Picture this: you find the courage to go to one of Edinburgh’s many wild swimming destinations in the middle of January – perhaps you’re at Portobello or Granton Beach, or maybe you left the city to swim at Threipmuir reservoir in the Pentlands. Standing on the water’s edge, feeling that cold Scottish chill, you anxiously think to yourself: “What the hell am I doing?”
For avid wild swimmer and Edinburgh local Elaine Taylor, plunging into the sea or one of Scotland’s many lochs is challenging and psychologically demanding, yet incredibly powerful.
“That can only be a good thing for Scottish culture,” Elaine says.
She suggests that those north of the border often feel what they call the “Scottish cringe”. As described in the book, The Eclipse of Scottish Culture, the “Scottish cringe” refers to the overarching feeling that Scots lack personal and political confidence. Elaine thinks that wild swimming has the power to change this.
“That cultural sense of inferiority exists, and it manifests in many different ways,” Elaine says.
She added that wild swimming in Scotland’s cold waters creates a strong sense of community and collective confidence.
You start to believe in yourself more
“The more people out there not caring what people think of them, doing things because it makes them feel good, capable, and powerful, will have ripple effects in Scottish culture.”
Elaine has felt the positive effects of wild swimming herself. Before she started, Elaine felt unhappy with her life trajectory.
“I can’t say it was wild swimming that gave me the courage to change my life around, but it was certainly a factor,” shares Elaine. “Once you’ve achieved being up to your neck in cold water in the middle of winter, you become confident that you can keep your shit together in other difficult situations as well.
For Shirley Scott, the founder of Watermind Scotland – an organisation that offers wellness and cold-water therapy sessions across Scotland – entering seas and lochs never gets easier.
“But putting yourself through that challenge is so addictive,” Shirley says. “The rush of the cold water is what keeps me coming back. Every time I go in, I come out feeling proud and ready to take on the world.”
Watermind’s slogan is “Be part of something greater,” and that’s what Shirley aims to achieve.
“By getting into the cold water, you’re proving to yourself that you can do hard things, which in turn helps you achieve other challenges going on in your life,” she explains.
Shirley created Watermind Scotland four years ago after personally reaping the benefits of cold-water therapy and wanting to share them with others. Yet, the cold-water plunge is just one small part of her wellness sessions.
“The full two-hour event helps people push past their fears and become more powerful in their everyday lives,” the cold water therapist says.
A typical Watermind session begins with yoga, breath work, and meditation on the shore, followed by shouting self-love affirmations and dancing. “This is to get our bodies and minds prepared before going into the water,” says Shirley.
“We all experience difficult things – from heartache and grief to mental and financial issues – and that’s why we’re here today: to connect with nature and to push ourselves out of our comfort zone,” she says, getting a Watermind group ready to enter the cold waters at Loch Lomond.
Shirley guides her group into the water, walking fast and with confidence. She tells everyone to keep their arms raised above their heads and to slowly lower into the water as they get used to the shocking temperature.
Once the group are submerged, feeling the cold water on the nape of their necks, Shirley tells everyone to shout affirmations into the vast surroundings, “right into Mother Nature’s ear.”
“I am in charge of creating a life I love,” yells the group. “I can. I will. I am a warrior.”
