Proposals for a 13ft long mobile sauna designed to bring the spirit of Scandinavia to Portobello Prom are set to go before city licensing bosses next week.
Under plans lodged by Soul Water Sauna, the pop up will allow up to eight people to experience the ‘invigorating’ mental and physical health benefits of a Finnish-style room yards from the capital’s seaside.
It comes amid a boom in open water swimming during the COVID-19 lockdown with hundreds braving chilly temperatures in the Firth of Forth over the past 12 months.
However, council chiefs have recommended the plans be rejected on grounds of “the possibility of undue public nuisance”.
The application has attracted the ire of some local residents, with 73 objections to the plans recorded.
Council road service teams have also notified the licensing committee of their grievances on safety grounds, while environmental health officials have argued the sauna would breach controls on “Smoke Free Zones” and would cause “nuisance” to residential properties nearby.
The firm say they want to establish a “bathing culture” in Edinburgh and beyond by encouraging locals to make use of the natural environment.
The near ten-foot high structure, made from Siberian cedar and spruce, is based on a popular version which opened in the Dorset town of Bridport last year and features a low emission stove described as “one of the most efficient in the world”.
According to the company, the sauna, which would only operate on the weekend, would be located on the widest section of the Promenade between James Street and John Street, but is unlikely to adversely affect space for cyclists or pedestrians.
Soul Water added the sauna differed from the historic Victorian-era Turkish Baths inside Portobello Swim Centre by offering a ‘dry heat’ to users rather than the more humid steam room setup.
Temperatures inside the traditional Finnish sauna can reach up to 100C.
The licence application will go before the council’s sub-committee on Monday, May 17.
