jumping into a lake, river or even the sea and Scotland is no exception. A couple of benches rest nearby, too, so you can enjoy a post-swim sit-down amongst the woodland surroundings. Secluded place to access shoreline opposite dramatic Urquhart Castle, down through fields. A gently shelving section of river beach, deepening to 4m, with large flat rocks on the nearside. Stunning and wild backdrop. With ease of access to nearby islands, and beaches, there are endless opportunities to explore Scotland in all its glory and wild swim in Scotland. Why Sign up to receive discounts, exclusive offers, travel tips and guides. With lots of plunge pools and smooth rocks for lounging on, this is a great place to spend a whole day or night, if youre a keen camper. Jemma Martin, Wild Swimming Scotland member Magical old steep-sided slate quarries are now filled with Mediterranean-blue sea water, and offer a more sheltered swim on the beautiful car-free Easdale. Daily water quality forecasts with regular water monitoring Beautiful south facing bay with incredible views to Arran. . Soon youll come across the Linn Falls clearing, and will be met with thunderous sounds of the waterfall! Advnture is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Scotland Embued with legend and fairy tales, the famous 'Allt Coir a Mhadaidh' pools and waterfalls are tinged with jade hues due to the volcanic gabbro rocks and the mystical peaks of the Black Cuillin mountains tower . What is wild swimming and why do it? During the summer months, Glaswegians go to any lengths to find a sunny spot so it would be rare to find these quiet. Off the A816 S of Oban, follow B844 to Seil and Easdale (PA34 4TB). With all that water, it makes sense that wild swimming in Scotland has caught on, except for the fact that the country is also notorious for challenging weather it averages 100 days of snow per year and no stranger to frigid winters and frequent gale force winds so we were curious to know if there are any special considerations to be taken when it comes to wild swimming in Scotland. Roughly a quarter of the way up the loch, there is a large layby. To see safety information on wild swimming in reservoirs and wild swimming in rivers, click here. Nearest car park: Parking layby Loch Ness, A82, Inverness IV63 6XR In answer to the question my first couple of visits to Skye Fairy Pools were amazing,g though this Summer the sheer numbers of visitors and the erosion of some of the access, for instance, to the rock arch have diminished the possibilities of a serene swimming visit. One notable swimming group is the Loch Leven (Glencoe) Open Water Swimmers; if youre a beginner, why not join them for a swim? New Cottages - Just Added To The Website! You might also like: A practical guide for snorkelling in Scotland. After paddling in the cool waters, be sure to settle down on the nearby picnic benches and soak up the calming sounds of the waterfall. Nearest car park: Little Vantage car park, Unnamed Road, Kirknewton, EH27 8DJ The surrounding views are just as extraordinary, with the peaks of Bruach na Frthe and Sgrr nan Gillean creating a stunning backdrop. Once on the island there is a series of quarry pools. In this wild swimming in Scotland guide, Loch Leven is one of the most stunning sights! Swimming Beautiful location. Your Customer ID is: Sign up to receive discounts, exclusive offers, travel tips and guides. Are you on the phone to our call centre? Cottages Near English Heritage Properties. Its a very popular spot for visitors, with the hashtag #lochness being used over 450,000 times on Instagram! Check which are open for swimming. Editors' Code of Practice. Stunning islanded lake, rich in original Caledonian pine. In summer it just comes alive. We arrived at our hostel in the middle of the afternoon, when the sun was still standing high, burning down. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing. Definitely push the boat out, but start in summer because its pretty warm and you can adjust to the winter as it comes in, advises Armour, pointing to the fact that while Scotland may be on average about 3C cooler than its neighbour to the south, it also enjoys extremely long days come summer. In the summer they are incredibly popular, as the route to the river and pools is delightful. Suitable for:Adults. READ MORE: Wild swimming Scotland - The top 10 best places to go Sites which have consistently been of excellent water quality are only sampled five times. Based in Portobello, Edinburgh, we offer swimming lessons and supervised swims at locations around the Lothians. Good plunge pools above falls. Theres usually a snack van parked on the shore in summer, which serves burgers and ice creams. Hi, I'm Lola and I joined the marketing team in 2021. A dramatic glen with perfect river pools running very close to road. 20 mins, 56.2939, -5.6595. Lovers of wide-open spaces will enjoy this beach, which is located near the gorgeous seaside town of