Outdoor Saunas in Edinburgh: Seaside, Harbour and Croft Heat

Why Edinburgh's outdoor saunas are coastal, not city-centre

The city's outdoor heat is clustered along the Forth, from Granton in the north-west to Portobello in the east, with Leith in between. Edinburgh Leisure's swimming halls and the hotel spas sit elsewhere, so choosing an outdoor sauna means choosing a short trip out of the centre rather than a central stop. Allow for the walk from the bus stop and for the sharp wind off the water in winter.

For the wider picture of indoor pools, Victorian baths and hotel facilities, the best saunas in Edinburgh covers the full spread. This guide sticks to the outdoor rooms, where you cool down in open air or in the sea. If you are used to Finnish bathing, the rhythm of repeated rounds and cooling off outside will be familiar; our guide to the Finnish sauna explains the etiquette behind it.

Soul Water Sauna at Granton: Big Bear, Little Bear and the Forth

Soul Water Sauna Granton runs two Siberian cedar saunas on the coastline next to Granton Beach, beside The Pitt on West Shore Road. Big Bear is the larger and more humid of the two, holding 16 people in community sessions and 18 for private hire. Little Bear is drier and hotter, with room for 6 or 8. Both rooms look over the Firth of Forth through picture-frame windows, and guests move between them unless a private session is booked.

Outside there are open-air showers, a cold plunge and a sheltered changing area, so the cool-down happens on site rather than on a walk to the water. Book through the Granton page on Soul Water Sauna's own site, where the calendar of events sets the session times; check current times and prices there before travelling.

Soul Water Sauna at Portobello Beach: barrels and sea dips

At Portobello Soul Water Sauna runs wood-fired barrel saunas with sea views, and the routine is a hot round followed by a dip in the Forth. The beachfront setting makes this the most straightforward place to combine heat with salt water, provided you bring a towel and something warm for the walk back. Book the Portobello sessions on the Soul Water Sauna site, since the Granton calendar does not cover them.

Portobello Beach has become the city's outdoor bathing hub, so the barrel saunas fill the gap left by the indoor options nearby. For the distinction between beach saunas and the indoor Victorian facilities, our Portobello Beach overview is the place to start.

Puffin Sauna at Leith Community Croft: a converted horse trailer

Puffin Sauna is a converted horse trailer turned wood-fired sauna, set within Leith Community Croft, the home of the charity Earth in Common. It sits among food-growing plots, a Sunday market, Populus Cafe and regular community events, so a session can be combined with a market visit. Community sessions hold up to six people, which makes it the most intimate of the outdoor options.

Two cold plunge barrels provide the contrast, and the setup is designed to be welcoming for first-timers as well as regulars. The address is 4a John's Place, Edinburgh, EH6 7EL, and the listing notes partial suitability for visitors with limited mobility. Because sessions are capped at six, book ahead for weekends and market days.

Spear Sauna at Lost Shore Surf Resort

Spear Sauna sits within Lost Shore Surf Resort, a surf destination west of the city, and pairs heat with views over the water and a cold plunge nearby. It is the natural stop after a surf session, and the setting makes it a different proposition from the harbour and beach saunas in town. If you are combining a sauna with time on the water, our Lost Shore Surf Resort page covers the setup in more detail.

How a session works: booking, session length, group sizes

All four venues run on booked sessions rather than walk-in drop-ins, so the group you bring decides which one fits. Puffin Sauna's community sessions hold six; Big Bear at Granton holds 16 and Little Bear 6 or 8; private hire at Granton expands Big Bear to 18. Solo travellers can join a community session, while groups should look at private hire.

Expect to move between rooms and the cold water at your own pace within the booked slot. The sources describe the rooms and group sizes but not the length of each session, so the Soul Water Sauna booking calendar is the place to see the timing.

Swimwear, towels and changing

The outdoor saunas here are mixed sessions, so swimwear is the norm, and you should bring your own towel along with something warm to put on afterwards. Granton has a sheltered changing area and open-air showers; Puffin Sauna and the Portobello barrels have simpler setups, so arrive ready to change. A seat cover or a towel to sit on is good practice at any wood-fired sauna.

The cold-water option: sea, plunge barrels and open-air showers

The cold-water options are specific to each site. At Granton there is an on-site cold plunge and open-air showers; at Puffin Sauna two plunge barrels; at Portobello you step into the Firth of Forth, which is cold at any time of year. Take the sea dip seriously and keep it short, especially in winter, and skip alcohol before bathing.

What it costs

Pricing is set by each operator and varies by session type and group size, so the published price is the one to rely on. Soul Water Sauna lists its sessions and any vouchers on its booking pages, and Puffin Sauna's listing directs visitors to its own booking service. Treat the outdoor saunas as a paid booking rather than a drop-in pool visit.

Getting there: buses, walking and winter weather

Granton is on the north-western coast beside The Pitt on West Shore Road, Portobello is east along the promenade, and Leith Community Croft is at 4a John's Place. Lothian Buses covers these routes, and the walk from the stop to each sauna is short but exposed to wind off the Forth. In winter, bring a hat and a dry bag; the walk back from Portobello Beach after a sea dip is the coldest part of the day.

How outdoor saunas compare with Edinburgh's Victorian swimming halls

Edinburgh Leisure runs a string of Victorian baths with saunas attached: Dalry Swim Centre on Caledonian Crescent, Glenogle Swim Centre in Stockbridge, Leith Victoria Swim Centre on Junction Place and Warrender Swim Centre in Marchmont, all with 25-yard pools. These are indoor, pool-based sessions where you swim first and then sit in the sauna or steam room, with no sea or plunge barrel. The best saunas in Edinburgh are covered together with these halls, so you can compare the indoor and outdoor experience side by side. Portobello Swim Centre, the seafront Victorian building with the city's only publicly accessible Turkish baths, is currently closed while repairs are carried out, which is one reason beachfront bathing concentrates around the barrel saunas. For the indoor Turkish baths, Portobello Turkish Baths is the reference.

Practicalities and a plain safety line

Book a session that matches your group and the cold-water option you want, and don't plan a tight connection afterwards; the sea dip and the walk back take longer than you think. Take a towel, a water bottle and warm layers, and leave valuables at home where possible. Stay hydrated, skip alcohol before bathing, leave the heat if you feel unwell, and ask a doctor first if you have a heart condition or are pregnant.

Plan Your Visit

For a first outdoor session, choose Puffin Sauna for a small, friendly group in Leith or Soul Water Sauna Granton for the larger cedar rooms and the plunge. For the sea, the Portobello barrels are the direct route into the Forth, while Spear Sauna adds a surf setting. Book with Soul Water Sauna or Puffin Sauna directly and allow the time to travel to the coast.