“Think of the pine tea, Emma, think of the pine tea.”
These are the words ringing in my ears as I wade into a peaty river in rural Scotland, trying not to hyperventilate.
It is a Tuesday morning in late May and I am participating in a ‘wild swimming retreat’ at Glen Dye, a 15,000 acre private estate of cottages and cabins about a half hour’s drive from Aberdeen airport. Founded by Charlie and Caroline Gladstone, this Highlands haven has been offering self-catering accommodation since 2018 and today, welcomes thousands of visitors to its forested grounds every year.
Situated on the banks of the River Dye, it should come as no surprise that wild swimming is one of the most popular experiences available at Glen Dye. The sessions are led by Pip Delamere-Wright, Britain’s first female army commando and resident ‘Wild Wellness’ specialist, and offer guests the opportunity to enjoy the estate’s pristine waters in a supervised setting. The activity attracts about 400 people annually, with a significant increase in bookings over the past two years.
I love wild swimming, but I have never thought of it as luxury. My track record in the open waters of the UK and Ireland has been marked by a series of discomforts; soggy clothes, winter sniffles and the occasional bout of hypothermia. I am therefore intrigued to discover how such an idyllic property, where people go to escape the pressures of modern life, can transform this inherently rustic activity into a luxurious experience.
The personal touch
The wild swim experience fittingly begins at Glen Dye’s School of Wild Wellness, located in its former saw mill. The site is also home to two ice baths, a Heartwood sauna and an art studio, but today, it functions solely as a training base for our excursion.
Pip wastes no time in getting the show on the road, delivering an introduction to cold water swimming - its definition, benefits and risks. We’re then given a trilogy of breathing techniques to practise before and during the immersion, and, after one final pep talk, we set off on our mission.
We begin our walk to the swim spot, and the conversation turns to our surroundings. Pip teaches us how to track wildlife by noting ‘skat’ (animal droppings), and points out unique plants on our route. We taste the citrusy spruce growing along the trail, and brew pine needle tea with the leaves of the coniferous tree. A deer even makes a surprise appearance, its beauty leaving us breathless before we’ve even touched the cold water.
About 40 minutes later, we arrive at our destination: an idyllic creek which, due to its remote location, is locally known as Glen Dye’s ‘secret swimming spot.’ Pip resumes leadership mode, testing the river’s temperature and offering us thermal socks. She tells us where it gets deep and warns which rocks might be slippery, before pointing out hidden gems like the ‘hot tub’ (a natural whirlpool) and the best spot for safe diving. Her insight softens the edges of this unfamiliar scene, converting it from a daunting river into an inviting spa. It feels like she is welcoming us into her hidden abode, where she knows all the nooks and crannies, and is just delighted to show us their corners.
Emboldened by Pip’s encouragement, I enter the water with a surprising degree of confidence. A fish somersaults in greeting, and I smile at its hospitality. Another guest jumps in from a stone, and the group cheers in celebration. My breathing slows, my muscles loosen, and my mind whispers to my body: “This is a safe place.”
After we emerge, Pip passes around towels and serves us our pine needle tea in Glen Dye-branded travel mugs. We sip the hot beverages in silence, and as rain tickles my face, I come to appreciate the subtle luxury of what should be an otherwise ‘uncomfortable’ experience.
Luxuriate, don’t tame
At Glen Dye, ‘luxury’ wild swimming is not about refining nature, but empowering guests to immerse themselves in it. This is where the expert comes in; Pip, a seasoned survivalist, was able to equip us with the tools to truly appreciate our surroundings.
“The best thing luxury hotels and properties can do is provide someone who knows the best spots for a dip and who is trained in life saving,” Caroline Gladstone tells TTG Luxury. “The latter is important because it acknowledges that this is not without risk, which is a big part of the appeal, as it takes you out of your comfort zone and makes you face up to some of the true wildness of the natural environment.”
The experience is also about savouring the ‘little luxuries’, which, when shivering on a patch of wet grass, feel all the more indulgent. “After swimming, the key thing is to have the right kit available to get people warm,” adds Gladstone.
At Glen Dye, this ‘kit’ has a VIP asterisk; fresh pine needle tea replaces store-bought drinks, and dry robes are offered over blankets. Guests can also use the saunas back at the saw mill, or enjoy a hot whisky in the Glen Dye Arms, the charming BYOB pub.
It’s a holistic formula that considers every step of the process - the before, the during and the after. Guests come away feeling not just refreshed, but also empowered to recreate the activity in their own life. An experience from start to finish, punctuated by a euphoric high and invaluable knowledge, it’s a swim that’ll truly have you going wild.
Glen Dye’s Wild Swimming Sessions cost £55 per adult and £39 per children aged between 5 and 15.
