Business / Feeling the heat: new Lerwick sauna opens
THE VIEWS are pretty striking, looking out onto the sea at Breiwick, with the cliffs of the Knab cutting an imposing figure on the left.
The sea is churning and smashing, given the gale force winds whipping around the isles.
But the new sauna which has popped up in Lerwick is offering a sanctuary from the elements.
Folk walking along the Sletts may have noticed that Haar Sauna now has a new base in the town, located to the back of the former NHS headquarters at Brevik House.
The sauna – plus two ‘plunge pools’ in a wooden decking area for a dip in cold water after – has now opened to the public.
It was due to launch on Friday but the windy weather saw the grand opened delayed to yesterday (Sunday).
It is the next step in the evolution and expansion of Haar Sauna, which began life at the sands at St Ninian’s a couple of years ago.
Shetland News is speaking to Haar Sauna co-owner Callum Scott inside the sauna on Friday, to shelter from the elements.
It is not fired up, but you still get a sense of what customers will come to expect. It is Haar’s largest sauna yet, with two levels of seating potentially offering space for up to 15 people, and the hottest too.
Absolutely roasting, Scott says, with temperatures potentially rising to around 90 degrees Celsius – “super deep heat”.
Also planned are occasional ‘rituals’, where the experience goes beyond a traditional sauna visit. These sessions could include elements like meditation, stretching, herbs and even “light birch-leaf brushing”.
During the winter the sauna is planned to open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday – and up to 9pm on the former three days.
Scott said that Haar wants to “give back to our community by creating a new place to meet up with friends, a fantastic venue to host meetings or parties without the need to drink alcohol – making wellness more inclusive and flexible”.
He said one key factor was safety, and this is where the plunge pools come into play; two bath style spaces where people can cool off after being in the sauna.
In calmer weather people could technically take a dip in the sea, like they do at St Ninian’s, but the plunge pools offer a risk-free option.
Scott also said Haar is working with LHD to get ice into the pools, to really ramp up the hot/cold contrast.
There is also an idea to have one as a seaweed bath, which Scott said is “really good for your skin” – something which is apparently a big thing in places like Ireland.
He said there is also outside space which could be used for activities like “yoga experiences” – in better weather, no doubt – while there are plans for a fire pit too.
It is not too far away from Scott and partner Hannah Mary Goodlad’s original plans for a sauna at the Waarie Geo, first floated in 2021.
“We liked that idea, but we just couldn’t afford to do it,” he said.
“We changed the structure and slowly built up. And it’s worked okay so far.”
So what might the future entail? Scott said he is keen to team up with NHS Shetland for people who are struggling – a form of social prescribing, potentially.
But he said Haar is also interested in setting up a partnership with a local builder to construct saunas in Shetland and “ship them around the UK”.
Scott also said there is an idea to launch saunas outwith Shetland – with Orkney, elsewhere in Scotland and even Faroe mooted.
But for now, the focus remains on the new Lerwick sauna.
“It’s going to be fun,” Scott says as he looks out one of the windows across to the stormy sea, “and you can stand in a mobile sauna on a day like this.”
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