Wild swimming spots in Scotland

Our interactive map features over 100 wild swimming spots across Scotland and counting, including sea swims, lochs, rivers, tidal pools and waterfalls, many with saunas, parking and toilets nearby. Browse the full list by region below, or use the map above to find your nearest dip.

Wild swimming in Fife

• Black Sands, Aberdour (Aberdour, sea swimming). Silver Sands' quieter sibling on the other side of the harbour. Rockpools, views to Inchcolm, and far fewer people.
• Burntisland Beach (Burntisland, sea swimming). A wide Blue Flag beach with the works: promenade, links, summer fairground and acres of shallow water to warm up in.
• Cellardyke Tidal Pool (East Neuk, tidal pool). Sauna nearby. The Bathie: a beloved community-restored sea pool below the old fishing rows. Flat water inside whatever the Forth is doing outside.
• Dalgety Bay (Dalgety Bay, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. A sheltered Forth-side bay on Fife's commuter coast, with a sailing club, coastal-path walks and a new wild sauna by the water. An easy after-work dip.
• East Sands, St Andrews (St Andrews, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. The student dip and the sauna crowd's favourite: a sheltered sandy bay by the harbour with the cathedral ruins above.
• Eden Springs Country Park (by Cupar, loch). Sauna nearby. Eden Springs, a dedicated swim pond in a fishery near Cupar, with a wood-fired sauna, a coffee shop and a woodland trail all on site. The full dip day withou…
• Elie Harbour Beach (East Neuk, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. The East Neuk's gentlest sea swim and a proper day out all on one stretch of sand: sauna, watersports and the Ship Inn beer garden round the harbour, with Ru…
• Kinghorn (Lifeboat Beach) (Kinghorn, sea swimming). The snug harbour-side beach by Kinghorn's lifeboat station, with a strong local swim crew and a café that understands shivering people. Train station up the …
• Kingsbarns Beach (East Neuk, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. A beautiful sandy beach leading into clear North Sea water; a fabulous bracing swim or dip. Between St Andrews and Crail.
• Leven Beach (Levenmouth, sea swimming). A long, popular sweep of award-winning sand, now a direct train ride from Edinburgh on the reopened Levenmouth line. The people's beach of Fife.
• Loch Fitty (Kingseat, by Dunfermline, loch). Dunfermline's doorstep loch on the Pilgrims Way near Kingseat, a former trout fishery with a quietly devoted local swim scene. Calm, shallow-edged and big-sk…
• Lochore Meadows (Lochgelly, loch). A managed country-park loch with a marked swim area, beach and full facilities. Open-water swimming lessons run at weekends, which makes it one of the best p…
• Lower Largo / Largo Bay (Largo Bay, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. A long, uninterrupted sandy beach in the village that gave us Robinson Crusoe (Alexander Selkirk was born here), with big Forth views. Easy, safe entry; a fa…
• Pettycur Bay, Kinghorn (Kinghorn, sea swimming). A sandy Fife bay below Kinghorn with views across the Forth, popular with the holiday park crowd and local dippers.
• Shell Bay (Elie, sea swimming). A sheltered sandy bay near Elie on the East Neuk, backed by a holiday park, with easy access and gentle water. A good family swim.
• Silver Sands, Aberdour (Aberdour, sea swimming). The home dip. Award-winning sheltered bay, lifeguards in summer, and a train station five minutes from the sand. The gold standard for a low-faff swim.
• St Monans Tidal Pool (East Neuk, tidal pool). A wilder pool below the windmill on the coastal path, refilled by every tide. Atmospheric, historic and usually yours alone at dawn.
• West Braes Pool, Pittenweem (East Neuk, tidal pool). Saved from dereliction by the village and now thriving: a clean, friendly tidal pool with a grassy bank for the post-swim sprawl.
• West Sands, St Andrews (St Andrews, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. The vast two-mile sweep of sand beside the Old Course, made famous by the opening of Chariots of Fire. Wide, shallow and easy, with the whole of St Andrews b…
• Wormit Bay (Wormit, sea swimming). A Tay-side bay near Wormit with a pebble entry and quick-deepening water. Best at high tide; the current picks up fast, so be aware.

