For years, if you asked someone what Scotland is most famous for, they would probably say Scotch. And until recently, they were right. But now Scotland is leading the market in another kind of pleasure that makes you feel all warm and tingly inside.

SPAS.

Spas are relatively new to Scotland, but they are embracing and expanding on the pleasure principle with astounding speed. It makes sense, actually. When it is too cold to play golf, you need an indoor sport. And the Scottish know how to do it with style. Their spas combine the best of historic elegance and grandeur with the latest treatments and techniques. The result is pure pampering.

As a spa connoisseur who has had my body rubbed all over the world, I would say that Scotland has some of my favorite spas. Part of it is the unique facilities, and another important part is the skill of the therapists. But most of all it is a total commitment to well being of the body, mind and soul that comes through in each spa.

Here are my five of my favorites:

ONE Spa at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh

ONE is appropriately named, as it is clearly the number one spa in Scotland, perhaps in all of Europe. Standing in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, One is a stunning modern monument in blue glass. Once you step inside, you feel the serenity, calm and warmth of the welcome. Here, healing spa waters, heat and steam experiences and a state-of-the-art fitness studio join together with holistic treatments from around the world and across the ages. Although it is located in the midst of a major metropolis, it is a nurturing escape from the stress of modern city life.

The healing properties of water have been sought for generations in cultures all around the world. Take the waters in ONE’s ozone pool, lit in the day by natural light from glass walls and skylights carved in to the ceiling, by night with ambient spotlights. It is a feast for the senses, as you enjoy the breathtaking views of the city and listen to the waters flowing, cascading over curved pool walls while your muscles unwind and release all tension. Immerse yourself in the rich saline waters of the Hydropool. Relax on submerged ergonomic beds, high over the city, letting the waters play on your body, remineralising your skin, refreshing your mind.

If you start your trip to Scotland in Edinburgh, this is a marvelous jetlag cure to get you totally in tune with the time zone.

And this is just the beginning of ONE. In addition to the ozone pool, and Hydropool, there are 7 other heat and hydro stations. Opalescent mosaics and ever-changing rainbow lights create the mood. Then the heat works through you, from the penetrating heat of the Rock or Bio Sauna to the warmth of the Laconium and the comfort of the Tediparium’s heated couches. Purifying, cleansing, rejuvenating: the enveloping steam of the Hamman soothes aching muscles. Herbal extracts infuse the air of the Aroma Grotto. You move from warm, to hot, to cool. Step under an invigorating tropical rain or cool mist shower.

All of this relaxation and pleasure is before (and after) you even book a treatment. And there are so many unique holistic treatments to choose from: Ayurvedic, Balinese Synchronised Massage, Detoxifying Sea of senses, Serail Mud chamber, Marine Hydrotherapy, Holistic Total Body Care with Hot Stone Therapy, Aromatherapy massage and more. The only sense of anxiety I had was that I could not possibly do it all in two blissful days.

Devise your own rituals to restore equilibrium in mind and body. And this is the wonder of ONE. It is so personalized for YOU.

GLENEAGLES HOTEL SPA in Perthshire

I love to explore new places and try new things. So the fact that I have gone back to this resort three times, says a lot about how I feel about the place. If you ask me my single most favorite treatment in the whole world, it is the Thai massage by their guru Ken. (Ken is only there on Sundays, the rest of the week he does sports massage and works on famous bodies in Glasgow and Edinburgh) After I got my first Thai massage at Gleneagles, I spent three weeks in Thailand, researching Thai massage. I still think Ken is the best.

If you are not smart or lucky enough to be there on a Sunday (and call way ahead for an appointment, he has regulars) you will still have many wonderful choices and superb therapists. Although steeped in tradition, Gleneagles always seems to be a bit ahead of its time, and even others in Scotland, with introducing a destination spa, having spa cuisine on its menu, and offering more exotic treatments.

For a most memorable treatment, consider The E’Spa Ritual (Approx. 3 hrs 50 mins).

E’Spa, which seems to be the most popular spa consulting and product line in Scotland, has introduced rituals taken from ancient cultures around the world and consist of therapies taken from China, Bali, India and Europe.

The E’Spa Ritual will begin with your welcoming foot ritual followed by our purifying herbal linen wrap. You will then receive a full body exfoliation comprising of either soothing or invigorating properties. After a period of ‘cool down’ you will then under go a luxurious body wrap and Ayurvedic treatment determined by your therapist. To conclude your therapist will give you a closing ritual mirroring your welcome and offer you essential advice on your new lifestyle regime.

Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews

This is the mecca for golfers, and I predict it will soon be the mecca for spa-goers. The new GM, Jonathan Stapleton  came from a top destination spa and seems focused on building the spa to the level of the golf at The Old Course. He also has a passion for food, so there is a wonderful new restaurant that offers lean and light food. The spa menu, served in Sands Seafood Bar & Restaurant, consists of three courses and includes such healthy dishes as carpacchio of monkfish, mille feuille of aubergine with roasted vegetables and fresh fruit with light vanilla syrup.

The spacious Spa at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa includes a glass-roofed lap pool and whirlpool, state-of-the art cardiovascular and weight equipment, sauna and steam room. The new treatment wing offers eight new spa therapy suites, many of which have unprecedented views over the Old Course to the sea. All the suites are bathed in natural daylight, and are large enough to accommodate couples.. Scented candles, herbal teas and low lighting create an atmosphere of total calm and well-being in the dedicated relaxation room. A full range of treatments for men and women is offered by Clarins, Thalgo and, exclusive to the Old Course in Scotland, US-based Pevonia Botanica.

The Spa’s signature treatment is the Golfer’s Tonic, a relaxing massage for the back and back of legs to ease muscle tension, followed by a luxurious foot treatment, including exfoliation, deep massage and an enveloping paraffin wax mask on the back and feet.

Other revitalizing treatments include Thalgo’s Collagen Velvet Mask, with pure native soluble collagen and protein-rich extracts, the classic Paris Method Clarins face and body treatment, and the Pevonia “rituals” designed exclusively for the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa. These three-hour treatments each begin with a cleansing ritual of immersing the hands or feet in water and essential oils, then covering with flower petals to wash away bad luck.

The Spa at Turnberry in Ayshire

This spa has a cozy feeling and you relax the minute you enter the building which is situated along side the hotel. The Spa at Turnberry offers spectacular views over the sea towards the Ailsa Craig and features 12 luxurious treatments rooms plus a pool and fitness studio. Classes are not as common in Scotland, but maybe the American parent company of Westin, has influenced this offering.

The offerings are treatments from head to toe and the “menu” even allows for type A personalities to choose a 25 minute head massage that is a calming yet energizing scalp massage that focuses on the energy points combined with individually chosen aromatherapy oils. If time is of the essence, this compact treatment will help reduce tension, increase circulation and leave you with a feeling of well-being. 

If you want to give yourself over completely; mind, body and soul, choose the Holistic Total Body Care with Hot Stone Therapy. My body is relaxing even as I type this. The all-encompassing treatment commences with full body skin brushing and exfoliation to prepare the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth. This is ten followed by a deep body, face and scalp massage using hot and cold stones on vital energy points and a blend of essential oils chosen to suit individual requirements. This truly holistic experience will bring harmony to both mind and body.

Stobo Castle Health Spa, Pebbles

Stobo Castle Health Spa will soon be both the oldest and newest spa in Scotland. It is actually a castle that dates from 1811. Much work has been done along the way.

What you will find now is a Scottish baronial castle with 29 rooms. A new extension will be finished in August 2004 with more rooms, a new 25 meter pool, a state of the art thalassotherapy center, aerobics studio and gym.

So if you can put up with a little construction, now is the time to book and get a great deal on spa treatments in baronial splendor.

Stobo is an oasis of cutting edge spa activity. There are 70 spa treatments offered including Ionithermie Super Detox Treatment, where you just lie back and relax while your cellulite is reduced and your tummy, buttocks and thighs are toned, trimmed and firmed with this all over body treatment. Recent improvements to the treatment include the addition of an invigorating body scrub and pressure point massage.

Food is one of the many high spots as Philippa Gordon-Duff, who knows that healthy food does not have to be boring, has recently joined Stobo and is using skills gained whilst training with popular TV chef Raymond Blanc to help develop and expand the range of tempting dishes. Some recent additions include Slow Roast Tomato Salad with Black Olive Tapenade and a Parmesan Wafer and Tian of Smoked Salmon and Avocado with a Lemon Dressing.

An informal and relaxed atmosphere surrounds the place and you can stay all day in your bathrobe if you want.

If you do venture outside you will find some of the most beautiful countryside in Scotland with majestic hills, tumbling streams and towering pine forests. It is a delightful spot in which to relax and meditate. I always notice the quality of air that is so pure that I can almost taste it.

However long I stay at Stobo it never feels quite long enough and by the time that I leave I am a different and much improved person, relaxed, confident and completely revitalized from head to toe.

 Connoisseurs Scotland

All of these sybaritic spas are members of Connoisseurs Scotland, a group of the ten best hotels in Scotland, one of which is a boat and another a train.

Photos copyright 2002, Julie Register
Licensed to About.com 
Except Photo marked * which is courtesy of The Spa at The Old Course Hotel, St. Andrews