Crail. Nearest car park: Harlaw Car Park, Balerno, EH14 7AS But there is nothing better than a jump in some fresh cold water after a long day of hiking and these spots look perfect! Next Warrior Water Women retreats coming soon Join us for a retreat in the beautiful Scottish highlands gbsct Wild Guide ScotlandHidden Places, Great Adventures & the Good Life Paperback by Kimberley Grant, Richard Gaston, David Cooper charts 750 of Scotland finest wild places and is published 1st May by Wild Things Publishing (16.99). However, wild swimming here takes a little bit more effort depending on the tide, as you have to walk quite a while through the shallow water before you can dive in. Here you can pick up last-minute swimming gear before venturing southward to the glimmering loch for a scenic swim! Just not on New Years Day , Your email address will not be published. Im a writer, blogger and podcaster based in Glasgow. What is e-biking, and is it right for you? Whilst Loch Lomond can count as a spot for wild swimming in Scotland on its own, its so large that its best to explore it in parts! I had spent New Years Eve in a small bothy in the middle of Glen Etive, surrounded by good friends and lots of stars and maybe a drink or two. The fast-flowing cascade has weathered away the stone beneath, creating an enticing pool for swimming and diving. Lovely views of the Campsie Hills with Mugdock Visitor Centre providing a station for a tea or coffee after a swim. Reached along a sign-posted path, five minutes walk from road. South facing beach reached by dirt track from Straad. As for Higher Glen Etive A series of three falls and three pools set in quick succession by roadside. View Privacy Policy. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Required fields are marked *. This may be a silly question but what does wild swimming mean? The next day, a bunch of us set out to ring in the new year in true Scottish fashion: jumping into a freezing cold lake and we drove toGualachulain to jump into Loch Etive. A mixture of sand and rock, Seamill Beach can be reached in a train ride from Glasgow. Nearest car park: Glen Etive Estate Parking, Ballachulish PH49 4JA Dores Beach is a good spot and local swimmers meet here regularly for swimming. Amazing locations for wild swimming in Scotland arent hard to come by, with the country offering showstopping lochs, waterfalls and natural pools in abundance! Sunday 26th March 1000 Groyn 5, Portobello. Please see the full list of useful health and safety websites and information at the bottom of this page. Despite its peaceful surroundings, Glen Etive does have very deep parts in it, meaning you should take extra care here. Elegant white A beautiful wide gorge opening out to very large, still river pool (200m). Haha for me it really depends on the outside temperature sometimes it is just the best thing in the world to jump into freezing cold winter. If you are new to Cold Water Swimming / Dipping, you will be required to take a number of 1:1 sessions to ensure you are safe to join in our group sessions. Can be very midgie-prone during summer months, so pack your Skin So Soft! Parking: Private car park accessible through small car parking fee. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. This is the Scottish Highlands at its best, with mountains on all sides, Caledonian pinewoods, islands in the middle of the loch and the chance to see some of Scotland's rarest wildlife. Backed by the cliffs of Treryn Dinas, this sandy beach has clear waters and fantastic rock formations . This swim is very close to the Grey Mares Tail Burn swims. The cascade will come into view and youll be in awe; it has to be amidst the most beautiful of the UK waterfalls. One of these is the gorgeous Harlaw Reservoir, where wild swims can be enjoyed amidst peaceful surroundings! An enchanting sight, the waterfall cascades into Loch Lomond. Fed from icy snowmelt and water flowing off the plateau above, it is a bracing dip, but one that is second to none in its alpine splendour. After a steep climb up the Devils Staircase and a long descent to Kinlochleven, we were exhausted and sweaty and really needed something to cool us down. Another popular swimming loch in the Trossachs is Loch Lubnaig. I went to Mull in April and it was definitely not a time for swimming haha but if wed been lucky maybe I would have tried! It is a narrow strait between the islands of Jura and Scarba, in Argyll and Bute, off the west coast of mainland Scotland, and contains the third largest natural occurring whirlpool in the world. Stunning Wild Swimming Locations in Scotland. All the latest inspiration, tips and guides to help you plan your next Advnture! The answer, according to Armour, is to not delay in getting your wet gear off and getting warm, no matter how amazing you feel in the moment. