Cellardyke Seaside Sauna is a sister sauna to Elie Seaside Sauna, the sauna that kicked off the sauna movement in Scotland. The Original Elie Seaside Sauna attracted public and press attention from the moment that this, now iconic, sauna arrived on Elie Harbour in June 2022. The first mobile sauna in Scotland to receive planning permission, it sparked media interest, bringing thousands of new sauna enthusiasts into the UK Sauna Movement and giving other people, who are now sauna operators, the idea of starting sauna operations of their own.
Founder, Judith Dunlop, a life-long outdoor swimmer, had her first taste of Fife’s tidal pool culture, as a baby, at the, now long defunct, Step Rock Pool, in St. Andrews, where her family spent long days, during summer. Remaining a passionate outdoor swimmer, as she grew-up, Judith was first introduced to saunas, by her health-conscious father and it puzzled her why so few other people did not jump into a sauna, at the end of a pool swim, as she did.
The seeds of the idea of a public, outdoor sauna developed in Judith’s imagination, towards the end of lockdown 2021, crystallising into the idea of a sauna on Elie Harbour, New Year’s Day 2022. Six months later The Original Elie Seaside Sauna arrived on Elie Harbour, drawn-in by two of The Maclean Brothers, the Trans-Pacific rowers that built it and the rest is history.
Motivated by her desire to share what she loves about the area in which she grew up, Judith wished to turn people’s focus towards the wealth of nature around them, to community and the innate wealth that they have inside themselves, limiting our retreat back into climatically controlled spaceships . She wished to encourage non-competitive, outdoor socialising, whatever the weather, or time of year.
In 2024, Judith added 3 new saunas: Shore, a shared sauna at Elie Seaside Sauna, St. Andrews Seaside Sauna on East Sands, St. Andrews and Cellardyke Seaside Sauna, at Cellardyke Tidal Pool, bringing all four saunas under the umbrella of Scottish Seaside Saunas. She recruited an Operations Manager with the specific aim of establishing and maintaining the highest possible operational standards and launched a membership scheme, with the aim of making it easier for more people to enjoy the benefits of sauna bathing more regularly.
Cellardyke Tidal Pool Committee, raised over £100,000 to renovate the pool and invited Judith to add a sauna. A lot of thought and community relations went into agreeing on the final location, which is close to the sea and easy access to the pool.
All Judith’s saunas have amazing views and guests can gaze at the waves and The May Isle, a nesting site for puffins, in the summer and nursery for seals in the autumn, watch wading birds, passing dolphins and fishing boats. In this way the sauna is a cosy nature hide, as well as a meditative, social and community space.
A cute little airstream sells coffees and there is a wood-fired pizza hut, on site. The famous Anstruther Fish Bar, Fisheries Museum, boat rides, to The May Isle and to North Berwick, are a short walk away.
Guests can expect a friendly, warm, and personal welcome from well-trained, motivated sauna hosts, who focus on individual wellbeing and maintaining a sense of community. They receive regular training and offer friendly advice and information, as well as keeping an eye on the temperature and cleanliness of the sauna.
Judith, who has a background in hospitality, qualifications in horticulture and a postgraduate degree in modern and contemporary art curating, worked as Business Development for Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, prior to returning to Fife, brings a range of skills to Scottish Seaside Saunas, which is run on egalitarian principles, with fairness, decency, and integrity at its core.
Professionalism is important to Judith and Scottish Seaside Saunas sees its mission to train, educate and extend knowledge and research into the impact of saunas on individual and societal, health and wellbeing. Judith herself was Scotland’s first Accredited Sauna Master, trained by British Sauna Society Director and UK Aufguss Judge, Deborah Carr. St. Andrews Seaside Sauna, hosted Scotland’s first accredited Aufguss Sauna Master Training and provides regular Aufguss courses. Judith is also Level 2 Pirtis trained, commencing her training soon after she opened her first sauna in 2022. She continues to attend regular masterclasses, investing in her team, holding regular team training and putting staff through professional sauna skills courses.
Judith was invited to speak at the inaugural British Sauna Society Sauna Summit in 2024. She attended the World Sauna Forum in Finland in 2024, the Sweathouse Festival in Ireland in 2025, both UK & Ireland Sauna Summits, and is due to attend the International Sauna Congress in Norway in 2026.
Scottish Seaside Saunas collaborates with Nàdair Adventures, operating regular sauna retreats, to The Nordic Region and, in 2025, hosted the first Sauna and Wild Swimming Book Festival. Authors Emma O’Kelly and British Sauna Society co-founder, Mika Meskanen spoke.
Judith is part of a Sauna and Menopause Research Group, raises money for The Menopause Charity and operates Menopause Cafés, in its saunas, in Elie and St. Andrews.
Scottish Seaside Saunas’ merchandise is locally designed and made: sauna from linen woven in Scotland, its sauna hats handmade from wool from a local flock of Fife sheep. Its dry bags are made from Scottish waxed cotton.
All Scottish Seaside Saunas are more than just places where people can enjoy a sauna; they play an active role in their communities, are operated with the highest level of integrity, honesty, ethical principles and operating practices, with the aim of establishing standards and an operating framework to follow; demonstrating leadership in health & safety, design, training, knowledge, understanding, research, and depth and breadth of experiences, in growing and extending sauna culture; striving constantly to make authentic sauna culture as accessible to and inclusive of. as great a range of individuals, on as regular a basis as possible.
Opening
Monday 9.00 – 17.00 Tuesday 09.00 – 17.00
Thursday 9.00 – 19.00 Friday 9.00 – 20.00
Saturday 9.00 – 20.00 Sunday 9.00 – 17.00
Times vary with the seasons and holidays.
Pricing
1 hour communal sessions £16
If you would like to book it as private hire, please book all seats or email us on hello@cellardykeseasidesauna.com