Best Spas in Edinburgh

The benchmark. One Spa occupies the top floors of the Sheraton Grand Hotel on Festival Square in the city centre, and the centrepiece is the rooftop hydropool – a glass-enclosed thermal pool with views over the Edinburgh skyline to the Castle. It’s genuinely one of the most atmospheric spa experiences in Scotland, and one of those places that justifies its own reputation.

The full facility includes a 20-metre lap pool, vitality pool, thermal suite (sauna, steam rooms, ice fountain, thermal loungers), gym and a full treatment menu covering massages, facials, body treatments and specialist therapies. Day access packages start around £50-60 for weekday visits including use of all facilities. Evening sessions are available and tend to be quieter. Treatment add-ons stack up but the base day pass to use the facilities is good value for what you get. Book well ahead at weekends – it fills up.

Stobo Castle is about 30 miles south of Edinburgh in the Borders, near Peebles – a proper country house spa in a Victorian castle setting with extensive gardens. Not a day trip in the casual sense (you’d want to book in advance and plan your day around it), but the spa facilities are extensive: pools, thermal suite, gym, golf, treatments and overnight stays available. Day packages from around £85-100 include use of all pools and thermal areas. It’s a favourite for hen weekends and celebration breaks. The castle setting and the Borders countryside make it something genuinely different from a city spa.

Titanic Spa, originally based in Yorkshire, has a presence in Edinburgh via their partnership with local facilities. The Edinburgh offering centres on thermal experiences and hydrotherapy – check their current Edinburgh location and availability as the site has shifted over the years. Worth verifying the current setup before booking.

For something at a different scale – Eteaket on Frederick Street in the New Town combines a specialty tea shop with a treatment room offering facials, massages and beauty treatments. Small, characterful, independent. A good option for a post-lunch treatment without the full-day spa commitment.

Several of Edinburgh’s hotels have strong spa and wellness facilities: the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street has a well-regarded spa with pool access; the G&V Hotel (formerly The Missoni) has treatment rooms; and the Apex Hotels group offers swimming pools and spa facilities at several city properties. Worth comparing against One Spa for price and convenience depending on what you need.