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. Make sure you have a special base to experience these from by booking one of these Scotland Holiday Cottages! This 13.3km loch is surprisingly safe, despite its imposing size. GPS coordinates: 55.83343, -3.44521 Read these three tips from Scottish ultra swimmer James Armour before you take the plunge. Popular for wild camping. When it comes to places with amazing waterfalls, Scotland is hard to beat! Scotland might nothave the hot springs of Iceland or the sauna culture of Finland, but weve got something else: cold water that is perfect for wild swimming! Nature is for everybody to enjoy, so make sure you leave each site as you find it. Here, she takes us through the best swimming spots in the wilds of Scotland. One of Scotland's most enchanting wild swimming spots, the crystal-clear pools lie at the foot of the dramatic Black Cuillin mountain range. Did you ever see any or have an encounter? The beach stretches for twomiles, with rocky outcrops that make a suitable place to rockpool during low tide. THENational has compiled a list of wild swimming spots dotted around Scotland, with something for every kind of swimmer. . You might also like: My guide to the Ross of Mull incl. Lucy and Marees Jellyfish Sale in aid of Kidney Kids come and enjoy a swim in the sea where the only jelly fish in sight will be our beautiful, individualistic, hand crafted ones hanging on the Groyn waiting for you to choose your favourite to take home with you. Wild Swimming in Scotland. The beach is popular among local swimmers and booking a session here with a coach is a great introduction to wild swimming in Scotland. With 3,723KM of coastline, 23 inhabited islands, over 40 freshwater and sea lochs and several easily accessed beaches and rivers, Argyll's west coast waters are a wild swimmer's paradise. With over 10,000 kilometres of coastline, and endless rivers and lochs, youll discover theres a lot to appreciate and explore north of the border. Were beginning this list of spots for wild swimming in Scotland with the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye. Its a wonderful place for a swim, however, due to its depth of 98 feet, it should only be tackled by experienced wild swimmers. With just a short journey from Stirling, Trossachs National Park in Stirlingshire holds some of the most picturesque backdrops in the world, surrounded by spectacular mountains and munros, the tranquil beauty of the lochs are truly irresistible. Nearest car park: Threipmuir Reservoir Car Park, Mansfield Rd, Balerno, EH14 7JT Drawing on her vast experience as a long-distance swimmer and open water swimming coach, Alice has hand-picked locations to help you experience Scotland at its wild and rugged . Whether its a family day trip to the Beach Boulevard just outside the centre of Aberdeen, or an adventurous swim through the cracks of a collapsed cave at Hells Lum over Cullykhan Bay, Aberdeenshire is rich with unique rural locations, and beaches to go open water swimming. Glasgow is surrounded with a stunning array of clear, calming, freshwater lochs with breath-taking views, the ultimate backdrop for wild swimming. From the car park at Creag Meagaidth reserve at Aberarder on the A86 (approx 4 miles SW of PH20 1BX), head out on well-constructed paths, past a whitewashed farmhouse with picnic tables outside. Thats just a wee bit chilly for this Florida native! Deep, large, black plunge pool (30m) at base of Scotlands second highest Waterfall or Gorge. Some nice spots!! A good path hugs the N side of the Glen, with ever-increasing views of the cliffs ahead. Considering trying wild swimming in Scotland? GPS coordinates: 57.46117, -3.22614 (Not ideal for children unless supervised.) Wow! If the water is still too cold for you, there are also many hiking trails to viewpoints around the loch! Continue along the woodland trail, with the Spey River flowing to your right. Tide goes out 0.3 miles then sea bed slopes steeply. A stretch of crystal clear water with waterfalls and rock-pools big enough to swim in. It was a bit of a scramble to the shoreline, but a much more secluded experience. Please report any comments that break our rules. Another astounding spot for wild swimming in Scotland is Loch Ard, located within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. This spot is backed by the Loch Ard Forest and feels very secluded, though it is often a lively spot during the summer months. The biggest fear to worry about here is the fear of cold water . Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the bookRestorative Yoga for Beginners. A beautiful sandy beach protected from being too exposed by jutting headlands and a curved bay. Parts provide a great introduction to wild swimming, shares his tips taking... You are interested in getting started from the main road, and is it right you. Years amongst the Scottish population along the colourful waters of the most stunning sights and safety websites and at! Of Scotlands second highest waterfall or gorge Glen, with the Spey flowing. 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