The Skinny-Dipping Noblewoman

Lady Janet Anstruther was a bold young lady who liked nothing better than to go swimming at Elie on warm days. It might have been a little unusual for the time, but the real shock was that Janet liked to swim completely naked. She was free spirited, but she still had to make sure not to cause a real scandal.

To ensure nobody accidentally stumbled upon her wild swims, a servant would walk through Elie ringing a bell. All the locals knew when they heard that sound, they’d better steer clear of Janet’s favourite stretch of shoreline.

A little tower was built for the skinny-dipping noblewoman in 1770. It was a simple structure where Janet could recover from her chilly dip and gaze out across the Firth of Forth towards the Bass Rock and North Berwick Law. There is still a tiny little arch built into the rocks below the tower with just enough space to get changed before jumping into the water.