WATER


SCOTLAND MURKY DEPTHS AND ICY WATER


It’s 7am, and Loch Lochy is murky, still and decidedly unnerving. Fluffy robe in hand, I make my way to the water’s edge, hopping gingerly across the cold pebbles. As I approach, excitement builds, but my teeth are chattering and I’m already painfully aware of how cold it is before I even touch the loch. There’s no one around, and all I can hear is birdsong along with water gently lapping against the shoreline. It’s peaceful, but I can’t help but think it’d be an excellent setting for a horror film. There’s no way to ease yourself into this kind of


plunge, so, breathing deeply, gathering my courage and letting out a piercing scream, I run in. This sprawling body of water, set at a lofty


elevation in the Scottish Highlands, has an intimidating depth of 70 metres, making it the third-deepest loch in Scotland. The water temperature, meanwhile, is 4C. Put into perspective, an average public swimming pool is heated to between 25 and 28C — water colder than 15C puts you at risk of hypothermia. At this temperature, a few minutes is all most


Clockwise from top: The Whispering Pine Lodge; the hotel’s chef, Sinclair Pinto; restaurant overlooking the loch Previous pages: Loch Lochy, the third-deepest in Scotland


people will manage. I wade out further, but two steps from the shore, a sudden drop appears, the water falling away into nothingness. Adding to the eerie atmosphere is the inky black peat washed in from the hills, making the loch dense and opaque. The sheer cold, however, means it’s almost impossible to think about anything else for too long, and within seconds it feels like ice is shooting up my body followed by a strange burning sensation. I dunk my head under and feel my lungs


seizing up, my brain freezing over, and panting like I’ve just run a marathon, I exit the water. Getting out, it seems, is harder than getting in. The cold has made my limbs stiff, and I walk back to my dressing gown at glacial speed. Once out, though, I feel what can only be


described as an incredible high. I’ve not yet had my morning coffee, but I’m not craving it like I normally do — a feeling that persists for the rest of the day. My limbs feel soft and supple, my head remarkably clear, and that afternoon I hike to the top of Ben Nevis with ease. Once back at my hotel, The Whispering Pine


Lodge — surrounded by swaying trees and set on the edge of Loch Lochy — I’m still full of energy, a feeling underpinned by a lingering soft buzz of contentment. The hotel has a small but formidable spa, so I retreat there for a massage and a facial, a treat that feels well deserved. That evening, from the comfort of my cabin I look


out at the private pebbled beach I’d hobbled across that morning, with water stretching further than the eye can see, and feel an overwhelming sense of inner peace. For the next three days, I take a cold-water plunge in the loch at 7am each morning and head down to do it all over again before dinner. I’ve found wellness in water; a natural way to ease the anxiety of a busy life. CHLOE LAWS


HOW TO DO IT: A two-night spa package for two costs from £399, and includes a treatment, plus lunch and breakfast. blacksheephotels.com


NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – SPA & WELLNESS COLLECTION 29


IMAGES: THE BLACK SHEEP HOTELS


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