Wild Swimming Holiday on Scotland’s West Coast
Join Large Outdoors on an unforgettable six-day journey through Scotland’s dramatic west coast, where lochs, rivers, and secluded coastal bays await. From the Highlands to hidden gems across the coast, this trip promises a mix of wild swims, exploration, and socialising. With all travel and accommodation arranged, and pickups in Glasgow, this adventure is designed to suit both beginners and experienced wild swimmers. The exact swim spots will remain our little secret, ensuring every plunge feels like discovering a private paradise.
Experience Type: Multi-Day Experience
Duration: 5 nights
Accommodation: Hostel
Group Size: Maximum 8
Level: You’ll need to be a confident swimmer, but outdoor swimming experience is not required
Meeting Location: Glasgow
Age: 18+
Dogs: No dogs, except trained assistance dogs
In a Nutshell:
Duration: Six days exploring Scotland’s stunning west coast.
Swim Variety: Lochs, rivers, and coastal bays – secret swim spots revealed along the way.
Social Evenings: Group dinners at local pubs or sociable meals in the hostel.
Flexible Itinerary: Adaptable plans to suit weather, tides, and group preferences.
Pickup Point: Convenient start and finish in Glasgow.
Book today…
Wild swimming and exploring the untamed beauty of Scotland’s west coast!
The west coast of Scotland offers a wild swimmer’s dream: remote beaches, shimmering lochs, and hidden rivers, all framed by spectacular mountain and coastal views. This trip showcases the very best of these natural wonders, without revealing all the locations in advance – a mystery element that keeps every swim exciting and fresh.
Our carefully curated itinerary takes you to a variety of environments, from turquoise bays to lush glens and peaceful lochs. While swimming takes centre stage, we’ll also have snorkels available for those who wish to explore beneath the waves – but there’s no pressure if that’s not for you!
Each swim is designed to be accessible, with no long-distance challenges – just incredible locations and plenty of time to relax, explore, and socialise. Evenings will feature group meals, either in cosy local pubs or as a sociable dinner at the hostel, perfect for unwinding and sharing stories from the day.
While swimming is the focus, there’s time for other adventures, such as wildlife spotting, scenic walks, or simply soaking up the atmosphere. Whether you’re taking a dip or enjoying the views from the shore, this trip offers a unique way to experience Scotland’s wild west coast.
Suggested Itinerary
Our itinerary is flexible, ensuring we can adapt to the weather, tides, and group preferences. The exact swim spots will remain a surprise, allowing us to take full advantage of the west coast’s hidden gems.
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We’ll meet you in Glasgow around 10 am (full pickup details provided in the Meeting Location & Time section). Once everyone’s ready, we’ll head north into the Highlands, stopping for our first swim at a stunning loch.
This initial swim will include a safety briefing, wetsuit check, and plenty of time to ease into the water. After the swim, we’ll continue deeper into the Highlands, arriving at our overnight stop with time to relax and enjoy the scenery.
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Over the next four days, we’ll journey along Scotland’s west coast, moving between venues and staying in different locations to access the best swim spots. These will include a mix of lochs, rivers, and remote coastal beaches, all selected for their beauty and tranquillity.
We’ll have snorkels available for those who’d like to explore underwater, while others can enjoy the scenery from the shore or nearby walking trails. Each day will include a variety of swims, with options to join as many or as few as you wish.
Evenings will be just as enjoyable, with group dinners either in local pubs or as a relaxed, sociable meal back at the hostel (not included).
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On our final day, we’ll fit in one last swim before beginning the journey back to Glasgow. With time to reflect on the week’s highlights and say goodbye to new friends, we’ll aim to arrive back in Glasgow by early evening.
Wetsuit Advice
We strongly recommend bringing and wearing a wetsuit for this trip. While there will be plenty of chances to enjoy skin dipping, a wetsuit ensures you can join more swims and stay comfortable throughout the day.
Here’s why:
Body Temperature: On trips with multiple swims, your body doesn’t get a chance to fully warm up, so your temperature drops as the day goes on. A wetsuit helps keep you warmer for longer, letting you join more swims.
Nature Protection: Wetsuits protect against jellyfish stings, scrapes from rocks, and barnacles.
Flexibility: Feel free to remove your wetsuit at the end of each swim for skin dipping or wait for the shorter afternoon dips, often perfect for going without.
Options: A full wetsuit is ideal, but even a well-fitted shortie can help keep you warm and extend your time in the water.
Remember, the choice is yours, but those without wetsuits often find they miss out on swims due to getting too cold.
For further detail please take a look at our blog: Why We Strongly Recommend a Wetsuit for Wild Swimming Holidays
Essential Information
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Meeting Time: from 10am - please see Pickup options below.
Pickups (Day 1): When booking you can let us know which of the two Pickup locations below you’d like to be collected from.