Wild swimming in Lothians & Borders

• Avon Lagoon (Linlithgow, West Lothian, loch). A gorgeous sheltered lagoon near Linlithgow, sandy underfoot with a shallow easy entry. Reached on a lovely woodland walk. Gets reedy in summer and has occas…
• Belhaven Bay, Dunbar (East Lothian, sea swimming). Huge skies, the Bridge to Nowhere, and a vast shallow bay that warms up nicely over summer sand at low tide.
• Black Loch, Limerigg (Limerigg, by Slamannan, loch). An open loch at Limerigg, slightly colder than nearby Avon Lagoon and choppy in any wind. Busy on summer evenings with walkers, paddleboarders and swimmers; …
• Coldingham Bay (Berwickshire, sea swimming). A perfect horseshoe of sand with candy-striped beach huts and clear Berwickshire water. Lifeguards in summer.
• Gladhouse Reservoir (Midlothian, loch). A serene Midlothian reservoir past Dalkeith, fringed with Scots pine and a joy to swim, with a rope swing to hang your clothes on. A nature reserve, so tread…
• Glencorse Reservoir (Pentland Hills, loch). A picture-perfect reservoir cradled in a Pentlands glen, big enough for a proper swim. The west end is often given over to anglers; share the water with care.
• Gullane Beach (East Lothian, sea swimming). Sweeping dunes to jump off and a wide curving bay of golden sand, half an hour east of Edinburgh. Rockpools, big skies and a gentle family swim.
• Gypsy Brae, Edinburgh (Edinburgh, sea swimming). A Forth-side spot on Edinburgh's waterfront with views to the bridges and Fife, used by local dippers. No facilities, but easy to reach.
• Harlaw Reservoir (Pentland Hills, loch). Community-suggested Pentlands reservoir near Balerno, beside the Harlaw visitor centre. Not yet verified. Reservoir safety applies.
• Harperrig Reservoir (Pentland Hills, West Lothian, loch). Community-suggested Pentlands reservoir off the A70. Not yet verified. Reservoir safety applies.
• Loch of the Lowes (Borders) (Yarrow Valley, Borders, loch). The smaller loch just south of St Mary's, the two almost touching across a narrow neck of land. A café across the road, another that's open when it's open, a…
• Portobello Beach (Edinburgh, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. Edinburgh's swim village: a dawn dip community 365 days a year, beach saunas on the prom, and more flat whites per metre than anywhere in Scotland.
• Seacliff Beach (East Lothian, sea swimming). A semi-secret East Lothian beach beneath Tantallon Castle, with the Bass Rock offshore and Britain's smallest harbour cut into the rock. Private road, small …
• St Abbs (Berwickshire, sea swimming). Gin-clear water and kelp forests in a voluntary marine reserve. The best snorkel-swim on Scotland's east coast.
• St Mary's Loch (Yarrow Valley, Borders, loch). The biggest loch in the Borders, ringed by rolling Yarrow hills and steeped in Hogg and Scott country. Calm, deep and quietly magnificent. The Glen Café and …
• The Binks, South Queensferry (South Queensferry, sea swimming). Community-suggested River Forth spot at South Queensferry, under the bridges. Not yet verified — strong tidal flows likely, local knowledge welcome.
• The Boat Shore, Cockenzie (East Lothian, sea swimming). A sheltered little shore at Cockenzie on the East Lothian coast, handy for a quick dip with a café and toilets right across the road at Cockenzie House.
• Threipmuir Reservoir (Pentland Hills, loch). The central belt's favourite freshwater swim: a big peaty Pentlands reservoir 40 minutes from Edinburgh that warms up unusually well in summer, sometimes hit…
• Wardie Bay, Edinburgh (Edinburgh, sea swimming). A well-loved Edinburgh swim spot with bathing-water recognition, by the breakwater near Granton. ONLY swim on the right-hand side of the breakwater — the lef…
• West Bay, North Berwick (East Lothian, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. Island views, a famous year-round swim scene and a town that does post-swim ice cream properly, even in January.
• Yellowcraig (East Lothian, sea swimming). A family favourite with Fidra island and its lighthouse offshore (the one that inspired Treasure Island), backed by dunes and woodland. Sheltered, sandy and …

