Mobile sauna boom in Fife’s East Neuk taps into drive for healthy living

Some claim that the mix of the icy sea followed by the heat of the sauna is helping to manage their symptoms of pain and long-term illnesses. Others say that it is a way to boost your mood and feel happier instantly.

“It boosts all of your endorphins so you just feel more relaxed and chilled out,” Hannah Robertson, a GP from Methil said. “Lots of studies show it helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems and autoimmune problems, joint and muscle pain, Alzheimer's and dementia. “It benefits mental well being as well. It's a nice way to chill out, switch off from everything else going on in the world, and just relax looking at the sea.”

Michael Feury, from Surrey, has been visiting Elie's seaside sauna as often as possible for his health and pain management. He has been diagnosed with long covid which comes with a long list of symptoms including brain fog, intense fatigue, inflammation, and muscle pain amongst others.

His medical condition has put an end to his sea swimming days, but when he goes to the sauna, he throws buckets of cold water over himself before sitting in the hot steam.

“The physical sensation of hot and cold has a feel good factor, but what I actually realised is that it’s really helping my inflammation from long-covid and helping me mentally feel more relaxed,” Mr Feury explained. “It reduces the inflammation in my body; I have less fatigue, and my muscles feel more relaxed as a result. I’d go every day if I could.”

Mr Feury’s partner, who has a chronic pain condition called fibromyalgia, also claims to see the same benefits.

“It’s an easy thing to do but it has really profound physiological benefits. I hope more get built and I hope more of a culture permeates the Scottish coastline,” he said.

Judith Dunlop, founder and owner of Elie’s Seaside Sauna, claims saunas and sea swimming can also help other things including: cardiovascular health, metabolic benefits, mood improvements, pain killing and pain management, anti-inflammatory benefits for whole body pain and joint health and increased quality of sleep

But how does it actually work?

According to Ms Dunlop, the health benefits come from the combination of cold shock and the heat of the sauna.

The cold shock response triggers a rush of endorphins - or 'happy hormones' like serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine - which is also a pain reliever.

"And the sauna makes you more sensitive to endorphins, so you hold on to them longer," she said.

This rush of adrenaline and endorphins brings “clarity and focus” which helps prevent dementia and can help with conditions like ADHD.

“I had someone in this weekend, who is an avid cold water swimmer and tried it for the first time on Saturday and loved it so much that she booked again for Monday. She said that she felt that the world had been lifted from her shoulders,” Ms Dunlop said.

Ms Robertson, a GP, is a regular sauna user herself and notices that she feels “much better” after swimming in the cold sea and then getting warmed up in the sauna.

“I don’t recommend it for patients at the moment, but I actually think it would be fantastic for people with certain conditions to do,” she said. However, she added that people with lots of complicated medical conditions should seek medical advice before going out and jumping in cold water.

Nonetheless, she added: “It’s a great addition to Fife and hopefully there are going to be more and more of them popping up all over the place.”

Ms Dunlop was the first to play with the concept of mobile seaside saunas in Fife. She opened Elie Seaside Sauna in 2022 and has since seen demand steadily increase. Now, there are two active saunas in East Neuk with more potentially in the pipeline.

Elie is not only looking to add a new mobile unit to its homebase in Elie, but Ms Dunlop also wants to open a new location at East Sands, St Andrews. The Wild Scottish Sauna has operated in Kinghorn since 2023. It has plans to open another location at East Sands.

Just a couple months ago, Stephen Pettifer was also given planning permission to put a mobile sauna on sailing club land at the Lower Largo harbour.

Ms Dunlop’s most recent planning application has garnered more than 50 comments of public support on the planning portal. The Wild Scottish Sauna’s open application has more than 120.

A planning statement from Ms Dunlop sums it up: “In addition to the obvious health benefits of regular sauna use, such a facility could serve as a gathering place for the community, fostering social connections and promoting wellness.”

The statement continued: “By providing an accessible and unique amenity, a temporary sauna by the sea could enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike, while also highlighting the town’s natural beauty and promoting tourism.”