Glasgow City Centre (Hotel) 10am at the ibis Styles, Glasgow Central, 116 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 7DN. Please note: a discount code for this hotel is available if you plan to stay in Glasgow the night before/after the trip - details will be shown on your booking confirmation email.
Glasgow International Airport 10:15am at the Pick-up & Drop-off area located outside the main terminal building in Car Park 2.Returning to Glasgow (Day 6): We aim to be back in Glasgow around 5pm and can drop you back in the city centre or at the airport. Please book onward travel accordingly, to allow for flexibility with the return time to the city centre or airport - we do allow for some stops on the journey, but we (sadly!) can’t control the traffic.
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We will stay at a couple of different hostels on this trip, as we move around the Scottish Highlands and explore the Isle of Skye.
Bedding is provided - but please bring a towel (as well as a separate swim towel) and don’t forget your own toiletries.
Room Types:
You can book one of the following options, subject to availability:
Bed in a Shared Female Room
Bed in a Shared Male Room
Twin Room (shared bathroom)Rooms at the hostels we’ll stay at are mainly Shared Rooms, where you’ll be sharing a dorm room - usually with bunk beds - with other participants (room sizes vary and bathrooms are shared). There are also some Twin Rooms - usually with bunk beds - which sleep up to two participants booking together (bathrooms are shared with other rooms).
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Please see our Wild Swimming Kit List.
The compulsory items are selected for your safety, which is of paramount importance to us at Large Outdoors. Each participant should have the items listed.
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Although you will need to be a confident swimmer, you do not need to be long-distance swimmer by any means. You do not need to have prior experience of wild or outdoor swimming.
We are not aiming to swim miles, instead enjoying a greater number of more leisurely wild swims, where you can really take in the views and scenery and appreciate being immersed in the natural world. We will not be heading into open water.
If you want to sit a swim out as well your more than welcome to stay in the minibus or enjoy the local scenery whilst we swim.
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Included:
Pickup service from Glasgow - see the Meeting Location & Time section above - and transportation for the duration of the trip.
5 nights’ hostel accommodation.
A Large Outdoors host/wild swimming guide to welcome you and deal with the logistics for your experience.
6 days of guided dips and swims as we travel through the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye.
A DIY breakfast each morning (toast, cereals, fruit and yoghurt provided).
A DIY packed lunch (sandwich and snacks) for Days 2-5.
Tea (including decaf and herbal options), coffee (including decaf option), and squash at the accommodation.
Bedding - but please bring a towel and don’t forget your own toiletries.
The chance to make new friends and meet like-minded people - Large Outdoors is all about making outdoor adventures sociable.
Pre-event support from the Large Outdoors team - give us a shout if there’s any advice or information you need and check out our Blog for useful articles too.
Not Included:
Travel to and from the meeting location.
Wetsuit hire - you must bring your own!
Dinner each evening - we’ll book a table at a local restaurant to enjoy dinner as a group and you can purchase whatever you fancy from the menu available.
Any extra (i.e. not mentioned above in ‘Included’) excursions or activities that you may partake in which incur a cost.
Bottled water - tap water and squash are available at the accommodation, so please ensure you bring sufficient water bottles or carriers to fill up and take out with you.
Alcoholic drinks - there will be opportunities to pick up some local tipples if desired.
Any food, drinks or goods you choose to purchase at any shops, restaurant, pubs or cafés visited.
Travel/activity insurance - we recommend having insurance to cover, at a minimum: cancellation and curtailment; medical and emergency expenses (including repatriation); personal accident; injury and death.
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• What level of fitness is needed?
You’ll need to be a confident swimmer, but outdoor swimming experience is not required. There will be some walking too, to get to our swim spots from where we park - the ground we cover here may be uneven with some slippery/rocky parts.• Can I attend on my own?
Absolutely. The majority of our participants are solo travellers and adventurers. Plenty of fun, laughter and numerous long-term friendships (and a few marriages!) have begun on Large Outdoors experiences since 2008, so there’s no need to feel worried about your first experience, or indeed trying a new type of outdoor activity, with us.• I am currently on a specific diet / have an allergy - can you cater for me?
Unfortunately, we are generally unable to cater for a wide variety of diets or food preferences due to the nature and cost of our catered trips and/or the use of shared kitchens. However, we can offer vegetarian, vegan, provide meals with gluten free ingredients* and/or provide dairy* free meals - these options can be selected when booking. Please see our general FAQs for more information about dietary options.• What transport is provided during this trip?
We offer a Pickup service (see Meeting Location & Time section above) and transport throughout, with transfers from the accommodation to the activity start points and back.• Can I bring my dog?
Dogs are not allowed on this trip, except for trained assistance dogs. If you wish to bring your trained assistance dog on an experience, please let us know in advance of booking so we can discuss the itinerary and any activity/equipment/accommodation, and of course additional safety requirements or considerations that may be necessary.