Wild swimming in Dumfries & Galloway

• Garlieston Bay (Machars, Wigtownshire, sea swimming). A sheltered bay tucked behind the harbour wall in the conservation village of Garlieston, on the quiet Machars coast. Easy access, calm water, and the Hive c…
• Kirk Loch, Lochmaben (Lochmaben, loch). A calm town loch by the golf course, 8 miles from Dumfries, with a bakery, an ice cream parlour and a chippy a short stroll away. A gentle, sociable dip.
• Loch Skeen (Grey Mare's Tail, by Moffat, loch). The hidden loch above the Grey Mare's Tail waterfall: a steep climb, a hanging valley, and a swim that feels a thousand miles from anywhere.
• Loch Trool (Galloway Forest, loch). A Highland-grade loch hiding in the south-west, ringed by oakwoods in Britain's biggest forest park. Dark Sky territory; swim at dusk and stay for the stars.
• Mossyard Bay (by Gatehouse of Fleet, sea swimming). A sheltered, sandy Solway cove with rocky islets and water that genuinely warms by late summer. Galloway's quiet answer to the postcard beaches up north.
• New England Bay (Rhins of Galloway, sea swimming). A quiet stony bay on the Rhins of Galloway with a free car park right behind the beach. Best at high tide. Some jellies in summer.
• Boat of Roan, Loch Ken (Loch Ken, Galloway, loch). The local name for the public launch on Loch Ken, one of the cleanest lochs in south-west Scotland. Easy access, step-free entry and a strong local swim community led by Suzy Rook.
• Otter Pool, Raiders Road (Galloway Forest, river & falls). A wide, shallow river pool with smooth rock slabs on the Black Water of Dee, reached along a forest drive. The friendliest river swim in the south.
• Port Logan Bay (Rhins of Galloway, sea swimming). A large, sheltered bay on the Rhins of Galloway with no obvious rips and reportedly very clear water. A welcome addition to the south-west coast.
• Sandyhills Bay (Solway Coast, sea swimming). A big, family-friendly sweep of Solway sand backed by dunes. Swim the top half of the tide; the Solway empties for a mile and comes back fast.

Wild swimming in Glasgow & West

• Booker's Pond (Irvine, North Ayrshire, loch). A large bay/pond near Irvine with a grassy-bank entry, easy parking and a devoted local swim crowd. Walk straight in — faff-free. A man-made freshwater pond,…
• Chatelherault (Hamilton, Lanarkshire, river & falls). Community-suggested river spot in Chatelherault Country Park near Hamilton. Not yet verified — local knowledge welcome via the suggest-a-spot form.
• Cove, Loch Long (Rosneath Peninsula, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. A sea-loch dip on the Rosneath peninsula at Cove Sailing Club, where you can step from the heat straight into Loch Long. Sails drifting past, hills all round.
• Gourock Outdoor Pool (Inverclyde, tidal pool). Scotland's oldest heated outdoor pool, open since 1909: saltwater kept at a balmy 29°C with panoramic views down the Clyde Estuary. Not free, not wild, defin…
• Hillend Reservoir (by Airdrie, loch). Community-suggested reservoir near Airdrie. Not yet verified. Reservoir safety applies — keep clear of the dam, towers and any machinery.
• White Loch (Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, loch). A small, quiet loch on Glasgow's south side with steps to the lochside and grassy banks. No facilities — just water. Community-submitted by Lynne McRitchie.
• Loch Ard (Kinlochard, Trossachs, loch). A calm, forest-wrapped loch under Ben Lomond's quiet side, an hour from Glasgow and beloved by the skins crowd for its mirror mornings.
• Lunderston Bay (Inverclyde, sea swimming). The Clyde coast's friendliest dook, between Gourock and Inverkip, with Argyll hills across the water and a devoted year-round crew.
• Luss, Loch Lomond (Loch Lomond, loch). Sauna nearby. The classic Glasgow escape: a conservation village, a long pier for the brave, and a beach with the Ben across the water. Loch or river give two different co…
• Milarrochy Bay, Loch Lomond (Loch Lomond, loch). The classic Lomond dip with the famous lone-tree skyline. Heaving on sunny weekends; glorious at dawn.
• New Cumnock Outdoor Pool (East Ayrshire, tidal pool). A community-saved heated open-air pool in an old mining town, open May to September. Like Stonehaven, not strictly wild; entirely worth the detour.
• Pinkston Watersports (Port Dundas, Glasgow, loch). Glasgow's true city swim: a managed open-water basin ten minutes from Queen Street, with lifeguarded sessions, changing rooms and zero excuses.
• Prestwick Beach (Prestwick, Ayrshire, sea swimming). A long, accessible Ayrshire beach behind the esplanade at Kidz Play, with ramps onto the sand making it one of the easier beach entries in the area. Cafés, p…
• Rowardennan, Loch Lomond (Loch Lomond (east shore), loch). Sauna nearby. The quiet eastern shore at the foot of Ben Lomond, where the West Highland Way and the mountain path meet the water. A swim to bookend a big hill day.
• Troon South Beach (Ayrshire, sea swimming). Forty minutes from Glasgow Central by train and straight onto golden Ayrshire sand, with Arran filling the horizon. The great west-coast commuter dip.

