Elie Seaside Sauna is 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 people, who are now sauna operators, the idea of starting sauna operations of their own.

Elie Seaside Sauna remains the longest running, consistently owner-operated, public, mobile sauna, in Scotland.

Founder, Judith Dunlop, who grew-up going to saunas, with her health-conscious father and swimming in the waters of Elie, developed the idea of a public, outdoor sauna, on Elie Harbour, towards the end of lockdown, 2021.

Motivated to share what she loves about her home village of Elie, she wished to keep people socialising outdoors.

At the time, Judith knew of no one else doing such a thing, but knew that there must be others out there, found The British Sauna Society and became a member New Year 2022.

The Original Elie Seaside Sauna, built in a converted horse trailer, sits nestled in the marram grass, on Elie Harbour, in the heart of Elie, in The East Neuk of Fife. Angled so the sunset can be viewed from its floor to ceiling, glass windows framing views over Elie Harbour, to the golden sweep of Elie & Earlsferry Beach and Largo Law beyond.

In February 2024, Elie Seaside Sauna, added a larger sauna, where seats can be booked individually that offers the same stunning views, is next to disabled parking spots, is an easy walk to the sea and offers cold showers.

Guests relax gazing at waves, diving gannets, kite surfers and beach cricket, played by the nearby Ship Inn. A few guests have been lucky enough to swim next to dolphins, or seals.

Hired together, these two saunas can seat up to 18, attracting teams from The SRU and Dundee Football Club.

Elie Harbour offers parking, a cafe, toilets and is easily accessible from Edinburgh, by bus, or by train to Leven.

Indoor, Outdoor, or Sauna Yoga can be added, Wellness Retreats and Zen Hens curated to guests’ needs.

Judith has a background in hospitality, qualifications in horticulture and wine, a postgraduate degree art curating and worked as Business Development for Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, prior to returning to Fife. She brings all of this, to Elie Seaside Sauna which is run on egalitarian principles. Fairness, decency and integrity are its core values.

Sauna guests can expect a friendly warm and personal welcome, from skilled, motived hosts, who focus on individual wellbeing and maintaining a sense of community, are given regular training and offer friendly advice and information, as much as keeping an eye on the temperature and cleanliness of the sauna.

Professionalism is important to Judith, Scotland’s first Accredited Sauna Master, trained by British Sauna Society Director and UK Aufguss Judge, Deborah Carr, she is Level 2 Pirtis, or Leaf-Whisking, trained commencing her training, soon after she opened her first sauna, in 2022, Judith continues to attend regular masterclasses and invests in team training.

In 2024 Judith added another two saunas, Cellardyke Seaside Sauna and St. Andrews Seaside Sauna, on East Sands, St. Andrews, bringing all four saunas under to banner of, Scottish Seaside Saunas, recruited an Operations Manager, with the specific aim of establishing and maintaining the highest possible operational standards and added memberships.

All Scottish Seaside Saunas are designed and built to the highest possible standards, by skilled sauna-builders, using quality materials. A great deal of thought and community relations go into agreeing locations. Planning permission is sought in advance.

Elie Seaside Sauna appeared in the first series of Jules and Greg’s Wild Swim, in 2023, along with numerous national and international publications, including Die Zeit and The New York Times.

Elie Seaside Sauna was short-listed for Best Waterside Sauna, at The British Sauna Awards in 2024, loosing-out to, Driftwood Sauna, in Ireland and was listed No. 1 Sauna By The Sea by The Times, in 2024 and The Telegraph listed it as No. 1 Place to Sauna, in The UK, in 2025.

Judith was invited to speak at the inaugural British Sauna Society Sauna Summit, in 2024, has traveled extensively in The Nordic Region, Ireland and UK, researching sweatbathing culture, attending sauna conferences and events. 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.

Elie Seaside Sauna has received visits from leaders in the international sauna movement, including The Secretary General of The Norwegian Sauna Society and operates sauna retreats to Norway and Finland, collaboration with Nàdair Adventures.

Scottish Seaside Saunas’ mission is to train, educate and extend sauna knowledge and skills. It hosted Scotland’s first accredited Aufguss Sauna Master Training and 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, and operates Menopause Cafés in its saunas, in collaboration with a Menopause Specialist.

Elie Seaside Sauna merchandise, is locally designed and sourced. Its sauna hats are made in Fife, from wool from a local flock of sheep. Its dry bags are made from Scottish waxed cotton.

Elie Seaside Sauna is more than a place where people can enjoy a sauna, it plays an active role in its community, is operated with the highest level of integrity, honesty, ethical principles, and practices, with the aim of establishing standards and an operating framework that demonstrate leadership in health, safety, design, training, knowledge, 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.