Scotland’s Secret Swimming Sanctuaries: A Journey Through Historic Tidal Pools

Following the coast south brings you to St Monans where a Victorian-era pool sits in the shadow of a windmill. Its location is a reminder of the area’s industrial heritage. This clay-coloured pool fills twice daily with the tide, its waters reflecting golden sunsets across weathered stone. Dawn gatherings here have become a modern tradition with local swimming groups meeting as the sun rises over the Firth of Forth casting pink, orange and purple sunrise reflections in the pool. 

Just five minutes away there’s another tidal pool to be found. Pittenweem’s pool really speaks to Scottish ingenuity. When restoration funds were needed the community built a miniature golf course, channelling proceeds into pool maintenance. Here, fishing families have taught their children to swim for generations.

Not all of Scotland’s tidal pools have survived the passage of time. Tarlair’s art deco lido once hosted outdoor performances by Jethro Tull and Runrig but now stands as a haunting reminder of Scotland’s seaside golden age. Similarly, Portsoy’s pool lies dormant though local campaigns for restoration speak to these spaces’ enduring importance in coastal communities.

Each pool has its own traditions and tides. Swimming in these spaces connects visitors to centuries of Scottish coastal life, from the fishing communities who built them to the modern wild swimmers who maintain them. These aren’t just places for a dip, they’re living monuments to local resilience and community spirit. As dawn breaks over these ancient pools and steam rises from their surface in crisp morning air it’s easy to understand why generations of Scots have found solace in these swimming sanctuaries. They remain as they’ve always been – places of gathering, of story-sharing and of connecting with Scotland’s wild waters.