The Ultimate Outdoor Sauna Experience – an interview with Callum Scott and Hannah Mary Goodlad from Haar Sauna
We were delighted to speak with Callum Scott and Hannah Mary Goodlad, who kindly told us more about their story…
We wanted to connect the great Scottish wilderness to the possibility of sauna – so we knew that our sauna had to be mobile.
A growing number of outdoor saunas – including converted horse boxes – are popping up around Scotland’s coastline allowing users to enjoy the contrasting heat of the sauna followed by a run into the cold sea for some wild swimming. These outdoor saunas are very common in Nordic countries, and they are now becoming more popular in Scotland.
We spoke to Callum Scott and Hannah Mary Goodlad, pioneers in the Scottish outdoor sauna scene who own Haar Sauna, Scotland’s first mobile sauna! www.haarsauna.com
Q. What inspired you to bring this idea to Shetland, and soon the Orkney islands?
A. One cold, crisp, silver morning in January 2020, we were sat in Oslo’s Badstuforening – a social enterprise sauna in the mouth of the Norwegian fjord. It was two months before the world was turned upside down with covid. We had no idea what was coming our way. No one did.
Lockdowns went from weeks, to months, to years and we kept thinking back to the peace of the Oslo sauna. We were inspired by our Norwegian neighbours across the North Sea, and the thought of bringing authentic sauna culture home to Scotland wouldn’t leave our minds.
We wanted to connect the great Scottish wilderness to the possibility of sauna – so we knew that our sauna had to be mobile. We bought an old “I for Williams” horse box and started to work on it together as our lockdown project. Month by month, we built, sawed, hammered our way into DIY sauna heaven. We loved it. It was a way to reconnect, a way to give us purpose and a way to learn a new skill.
After a few months, Haar Sauna was ready. We had designed and created a beautiful Scandi sauna ready to tour across Scotland. We were also Scotland’s first mobile sauna – something we are really proud of.
Q. What are the most common reasons customers seek out an outdoor sauna?
A. Across Scandinavia, the sauna is a significant part of culture and life. Our North Sea neighbours have long enjoyed the benefits of the power of deep heat combined with cold water therapy. For Norwegians, the sauna is the place to relax with friends and family, to unwind, to socialise and sometimes, even do business.
Q. Are there any wellbeing trends that have influenced the design or features of your saunas?
A. We have found that people want to sauna outside in nature. Haar Sauna has tried to put people, nature, safety and community at the heart of our business.
We currently have two saunas on St Ninian’s Beach, Shetland and one on the way in Orkney. We have had a growing emphasis on not just physical detoxification but also mental and emotional wellbeing, which is increasingly important to today’s climate. We have tried to make sauna accessible for all users. Currently, we have private sessions, and a choice of community sessions, MENdful health sessions, Women’s Hour, LGBTQ sessions, Yoga + Sauna, HIIT + Sauna, and of course the most important the silent session.
Q. Haar Sauna won a national sauna award, can you talk more about that?
A. In May 2024, Haar Sauna attended the British Sauna Society first ever Sauna Summit, Haar Sauna won an award for being the UK’s Best Nature Sauna, this prize was given to the sauna that has best succeeded in capturing an experience of being close to or surrounded by the natural world. Sauna at 60 degrees north, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Q. Describe the sauna’s in less than 200 words.
A. We are situated at 60 degrees North on St. Ninians Beach in the stunning Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. In addition, we are coming soon to Scapa Beach, Orkney Islands.
Our original sauna can accommodate up to 6 people and features sauna-grade Alder timber benches for an authentic atmosphere. It’s designed with locally sourced Scottish Redwood cladding on the interior and Aberdeenshire-grown Larch on the exterior, seamlessly blending with the natural surroundings. The sauna stove is the nature-inspired HUUM wood-fired sauna stove from Estonia, which can reach temperatures of 70-90 degrees. Water meeting carefully selected Scottish granite rocks within the heater creates a unique sauna experience.
Haar Sauna 2.0 is designed to host up to 8 people, this sauna’s interior walls are lined with Thermal Aspen and the exterior is painted with Ocean Blue harmonising with the surrounding landscape. The sauna is equipped with a NARVI black 0 external fed stove, capable of reaching temperatures between 80-100 degrees Celsius. The aspen benches are higher than the stove, creating a unique and invigorating löyly sauna experience as water vaporises on contact with the stones.
Q. Do you have any recommendations for first-time sauna users?
A. We’d recommend following this routine: Rinse – Hot – Cold – Rest
- Have a shower before sauna
- Sit on a towel in the sauna
- Get warm (usually 5-15 mins)
- Get cold
- Rest – allow your body to reach equilibrium
- Repeat
Top tip: Follow your heart. Notice your resting heart rate before the sauna. Notice how it speeds up during the sauna process. Notice it comes back down during cold plunge. Notice it settles during rest. When it is back to normal it is time to return to the sauna.
Q. How do I book?
A. Haar Sauna bookings can be made online at www.haarsauna.com
Q. What should I bring?
A. We’d recommend taking the following with you:
- Booking Confirmation: Please provide either an email confirmation or a snapshot of your booking.
- Swimwear: Essential for a comfortable and enjoyable sauna experience.
- Beach Shoes/Flip Flops: Necessary for safe and easy movement.
- Water Bottle: Important for staying hydrated.
- Towels: Bring two—one for the benches and one for drying off.
- Bath Robe/Dry Robe: Optional, but adds comfort.
- Comfortable Clothing: Due to limited changing space, it’s best to come dressed in easy, comfortable clothing for a quick change.
Q. Where are the sauna’s located?
A. St Ninian’s Beach, Bigton, Shetland, Scotland, ZE2 9JA
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Coming soon:
Scapa Beach, Scapa, Orkney, Scotland, KW15 1SD
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By Victoria DixonOrkney and Shetland fanatic, likes to capture life through a lens, loves creating, eclectic taste in music, enjoys being a Mum; would secretly love to be a star of the West End!
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