Hello, hello, lido as pools prepare for scorching summer*
Scotland’s outdoor pools get in the swim after two lost seasons
Scotland’s outdoor pools have revealed their hopes for a long, hot and busy summer ( hopefully) as they get back in the swim.
Heated lidos at Stonehaven, Gourock and New Cumnock are open fully for the first time since 2020 and are desperate to dive into a new season.
The historic bathing facilities – Gourock in Inverclyde, first opened in 1909, Stone haven, near Aberdeen, in 1934, and New Cumnock, East Ayrshire, in 1968 – are in great shape thanks to charity and council backing and an army of volunteers.
Mary Clapperton, duty officer at New Cumnock Pool, said: “There’s a real buzz about the place. We are so happy to be welcoming swimmers of all ages and expect our 2022 season to be busier than ever.
“The pool is such a hub of the community and it’s been incredible to see people back in the water embracing the mental, physical and social benefits of outdoor swimming. It’s good for the soul.”
The facility at New Cum no ck is Scotland’s only heated freshwater open air swimming pool. The 25- metre tank is heated to 30C and has the longest season of the three in Scotland. It opened on April 23 and doesn’t close until October, weather permitting.
It was saved from demolition in 2016 when charity, The Prince’s Foundation, embarked on a multi- million- pound regeneration project. It was officially re opened in 2017 by the foundation’s president, the Prince of Wales, and welcomed 37,000 visitors for its first season with the name of the project’s lead donor, Tamar Manoukian, wife of tycoon Bob Manoukian, over the door.
Meanwhile, in Stonehaven, the UK’S northernmost working lido, owned by Aberdeen shire Council, but run in conjunction with volunteers, opens on May 28 and the oldest heated swimming pool in Scotland, Go u rock Outdoor Pool, which is owned by Inverclyde Council, opened on Friday.
Heated to 29C, the 33.3m pool is filled with around one million litres of fresh salt water from the River Clyde which is filtered and treated. It was redeveloped in 2012 at a cost of £1.8 million.
Allan Warwick, chair of Discover Inverclyde Tourism Partnership, said: “Gourock Pool is an icon of Inverclyde and the opening is a major highlight in our events calendar. We are welcoming swimmers back and enjoying a much more normal season after two years of restrictions and disruption.”
Stuart Boyle, Inverclyde Leisure’s operations manager, added: “The team have been working hard. It is fantastic that the pool will open with no Covid restrictions – it will be back to its pre-covid best.”