Awaken your senses with our pick of the best Scottish spas, wellness spots and retreats
Best for… Hip, holistic bliss
Words Natasha Radmehr
When an influencer tells me to go somewhere, I run in the opposite direction. But where the Cairndale Hotel & Spa is concerned, the hype is justified. The Dumfries retreat is Scotland’s newest destination spa and among the best equipped – think Himalayan salt and infrared saunas, a herbal steam room, hammam, thermal pool and ice bath. A juice bar replaces the usual water pitchers, the robes are sage-toned rather than white, and cosy egg chairs sit among the loungers. It’s just cool.
As well as facials and massages, there are holistic treatments such as crystal therapy, which piques my interest. It kicks off with meditation before my therapist massages my stressaddled muscles with Gaia body oil. A jade wand facial depuffs my skin, and at the end I receive the crystal my therapist feels I most need (an amethyst, to instil calm).
A few hours in the thermal suite culminate in a welcome revelation: my zen-like husband declaring he’s now “a spa person”. Score.
Spa days from £99pp | cairndalehotel.co.uk
Best for… Sporty, active types
Words Catherine Coyle
The Townhouse, Gleneagles’ Edinburgh outpost, is well established on the luxury hospitality scene, and its Strong Rooms spa is a bustling pitstop for members and hotel guests. It’s down in the basement of this former bank building (the vault, in fact), and has all the necessities for boosting well-being, such as reformer classes in the compact Pilates studio.
After a workout, I head to the infrared sauna to give my muscles some deep heat, then it’s on to the cryotherapy chamber. It’s not for the faint-hearted: I’m given thermals (hat, socks, gloves and slippers) to don over my gym gear, before I spend just three minutes in a cubicle cooled to minus 85 degrees. It’s a weird sensation – nostrils freeze and lungs fill with sharp, icy air – but it’s meant to relieve muscle pain and aid post-exercise recovery. I count down the seconds as my teeth chatter, focusing on the thought of the Glow facial that’s coming next.
It might be the cardio the heat or the cold, but my money’s on the Dr Barbara Sturm products slathered on my face, post-chamber, that give my skin the kind of dewy look that makes people ask, “What moisturiser do you use?” The Glow facial uses a blend of nine science-backed products, but I like to tell people it’s down to a tough workout and drinking lots of water. The secret’s out.
Glow facial, £150 | gleneagles.com/townhouse
Best for… Cutting-edge cryo
Words Natasha Radmehr
Cryotherapy – a practice that involves subjecting your body to sub-zero temperatures in pursuit of skin and muscular benefits – has become a wellness buzzword in recent years. If you’re curious about it but don’t fancy plunging into an icy loch, dip a toe in at The Spa at Turnberry in Ayrshire, the only one in Scotland to offer high-tech cryotherapy treatments by Gelida.
The treatments, which run the gamut from non-invasive aesthetic procedures such as fat freezing through to lymphatic drainage, involve the therapist using a device that safely delivers targeted cold therapy to your areas of concern. I’m interested in how it may help my back pain, so I book in for an 80-minute Fire & Ice massage.
In the first half, the device – which feels akin to an ice-cold gua sha – is rolled across my skin. It’s not unpleasant, but it is chilly (minus 10 degrees), so I’m relieved when the ‘fire’ stage takes over and I can sink into the bed for a muscle-melting hot-stone massage. Afterwards, my shoulders are knot-free and much less sore.
As you might expect, the hotel’s five stars extend to its luxurious spa, which has a bio-sauna, infinity pool, ice fountain, sauna and steam room.
If you don’t fancy getting your cryo on, there are plenty of conventional therapies to choose from, including facials and massages using the Scottish brand Ishga.
Gelida treatments start from £125 | trumphotels.com/turnberry
Best for… A chilled weekend away
Words Miriam Methuen-Jones
Nestled in the Borders is Schloss Roxburghe, a luxury hotel surrounded by rolling hills and a golf course. Luckily for all concerned, the clubs are kept out of sight for my visit, and I’m instead ushered into the warm embrace of the spa. It’s on the ground floor, just past Charlie’s restaurant, which serves up ‘Scottish bistronomy’ – a blend of fine and casual dining rooted in local produce.
