Wild Ember Bothy, Kenmore — A Woodland Loch Sauna Experience in Perthshire

We arrived at Wild Ember Bothy in Kenmore and parked at the Scottish Crannog Centre to find a Roman re-enactment group had set up camp beside the loch. Full costumes, tents, the lot. Not what we were expecting on the way to a sauna.

It set the tone for a day that kept surprising us.

Arriving at Wild Ember Bothy

We weren’t entirely sure where to go once we’d parked, but spotted two people walking past who looked like they’d just been. They pointed us towards a wee woodland path that took us down into a clearing right by the loch. A minute’s walk, no more, but enough to leave everything else behind.

The owner was there to welcome us, along with his Bernese Mountain Dog who was happy to be clapped for a good few minutes before we headed in. The setup was simple but really well thought out — a wood-fired sauna facing the loch, a yurt for changing with tree stumps as chairs and a clothes rack, another yurt used for yoga and other events, and an outside seating area with tree stumps arranged in a circle. Enough for everyone.

The sauna and cold water

The sauna had a large window facing straight out to the loch — you could see the water clearly from inside, which made sitting in the heat feel like being part of the setting rather than hidden away from it. There was water infused with essential oils to pour over the stones — I can’t remember the exact scent, but it added another layer to the experience — the heat and the scent working together.

Outside, there was a tin bath filled with loch water — big enough for two at a push, though one at a time meant you got a proper dip without the water spilling over the sides. The water was extremely cold and did the job perfectly. You could still see out to the loch from the bath too.

Going into the loch

We also went into the loch. The bed was pebbly and uneven so sandals are a good idea — and you’d need to wade out quite a bit to reach deeper water. We went in once but decided the tin bath and more time in the sauna was the better use of our session. Worth knowing before you go, though we were told the depth varies depending on the time of year.

Paddle boards were available for hire by the loch too, though nobody was using them during our session.

The group and the conversation

There were five of us in total — us two, a young couple in their early twenties, and the yoga instructor who’d just finished a session in the yurt before we arrived. They were all locals and regulars, and within minutes it felt completely natural sharing the space with them.

The conversation just flowed. They talked about how lucky they felt to have the sauna on their doorstep, and mentioned a session last winter when it was snowing — sitting inside watching the snow fall through the window.

The yoga instructor ran annual retreats combining yoga and safari in Africa — an unexpected thing to learn about someone you’d just met beside a loch in Perthshire. People took turns between the tin bath and the sauna, so there was always a good chat going on inside.

After the session the owner joined us for a chat. He mentioned that he loved the job because, as he put it, nobody turns up to a sauna looking for a fight. Sitting on tree stumps in a circle, drinking herbal tea from wooden cups, it was easy to see what he meant. The next group hadn’t shown up so we stayed on a little longer, and nobody seemed in any rush to leave

After the session

After we finally headed off, we drove along to Taymouth Marina for lunch, still talking about the morning. The drive through the forest and along the loch is beautiful in its own right — the kind of scenery that makes you feel lucky to live in Scotland.

Kenmore and the area around Aberfeldy has that effect on people. The locals told us about the celebrities who come here precisely because it’s small, quiet and stunning — JK Rowling, George Clooney recently spotted on the loch, and Ed Sheeran, who loved the area so much he wrote a song about it. The Hills of Aberfeldy is the closing track on his album Subtract, written after he visited his friend and collaborator Foy Vance who lives there. Apparently the locals’ favourite pastime is comparing notes on who they’ve spotted in the Co-op.

One story that made us laugh — a regular who lives on the other side of the loch occasionally arrives by jet ski. For somewhere so quiet and tucked away, it’s quite an entrance.

Me and my fiancé came away thinking what a lovely place that must be to live. The sauna was brilliant, but it was the whole day — the setting, the conversation, the lunch afterwards — that made it feel like more than just a sauna session.

Is this for you

Wild Ember Bothy suits anyone who enjoys a relaxed social session in a natural setting. The group was small, the atmosphere was warm and relaxed, and even arriving as a couple among locals who knew each other we never felt like outsiders.

It’s a good choice if you want a proper loch setting with cold water options — the tin bath is the highlight for cold dips, and the loch is there if you want to try it. If you’re hoping for a proper swim, it’s worth knowing the shore is shallow and you’d need to wade out — though we were told this varies.

If you prefer something completely private, Wild Ember Bothy also offers private hire for up to ten people, which would be worth considering for a group occasion.

I’d go back without hesitation — and next time I’d combine it with more time exploring the area around Aberfeldy.