Wild swimming in Perthshire & Trossachs

• Gartmorn Dam (Sauchie, Clackmannanshire, loch). Scotland's oldest working reservoir, at the heart of a Clackmannanshire country park with a coffee shop and an accessible circular path. Swimmers do use it, …
• Kenmore, Loch Tay (Highland Perthshire, loch). Sauna nearby. A picture-book village beach at the head of one of Scotland's grandest lochs, with Ben Lawers beyond. Taymouth Marina's HotBox spa is here, slide-into-the-lo…
• Lake of Menteith (Port of Menteith, loch). Sauna nearby. Scotland's only 'lake', a beautiful calm sheet of water with the island priory of Inchmahome offshore. Public entry by the car park; there's a sauna along th…
• Linn of Tummel (Pitlochry, river & falls). Deep, slow pools where the Tummel meets the Garry, wrapped in old oak woodland. Peaty, moody and beautiful.
• Loch Chon (by Aberfoyle, loch). A quiet, atmospheric loch in the Trossachs with a forestry car park right beside the water. Peaceful, dark and lovely, with easy shoreline access.
• Loch Earn (the Mirror Man) (St Fillans, loch). A big, handsome Perthshire loch with a resident: the Mirror Man, a mirrored figure standing in the water off St Fillans. We believe it is compulsory to touch…
• Loch Faskally, Pitlochry (Pitlochry, loch). Pitlochry's wooded loch on the Tummel, all reflections and autumn colour, with a boating station that welcomes swimmers and feeds them afterwards.
• Loch Katrine (Trossachs, loch). A grand Trossachs loch, the heart of the Sir Walter Scott country, with steamship cruises and good lochside paths. Big, clean water with proper facilities at…
• Loch Lubnaig (by Callander, loch). Has to be one of the most popular spots in Scotland. Steep-sided, dramatic and ten minutes from Callander, with shingle beaches along the western shore and a…
• Loch Venachar (by Callander, Trossachs, loch). Sauna nearby. Gorgeous setting: an open Trossachs loch with sandy/slightly rocky entry, very shallow until around 100 yards out, with Ben Ledi behind. There's a sauna and …
• North Third Reservoir (by Stirling, loch). Community-suggested reservoir near Stirling, known for dramatic crags. Not yet verified. Reservoir safety applies.
• Paradise Pool, River Devon (by Dollar, Clackmannanshire, river & falls). A deep, slow pool on the River Devon below Dollar, a local secret for generations. On a summer evening, the name oversells nothing.
• Three Lochs Forest Drive (by Aberfoyle, Trossachs, loch). A circular one-way drive along quiet forest roads and one of the great ways into the Trossachs: seven miles past Lochan Reòidhte, Loch Drunkie and Loch Achra…

Wild swimming in Argyll & Isles

• Calgary Bay (Isle of Mull, sea swimming). Mull's most famous beach and one of Scotland's finest: white shell sand, turquoise shallows and a sheltered horseshoe bay. A café and gallery a short walk away.
• Ettrick Bay (Isle of Bute, sea swimming). Bute's best-loved sandy bay, west-facing with views to Arran and a tearoom right behind the beach. Shallow, sheltered and easy.
• Ganavan Sands (Oban, sea swimming). Oban's town beach, five minutes from the seafood capital of Scotland, looking out to Mull and Lismore. Sunset swims here are absurd.
• Kilnaughton Beach (Port Ellen, Islay, sea swimming). A beautiful white-sand beach near Port Ellen on Islay, sheltered and lovely, a few minutes from the village. The access road is bumpy and parking limited, so…
• Langamull Beach (Isle of Mull, sea swimming). White sand and views to Rum and the Small Isles, reached by a half-hour walk through forestry. A local favourite that rewards the effort.
• Whiting Bay (Isle of Arran, sea swimming). A mile-long shallow bay with sand and rock and clear water, looking across to Holy Isle. Some argue it's the best beach on Arran; the Glenashdale Falls walk …

