Cromarty – a Community Sauna by the Firth and Lunch
A few hours.
The route
Cromarty's community sauna is a wood-fired horsebox on the shore of this old Black Isle town, run by the town's own development trust, with the Cromarty Firth right in front for a plunge.
It moves to a new spot each month, so check where it is before you set off. Book a shared session, then head to Sutor Creek by the harbour for seafood or a wood-fired pizza. It's open to anyone over 16.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Newhall Mains in Balblair, 6 miles away.
Book a 55-minute shared session at Cromarty Community Sauna online, and check where it is this month on the same page, as it moves every month: times and prices are on the booking page, and it's over-16s only.
Book a table at Sutor Creek online (up to eight; Tuesday to Saturday 12pm to 8pm, Sunday 12pm to 3pm, shut Mondays): a no-show costs £20 a head.
The day
Cromarty
A shared hour of wood-fired heat with the Cromarty Firth for a plunge. Then seafood or pizza by the old harbour.
About three hours
Cromarty Community Sauna
Cromarty Community Sauna is a wood-fired sauna in a horsebox on the town's shore, run by the Cromarty Community Development Trust, and it moves every month, so check where it is this month on its own page before you go. It usually runs at weekends: book a 55-minute shared session online, where the times and prices are, or ask about a private hire. Bring two towels, your swimwear and a bottle of water, with flip-flops for the shore and a warm layer for after. There's no secure changing area, so come ready to change quickly. The plunge into the Cromarty Firth is up to you, and there are bucket showers for cooling off instead. Most people stay in the hot room for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and staff or volunteers are on hand to guide first-timers. Nobody under 16 may use it.
About 6 min on foot
Sutor Creek
Lunch
Lunch is at Sutor Creek, a small yellow restaurant by the old harbour at 21 Bank Street, a short walk through the town. It serves fresh Scottish seafood, seasonal dishes and pizzas made from scratch in its wood-fired oven, from 12pm to 8pm Tuesday to Saturday and 12pm to 3pm on Sundays, and it's shut on Mondays. Book a table online for up to eight; if you don't turn up, there's a £20 a head charge. Dogs can't come inside, as the kitchen is open, but there are dog ties and a water bowl at the tables outside.
If it rains
The sauna is warm in any weather, with bucket showers if the sea is too wild; Sutor Creek is indoors.
The Fishertown Inn, a bar.
Sutor Creek Café, a café in Cromarty.
Photograph by Audrey Walton via Google