The Best Spa and Wellness Retreats in Scotland

Overlooking West Sands Beach on one of the world’s most famous golf courses, the 144-room Old Course had already made a name for itself before it became the first Kohler spa experience outside the USA. It’s centred around the healing power of water, and you can hop between hot and cold pools or simply breathe in fresh air from the rooftop garden hot tub. Spa treatments include Catch the Breath, in which tui na Chinese massage techniques are used to calm and rebalance.

A popular spa town for Victorian visitors, it’s easy to see why Nairn, on the Moray coast of the Highlands, has long been prized for its fresh air and healing qualities. The calming coastal setting is fully embraced here, and as well as an indoor pool and outdoor hot tub overlooking the Moray Firth, the spa uses products sourced from the Western Isles. Try the seaweed body wrap, a Hebridean sea salt and oil scrub, followed by nourishing seaweed gel to boost your energy and work magic on the skin.

Dundee’s most lavish spa lies in this cool quayside hotel, which comes with views of the River Tay from the swimming pool windows. Rotate between the herbal-infused steam room, sauna and warm hydrotherapy spa pool, before pondering which treatment you’ll have in the Japanese-themed Yu Spa. Top-quality Elemis products deliver luxury massages and facials, and the natural healing art of reiki is also on offer, to help you feel rebalanced and revived.

The rooms and self-catering lodges at this rural retreat are gloriously traditional, with heather-hued tweed and touches of tartan. If the view over Loch Ard to Ben Lomond isn’t enough to slip you into a relaxed state, a facial or massage with Elemis products in the low-lit tranquillity room will do the trick. Spa packages are available to suit a range of budgets.

With a rooftop pool where you can watch the sun go down over the city, a series of hot and cold spa rooms and a state-of-the-art fitness studio, the Sheraton takes wellness seriously. Treatments in the One Spa are designed with creative flourish. If you’re in a group, you’ll have fun with the Serail Mud Chamber, which involves applying mud to your own body and face and letting it dry before the chamber then fills with gentle steam.

The relaxation space at this sleek Scandi-inspired hotel works in harmony with its environment, thanks to floor-to-ceiling views across Loch Fyne to the Isle of Arran. Spa treatments use either Outer Hebrides-developed Ishga products, which harness healing qualities of Scottish seaweed and spring water from the Isle of Lewis, or Decléor’s powerful essential oils. Outside, the infinity pool is the perfect place to inhale the fresh West Highlands air.

At this pretty honey-hued house amid the woods, there’s a secret at the bottom of the garden. It’s what the hotel describes as a boutique micro-spa – a private space where you can relax in nature, featuring a wood-fired Swedish hot tub and a Finnish sauna cabin with views of the rolling Nithsdale valley. A secluded treatment room offering massages, facials and reiki completes this miniature world of wellness.

As the only resort on the Scottish Isles, this Isle of Arran property is a diamond amid wild, rugged nature. While the island is undoubtedly beautiful, with two pools and a thermal suite at the Auchrannie, you may never want to leave. The spa’s fragrant ESPA products work wonders for the skin. And if you can’t decide from the menu, book an Island Escape package for two 25-minute treatments, time in the pool and lunch with a glass of fizz.