Wild swimming in Highlands & Islands

• Achmelvich Bay (Assynt, sea swimming). White sand and improbable turquoise in the far north-west. Caribbean looks, North Atlantic temperatures.
• Balnakeil Beach (Durness, Sutherland, sea swimming). Miles of pale sand near the extreme north-west tip of the mainland, with Balnakeil Craft Village and Cocoa Mountain's famous hot chocolate for afters. A NC50…
• Bay of Skaill (Mainland, Orkney, sea swimming). A wide Atlantic bay on Orkney's west coast right below Skara Brae, the 5,000-year-old Neolithic village. History and wild water in one extraordinary spot.
• Brora Beach (Sutherland, sea swimming). A golden Sutherland beach with a friendly local swim crew, dolphins and porpoises offshore, and the North Sea for proper cold contrast.
• Camusdarach Beach (Arisaig, sea swimming). The Local Hero beach: silver sand, turquoise shallows and the Small Isles strung across the horizon.
• Coral Beach, Skye (Dunvegan, Isle of Skye, sea swimming). A dazzling white 'coral' beach (actually crushed maerl seaweed) north of Dunvegan, with tropical-blue water on a sunny day and a tidal island you can swim to…
• Dores Beach, Loch Ness (by Inverness, loch). Swim Loch Ness itself, fifteen minutes from Inverness, with 36 km of water stretching away down the Great Glen. Deep, dark and unforgettable; stay close to s…
• Dornoch Beach (Sutherland, sea swimming). A long, accessible stretch of golden sand by the cathedral town of Dornoch, perfect for families and paddling, with proper facilities close by. One of the ea…
• Dunnet Bay (Caithness, sea swimming). A sweeping two-mile arc of golden sand between Thurso and Dunnet Head, fairly sheltered but with proper surf when the wind's up. A NC500 highlight with a woo…
• Fairy Pools (Isle of Skye, river & falls). Crystal-clear plunge pools beneath the Black Cuillin. Brutally cold all year and worth every gasp. Go early or out of season.
• Falls of Pattack (by Loch Laggan, river & falls). Roadside falls and clear pools just off the A86 in Monarch of the Glen country, with Loch Laggan's beaches minutes away if the river is up.
• Farr Bay, Bettyhill (North Sutherland, sea swimming). An unspoilt north-coast bay at Bettyhill, backed by dunes and machair, with the North Coast Leisure Centre (pool and sauna) in the village. A peaceful, expos…
• Feshiebridge (Glen Feshie, Cairngorms, river & falls). A deep green river pool right under the bridge, with a shingle beach to walk in and a second, quieter pool about 100m upstream for jumping and diving.
• Gairloch (Big Sand) (Wester Ross, sea swimming). Wide sands near Gairloch with views to Skye and the Torridon hills, and a wood-fired mobile sauna that runs sessions in the area. A north-west day out.
• Pools of Etive (Glen Etive, river & falls). A string of impossibly clear granite pools down the River Etive, under some of the grandest mountain scenery in Scotland. Pick a pool, claim it for the after…
• Glenbrittle Beach, Skye (Isle of Skye, sea swimming). A black volcanic-sand beach at the foot of the Black Cuillin, at the head of Loch Brittle, with a campsite and Cuillin views. The Fairy Pools are just up the…
• Glencoe (James Bond Skyfall road) (Glen Etive / Glencoe, river & falls). Dip beneath the Skyfall scenery on the Glen Etive road, with glorious Highland views in every direction. Clear, cold river and loch water under big mountains.
• Glencoe Lochan (Glencoe, loch). A tiny, mirror-still lochan ringed by Canadian firs, planted to cure a homesick Canadian bride. The most sheltered swim in the glen.
• Loch an Eilein (Rothiemurchus, Cairngorms, loch). The quintessential Highland swim: a fairytale ruined castle on an island, ringed by ancient Caledonian pine. Quietly magical and properly cold.
• Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin (Glen Affric, loch). A stunning loch in Glen Affric, one of Scotland's most beautiful glens, with a car park and a short walk to the lochside. Watch out for biting flies.
• Loch Clunie (by Blairgowrie, loch). A quiet Perthshire-edge loch with a castle island, community-suggested. Limited parking and portaloos.
• Loch Garten (Abernethy, Cairngorms, loch). A dark, peaty Highland loch in rich Abernethy forest, with ospreys nesting nearby. The top few feet warm up in summer; you'll come out a different colour.
• Loch Insh (Kincraig, loch). Small, sheltered and a touch warmer than its big Cairngorm neighbours. Ospreys fish here in summer; so can you, for a swim.
• Loch Maree (Wester Ross, loch). One of the great Highland lochs, scattered with wooded islands under Slioch's bulk. Two good entry points and spectacular water-level views.
