Soul Water Sauna The Pitt — Outdoor Sauna and Cold Plunge in Edinburgh

It was a misty morning in Granton and as we walked down towards the promenade, I wasn’t convinced. Pebble beach, warehouses, not much else in sight. I had a brief moment of thinking, oh no.

But then we got closer.

Discovering Soul Water Sauna The Pitt

We realised the sauna was part of The Pitt, and everything changed. Brightly painted containers, street food stalls, outdoor seating, a bar, a big indoor warehouse space. It reminded us of places we’d visited in Copenhagen — that same mix of industrial space turned into somewhere people actually want to be.

There was a real buzz — people walking dogs, cycling past, music playing, events being set up.

The sauna and cold plunges

The sauna space was open and welcoming in a way that felt different from anywhere else I’d been. You could see people moving freely between the saunas, plunge pools and showers — there was no sense of it being tucked away or private. A big tree at the side had a shower built underneath it, which was a cool touch.

There were two saunas to choose from, cold plunge baths overlooking the sea, and a relaxed seating area. We were chatting to people almost straight away.

Inside, we were given orange slices, and outside there was orange-infused water. Small touches, but thoughtful.

I surprised myself by getting straight into the cold plunge this time, using the breathing technique I’d picked up at previous saunas. My fiancé took a bit longer to build up to it, but after talking him through it he gave it a go — and was fully in and laughing by the end.

We got chatting to a mother and daughter who’d tried saunas in Helsinki, including dips in frozen lakes. That kind of thing feels a long way from a misty morning in Granton, but somehow not completely out of reach either.

The whole session had a lively, social feel. Not private or tucked away — open, easy, and full of energy.

After the session

Afterwards, we sat in the lounge area with herbal tea, drying off and chatting. Warm, relaxed, in no rush to leave.

How it felt overall

This felt completely different to my previous sauna experiences. Less about quiet escape, more about energy and connection — the kind of place you’d bring someone new to saunas and know they’d have a good time.

If you enjoy a lively, social atmosphere and don’t mind sharing the space openly, this is a great option. If you’re after something more tucked away and private, it probably isn’t — but that’s not what Soul Water Sauna Granton is trying to be, and the lively social atmosphere is exactly what makes it worth visiting.