I hear none of the lunchtime chatter once I step through the spa doors; gentle music takes over and I’m soon wrapped up in a white robe and meandering into the main relaxation room. It overlooks the grounds and is filled with loungers, armchairs and cabanas. I help myself to fruit-infused water and stretch out on a bed with an overhead canopy and a view of the heated outdoor pool. A set of glass doors allows guests to swim from inside to out without leaving the water.
My book is neglected and I drift off, but before I can start snoring my therapist Ellie collects me for my treatment. She has me sniff out my favourite of two ESPA scents – I pick the Restorative blend, with notes of sweet orange and lavender – and then spends a blissful 90 minutes working on my back, face and scalp with it.
I don’t know if it’s Ellie’s healing hands or the products themselves, but I feel light as a feather on my way home, and not even rush-hour traffic can bring me down. All the same, remind me to book a room next time…
Restore massage and facial, £195 | schlosshotel-roxburghe.com
Best for… Tailored treats for small groups
Words Catherine Coyle
There’s something odd about mincing about a spa on a random Wednesday, but that feeling quickly dissipates once I get my bearings, down my welcome shot of ginger and fresh orange, and give way to the serenity that seems to float along the corridors of the Away spa at Edinburgh’s W Hotel.
The spa, up on the fifth floor, is like a spaceship, all glossy white surfaces and gently alternating LED lights to ease your tension and boost your mood. It’s themed according to the elements and each treatment room has its own distinguishing feature.
I’m experiencing the Earth room, where I lie on a quartz sand bed (the first of its kind in Scotland) for a Himalayan salt stone massage, courtesy of therapist Nuha. It’s a completely bespoke experience down to the room temperature, scents used, massage pressure and even the music.
Italian skincare brand Comfort Zone is used here (Away is one of just two spas in Scotland to do so) and, post salt-scrub, the Tranquillity oil provides a welcome moisture-surge for my dry, weary skin. The combination gives tingling results; a glowy warmth on a wintry morning. There’s also a spa suite here which can be hired by small groups (up to six); it has a sauna, ‘experience’ shower and jacuzzi. It’s a cute option for a celebration or an indulgent treat with friends. Nuha’s posttreatment advice is to ‘relax for the rest of the day’. Who am I to argue?
Earth massage, £180 | marriott.com
Best for… Mums-to-be
Words Adrianne Webster
First up, a confession: I reviewed the Old Course’s Kohler Waters spa in last year’s edition of our Wellness issue.
So why am I back? Well, apart from the fact that I loved it, the St Andrews institution has had a facelift in the interim, and now offers an updated treatment menu and first-class new facilities. The stylish refurb forms part of a broader wellness-focused initiative at the hotel, with the likes of Winter Solstice yoga, beach meditation, cold-water swimming retreats and Pilates dialling the good vibe up to 11. So naturally, I had to take it for a test run…
Things are a bit different for me this time around, though: six months pregnant, I am treated to a ‘mum to be’ package and, thanks to a specially developed maternity pillow, am able to lie on my front for the first time in months (heaven!). Arms, legs, back and neck are massaged to within an inch of their life, easing my many aches and pains. A facial with massage, mask and hydrating lotions rounds off the treatment, leaving me feeling refreshed and buzzing with vitality from inside out.
Next, I explore the new-look spa and facilities, which include the UK’s first Espuro Foam Experience, handily situated in the recently redecorated ladies’ changing room. The complimentary 20-minute ‘journey’ offers a unique, multisensory spa experience that involves a lot of bubbles, inviting deep relaxation and a sense of well-being with fragrant, plant-based foam. A dip in the cuttingedge hydrotherapy suite is enough to remove any residual muscle aches, soothing mind as well as body in the calming surroundings.
Feeling truly rejuvenated, I finish up with a ‘green goddess’ sandwich in the tranquil spa cafe overlooking the historic course and windswept dunes beyond. Bliss.
Maternity massage, £165 | oldcoursehotel.co.uk
Beat the winter blues with this wild swimming retreat at Marine & Lawn Troon