• Loch Morar (Morar, Lochaber, loch). Britain's deepest freshwater loch at 310m, ringed by Lochaber villages and silver-sand beaches near the outflow. Vast, clear and serious water.
• Loch Morlich (Cairngorms, loch). Sandy beach, pine forest, mountain backdrop. The gentlest big-loch swim in the Cairngorms, with full facilities.
• Loch Rannoch (Highland Perthshire, loch). A long, dramatic Highland Perthshire loch with plenty of places to access the water; can be a bit choppy. Schiehallion presides over the south shore.
• Loch Vaa (between Aviemore and Carrbridge, loch). A spring-fed, gin-clear loch hidden in the pines, with the famous wooden boathouse and water levels that rise and fall by their own private rules.
• Luskentyre (Isle of Harris, sea swimming). Miles of white shell sand and water so blue it looks photoshopped. A pilgrimage swim.
• Mellon Udrigle (Wester Ross, sea swimming). Perfect pink-white sand and sheltered turquoise shallows looking out to the Summer Isles and the mountains beyond. A north-west gem.
• Ness Slip, Stromness (Stromness, Orkney, sea swimming). A harbour-side dip at Stromness with the ferries gliding past, and a bright-orange wood-fired sauna right on the slip. Step from the heat into the sea in abo…
• Plodda Falls (Glen Affric, waterfall). A deep plunge pool at the base of Plodda Falls, Scotland's second-highest waterfall at 46 metres, in beautiful Glen Affric. A spectacular, wild spot — but th…
• Rosemarkie Beach (Black Isle, sea swimming). The Black Isle's best snorkel-swim: arrive an hour before high tide on a still day, head for the rock formations, and the underwater world glistens. Dolphins…
• Sandwood Bay (Sutherland, sea swimming). The one you earn: a 6.5 km walk to the wildest beach in Britain, with a sea stack standing guard. No facilities, no people, no equal.
• Scarista (Isle of Harris, sea swimming). A wide open sweep of white sand facing the Sound of Taransay, tropical-looking and gloriously empty. Exposed to the Atlantic; pick calm conditions.
• Seilebost (Isle of Harris, sea swimming). Luskentyre's quieter neighbour across the bay, once voted among the world's top ten beaches. The same white sand and turquoise water, usually with fewer people.
• St Ninian's Beach (Bigton, Shetland, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. The famous tombolo: the largest active sand causeway in Britain, with sea on both sides and an island at the end. Swim one side, sauna, swim the other.
• Staffin Beach, Skye (Isle of Skye, sea swimming). A black-sand beach on Skye's north-east coast famous for the dinosaur footprints revealed at low tide. Easier to reach than many Skye beaches, with big Trott…
• Talisker Bay, Skye (Isle of Skye, sea swimming). A dramatic black-and-white sand bay framed by sea cliffs and a waterfall that tumbles to the shore, on Skye's wild west coast. Atmospheric and exposed.
• The Trinkie, Wick (Caithness, tidal pool). A hand-painted outdoor sea pool cut into the rocks, lovingly maintained by locals since the 1930s.
• Upper Loch Torridon (Torridon, sea swimming). One of the best water-level views in the Highlands: swim out towards Eilean Chasgaig beneath the great Torridon peaks. A sea-loch swim with mountains all aro…
• West Beach, Berneray (Isle of Berneray, sea swimming). Three miles of empty Atlantic-facing white sand, once mistaken for Thailand on a famous railway poster. Stunning, remote and properly exposed.

Wild swimming in North East

• Botany Bay, Stonehaven (Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. A Stonehaven beach with a slipway in and a brilliant little set-up right there: paddleboarding, a horsebox sauna, plunge bucket and a random heated bath and …
• Broughty Ferry Beach (Dundee, sea swimming). A castle-guarded beach on the Tay where the Phibbies — Ye Amphibious Ancients, one of Scotland's oldest swimming clubs — have been dooking since 1884.
• Cullen Beach (Moray, sea swimming). Sauna nearby. A golden Moray bay framed by the Three Kings sea stacks, with the North Sea for cold contrast and a characterful local sauna on the sand.
• Findhorn Beach (Moray, sea swimming). A long sandy Moray beach by Findhorn village, stretching east towards Burghead, with seals, dolphins and a wood-fired sauna at the East Beach car park. An ea…
• Stonehaven Open Air Pool (Aberdeenshire, tidal pool). An art deco Olympic-sized seawater lido, heated and volunteer-run. Not strictly wild, entirely wonderful; the gateway drug to the cold stuff.
• Nairn Beach (Nairn, Highland, sea swimming). White sands on the Moray Firth, popular and accessible year-round, with several good cafés nearby. Community-submitted by Gemma.