Wood-burning sauna launched on the banks of Scotland's Loch Tay
– Naomi Strickland
Scotland’s first loch-side wood-burning sauna experience has opened on the shores of Loch Tay.
The Hot Box has been created by architects McKenzie Strickland Associates on Taymouth Marina in the village of Kenmore. Stretching 40ft (12.19m), the sauna is designed to offer panoramic views across the loch to the adjacent hills.
Guests of the sauna are encouraged to sit in the sauna, where there is a wood-burning stove, before leaping into the waters of the loch. Alternatively, they can pull on a cord to tip a water barrel suspended above the patio, releasing a splash of cold water.
“The Hot Box is a project that has been an absolute joy to plan and create and we are incredibly excited about its launch,” said studio partner Naomi Strickland. “The health benefits of saunas have been known for hundreds – perhaps thousands – of years, from detoxification to improved cardiovascular health.
“The really unique and exciting part about The Hot Box is the wonderfully reinvigorating dunk that can be had in that rather large pool in front of it, which you’ll know as the loch.”
The launch of the sauna took place on 10 September, with adults and children allowed in for free. Local whiskies and ales were served in a DJ area and bar created outside the sauna for evening entertainment. The site also features a community area and fire pit.
The architects built Taymouth Marina in September 2013, and have developed holiday cottage accommodation, water sports facilities, a restaurant and a 40-berth marina on the site.
Wood-burning sauna Loch Tay Taymouth Marina Kenmore architecture design McKenzie Strickland AssociatesHimalayan salt steam grotto, lava sauna star at upcoming Lake District spa
England’s Stoke Park opens new spa gardens in historic 300-acre setting
Public sauna opens as a timber-clad 'coastal park' on Helsinki waterfront
US architects launch floating sauna to promote wellness in Seattle
Giant Arctic beach sauna by Rintala Eggertsson Architects is part of the SALT cultural programme [PHOTOS]
FEATURE: Research round-up – Heart warming
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates