I tried Leith's first outdoor sauna, and it was a secluded urban gem
Get warmed up, in the middle of the city
I’ve triple-baked myself in some lovely Scottish wild saunas in the last year or so.
There was Stonesthrow Sauna in Arran’s Whiting Bay, the Wild Scottish Sauna on Kingsbarns Beach and the new surf resort Lost Shore’s Spear Sauna.
The thing they have in common is that they all have sea or waterside views.
That’s one of the most unique things about the new Puffin Sauna, which has just opened in the most urban setting of all - Leith Links, on the site of charity Earth in Common’s Leith Community Croft.
It proves that you don’t need to be in the countryside or by the waves, to enjoy the benefits of this Scandinavian regimen, which is said to have myriad benefits for circulation, mood, immunity and muscles.
As this wood-fired sauna owner, Max Schilling says: “There are lots of beautiful saunas in beautiful locations but our aim is to enable people to have these great wellness experiences on their doorstep, locally. I hope the ease and accessibility of it can persuade people who wouldn't usually give it a go to try it out. It's not the sort of thing you regret doing.”
Still, we were a bit nervous about our visit.
I live nearby, and I was worried about the neighbours spotting us in our cossies.
I needn’t have worried, as Schilling has screened off the converted horse box so it’d be quite hard for anyone to catch a glimpse of you in your itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny bikini.
We wore our swim gear under our civvies, for ease, though pros might want to use their dry robes, and they recommend you take two towels per person - one to sit on, and another for drying off - plus flip-flops and a bottle of water, though they also supply some.
There is storage here, in the form of boxes and a space with hangers and pews, and the sauna is manned, so nobody can nick off with your outfit and leave you doing a jiggly and pale walk of shame back to your house.
Once you’re inside the converted horsebox, you’re invisible to the world, except your view is the bucolic croft’s market garden and Arthur’s Seat. It’s lovely. Peaceful.
“We got really lucky with the spot,” Schilling says.
You’d never know you were two minutes from The Walk.
There is room for six in here, but we’re trying one of their private sessions. I’m glad, as I can only thole about five minutes on the lower bench, before having to cool off, so I’m up and down like a yoyo, which may irritate other guests. I do manage slightly longer, when I wear one of their felty branded sauna hats, which make you look like a Cicely Mary Barker flower fairy and insulate your head. My other half is much more hardcore than me and manages about ten minutes at a time, hat-less.
Whenever he stands outside, he steams like a roast potato.
At this time of year, after each heating session, it’s enough just to stand outside for a while to cool down, though they also have an outdoor shower and two whisky barrels filled with ice cold water. We were way too scared to take the plunge. Maybe next time.
I feel like the chillaxing after-effects of this sauna lasted longer than usual, as there was no long trip home afterwards.
After only five minutes, we were back on the couch, glowing like two happy embers.
Leith Community Croft, 4a John’s Place, Leith, Edinburgh (www.puffinsauna.co.uk). Prices start from £12pp for a 55 minute community sauna session, or £65 (in total) for 55 minutes of private use.
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