A Highland Retreat for the Senses
Hot Tub & Sauna Cottage in the Trossachs, on the Shores of Loch Katrine
The Experience
Old Smiddy Cottage comes with a private wood-fired hot tub and sauna, included in every stay. Both sit right on the water at Loch Katrine, in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, with no sharing and nothing extra to pay.
Our wood-fired sauna and hot tub are designed in harmony with the natural surroundings — simple, hand-crafted, and perfectly placed to take in the changing moods of the loch.
Each evening, as the sun dips behind the hills, guests light the fire, wait as the wood crackles and the warmth builds, and then step into pure serenity. Steam mingles with cool Highland air; the scent of burning wood drifts across the garden. It’s rustic luxury at its most authentic — elemental, grounding, and quietly unforgettable.
Whether you’re returning from a day of exploring the Trossachs National Park, hiking Ben A’an, or watching red deer at dusk, this is your reward: a moment to breathe deeply, reconnect, and simply be.
Your Wood-Fired Hot Tub
The hot tub fits up to six people, heated by a wood fire underneath rather than an electric element. Depending on the outside temperature, it takes anywhere from two and a half to four hours to reach full heat — slower on a cold winter evening, quicker in summer. There are no electric jets or speaker systems built in; it’s closer in spirit to a traditional Scandinavian hot tub than a spa-hotel one, heated by fire rather than switched on at the wall.
If you let us know your arrival time in advance, we can have the fire lit so the hot tub is ready to use as soon as you arrive, rather than waiting for it to heat from cold on your first evening.
Your Wood-Fired Sauna
The sauna works the same way, heated by its own wood-burning stove rather than an electric heater. Guests tend to move between the two over an evening — time in the sauna, then out into the cool air and into the hot tub, with the loch changing colour as the light goes. It’s a slower, more hands-on way to warm up than flicking a switch, closer to how a traditional Nordic sauna is meant to be used.
You can learn more about the benefits of a sauna session in our blog here
What's Included
There’s no need to book separately — the wood-fired sauna and hot tub are exclusively available to all guests staying at Old Smiddy Cottage. Whether you use them once or every evening, they’re always ready to offer a little warmth after a day exploring the Trossachs.
The hot tub and sauna are included with every booking, with nothing extra to pay on arrival. Both are usable all year round — the main difference in winter is that the fire takes longer to bring the water up to heat, so it’s worth allowing extra time on colder evenings. We leave a starter pack of firelighters, kindling and logs for both, along with instructions for lighting them safely. If you’d like to enjoy longer evenings by the fire, additional logs are available for a small fee during your stay.
The cottage itself is fully self-catering, and the full list of what’s included is on the Our Cottage page.
We’re also happy to share a few tips on heating times, ideal temperatures, and the simple art of getting the fire going just right.
What Guests Say
A Touch of Wild Luxury
We’ve designed the sauna and hot tub experience to reflect the spirit of Old Smiddy Cottage itself — natural, welcoming, and wonderfully Scottish.
There are no loud bubbles or flashing lights here, only the gentle crackle of firewood and the shimmer of Loch Katrine beneath the evening sky.
The sauna’s warmth soothes away the chill of Highland evenings, while the hot tub invites you to linger long into the night — perhaps with a mug of something comforting, or a wee dram in hand.
For those seeking rural cottages in Scotland that offer both privacy and indulgence, this is the best of both worlds: wild beauty and home comfort intertwined.
Loch Katrine and the Trossachs
Old Smiddy sits at Stronachlachar, on the western shore of Loch Katrine, inside Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. It’s just over an hour from Glasgow by car, though the loch feels far quieter than that drive time suggests — much of its shoreline has no public road at all.
Ben A’an is one of the more popular walks nearby, a fairly short climb with a good view back over the loch from the top. There’s more on the loch’s own history in our blog, or a few of our favourite lesser-known spots in the area if you’re after ideas beyond the obvious ones.
Book a beautiful stay at our cottage today!
Common Questions About the Hot Tub and Sauna
Is it private to us?
Yes — nobody else uses it during your stay.
What do you provide?
Firelighters, kindling and logs for both, plus instructions for lighting them safely.
How many people does it fit?
Up to six.
How long does it take to heat?
Between two and a half and four hours, depending on the outside temperature.
Is it available all year round?
Yes — the colder it gets, the longer it takes to heat, but it’s usable in every season.
Can we use it as soon as we arrive?
Yes, if you let us know your arrival time in advance, so it’s lit and ready before you get here.
