Local Mobile Sauna Company Seeks Expansion In Pittenweem

Scottish Seaside Saunas, a Fife company that operates mobile saunas by the ocean, has applied to Fife Council to build a sauna in Pittenweem, north of the tidal pool. If approved, this sauna will be the company’s fourth location in addition to their locations in St Andrews, Elie, and Cellardyke.

Scottish Seaside Saunas’ request to the Fife Council would change the use of the land north of the tidal pool to accommodate a mobile sauna. The application states that the sauna will be created through the conversion of a trailer, accommodating about ten to twelve people at a time.

Fife Council will make a decision on the proposal by 12 May, 2026. Judith Dunlop, owner of Scottish Seaside Saunas, said to The Saint that if the Council approves the application, the sauna would likely be open by next spring.

“One thing I’ve learned from operating outdoors saunas is that nothing happens quickly,” Dunlop told The Saint.

The owner continued, “You’ve got to have patience, and you’ve got to have determination. I do things properly. It’s not a case of just plonking a sauna on a spot and then dealing with everything afterwards. We’ve got to go through proper consultation process and agreeing to a lease.”

The sauna itself will be placed below the Fife coastal path and the West Braes viewpoint, on the lower part of the coastal slope. A supporting statement on the application says this location was chosen through consultation with the Tidal Pool Committee, the West Bares Project, and Fife Council’s Estates Department and “would not be visually prominent from either the Coastal Path or Viewpoint and would offer safe and convenient access to the tidal pool.”

Dunlop said the West Braes Project and the Tidal Pool Committee approached her about constructing a sauna in Pittenweem. The West Braes Project is a “long-term plan to rejuvenate the West Braes area,” run by local volunteers, that manages a section of land and ocean that is leased from Fife Council, including the tidal pool.

If approved, the site location will undergo “the provision of a hardcore base topped with paving slabs to create a level and stable platform for the sauna facility,” but the sauna itself will not need “any external water, power, or drainage connections.” The application form also states that the sauna will not be located near any residential areas and will not generate any significant light or noise pollution. Dunlop said her focus has always been to support the community.

“It’s about benefitting the local community,” Dunlop said. “Like with the St Andrews community, I give the students 50% off because I want them to benefit from the use of the saunas. So it’s about being a public resource in many ways rather than a profit-seeking business.”

Photo Provided by Judith Dunlop