I’ve been to various wild saunas, but I never expected to find one on Arran. Usually, the island adapts to new trends in its own sweet time. However, there must have been demand, as its first - Stonesthrow Sauna - has opened up. This mobile experience tours the island, with pitches at Kildonan, Lamlash, and Brodick’s Cladach Beach House. We visited it at its Whiting Bay stop, round the corner from Sandbraes Park. It’s a perfect spot, with elevated views out to the Firth of Clyde. All you need to do is take two towels - one to sit on, and another to dry off with, if you intend to get in the sea. Also, wear your swimming costume under your clothes, as there aren’t any changing facilities. On our visit, it was a shared experience, at £14 for an hour. If you want it all to yourself, it’s £100, and it seats up to eight people. We were sharing our session with a family of four. Much more civilised than the time we tried another sauna, and were sardined with about five massive rugby dudes, who were all built like fridges. Sauna etiquette dictates that you don’t have to chat. I usually can’t help myself, but this time, I kept quiet and enjoyed the heat. It was the last day of a chaotic family holiday, and this felt like an opportunity to unwind. And this is a hottie. That’s despite the fact that I always stay on the cooler lower level seat, and he lets himself turn bright red on the upper grill. My nostrils were burning, especially after the sauna owner, Andrew Sheppard, who looks after this year old business with his wife, Amy Wegerhoff, came in to chuck some water on the coals. We weren’t intending to get in the sea, but it seemed necessary. The summer air wasn’t enough to cool us off, when we took a breather outside. I’d taken my sandals, so we could walk over the pebbly patch to the beach. This is probably one of the best sauna spots I’ve been to, as it’s so close to the sea, so you don’t have to take a long and self-conscious wibbly-wobbly walk to the water. In 30 seconds, we were immersed in the Firth of Clyde, and the water was crystalline. There was no sign of the red jellyfish we’d seen all over the island, and not a hermit crab to nip our toes. I waded up to my neck, felt the shiver running down my spine, then waited for a few minutes, until heading back to the sauna. No doggy paddle required. And repeat, about five times, remembering to dunk our feet in the foot bath outside the sauna, so we didn’t tramp sand all over the floor. My muscles felt like freshly kneaded dough and I had the best sleep that night. I feel that a visit to this sauna is going to become an annual holiday tradition. www.stonesthrowsauna.co.uk