Cold water swimming has taken Scotland by storm in recent years, and for good reason too. The benefits of cold water swimming reach far beyond the physical buzz. Yes, the cold water can boost circulation, improve mood and give you that post-dip glow but for many people, it’s the community that keeps us going.

Being a member of the Cold Water Crew (as I like to call it) isn’t just about wild swimming. It’s about connection. It’s about showing up for yourself, connecting with nature and the outdoors and finding people who’ll cheer you on as you step into the sea, whether that’s in Shetland, Fife or one of the many beautiful wild swimming spots across Scotland and further afield.

In an age where so much of our ‘connection’ happens through screens, there’s something grounding about meeting face-to-face. Cold water swimming and saunas bring us back to real conversations, real laughter and real people.

For women and men in their 40s, 50s and beyond, making new friends isn’t always easy. Life changes, routines shift and it’s easy to stay in your comfort zone. But something happens when you gather at the water’s edge. Conversations start. Laughter flows. The mental health benefits of cold water swimming are real (I wrote a blog about this too – read it HERE) - not just from the dook itself, but from feeling like you belong. A club of like-minded folks, being a part of a cool crew! You don't have to do it with other people but when you chat to people and they say I go cold water swimming, there's something nice about saying - 'Oh yeah? I do it too!'

Cold water swimming and beach side saunas just go hand in hand. I first discovered the magic of this pairing in Elie, Fife, where Judith Dunlop’s Elie Seaside Sauna has become a hub for connection, confidence and community. What she’s built is part of a bigger trend - the Scottish sauna movement, with new beach saunas in Scotland popping up all over the place from the East Neuk to Shetland. Haar Sauna in Shetland may have been the first, but Judith is the pioneer of the sauna community.

These aren’t just places to warm up. They’re spaces where strangers become friends, where midlife women share stories about perimenopause or menopause over a flask of tea, and where men open up about mental health in ways they might not elsewhere. The mix of sauna and cold plunge benefits range from reducing stress to improving mood and is backed by growing research, but it’s the human connection that makes it truly powerful. It has to be said that these are also places where you can go and say nothing to no one and quietly reflect and reconnect with yourself.