WILD SWIMMING FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Wild swimming has become a fitness craze in the UK, with a 70% Google search increase for “wild swimming spots UK” since 2020. 42% of wild swimmers have continued wild swimming since lockdown, revealing that the sport wasn’t just a lockdown fad.[1]

This might be because wild swimming offers countless mental and physical health benefits, such as boosting the immune system and improving circulation. One in three wild swimmers admit to taking the dip purely for their mental health, demonstrating the long term positive effects that the sport has on its partakers.[2]

Why it matters to Yogis

Wild swimming and yoga share a common thread—the desire to return to stillness, connect with nature, and move mindfully. Whether you’re holding a Warrior II pose on the shore or meditating after a dip in icy waters, the sensory immersion of cold water and the rhythmic movement of swimming can enhance the yoga journey.

As more people embrace pratyahara (the withdrawal of the senses) and the healing effects of being outdoors, wild swimming offers an elemental path toward presence and self-discovery. It’s not just about the photo—it’s about the feeling.

The Research

The experts at Live Football Tickets investigated the most scenic wild swimming spots in the UK. To do this, they collected a list of wild swimming locations across the UK in March 2025 and ranked them based on their volume of Instagram hashtags.

The study reveals that Loch Lomond and Katrine in the Trossachs National Park in southern Scotland are the most scenic wild swimming spot in the UK. With 623,000 Instagram hashtags, the Scottish lake has 12% more hashtags than its second-place competitor, Loch Ness, and has over 2000% more popularity than Llyn Padarn in 10th place. Just a 46-minute drive away from Glasgow, why not venture to the UK’s largest lake to enjoy 30 square miles of the nation’s most scenic freshwater?

Key Findings

Loch Lomond and Katrine are the UK’s most scenic wild swimming spot.

England features four locations in the top 10.

Scotland and Wales each feature three wild swimming spots in the top 10.

The UK’s Most Scenic Wild Swimming Spots

In second place lies Scotland’s most famous lake, Loch Ness. Known in folklore for being host to Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, this freshwater giant has accumulated a myth-busting 556,000 Instagram hashtags. With a length of 23 miles, wild swimmers are spoilt for choice for where to take a dip. It takes just 30 minutes to drive to the lake’s centre from its closest city, Inverness.

The third place transports us over 500 miles south to Nant Sere in the Brecon Beacons National Park. This Welsh waterfall hides just north of Pen Y Fan, offering a visual delight for wild swimmers keen to embrace nature in all its diversity. With 192,000 Instagram hashtags, this well-captured part of the Welsh countryside offers more than just peaks and troughs, but falls and plunges too! This scenic swimming opportunity is often shadowed by the incredible hikes surrounding the waterfall, so if a dip after a morning hike sound enticing, Nant Sere can be reached in just over one hour by car from Cardiff.

Most Scenic Wild Swimming Spots in England

Although just falling short of a place in the top three leaderboard, English wild swimming spots make up the majority ofthe top 10 with four wild swimming locations.

At first glance, Bolton Abbey might not appear as an obvious wild swimming destination in the UK, but it grabs the fourth spot in the ranking with both hands. Near the abbey, there are stepping stones and a small beach area that has attracted 93,000 hashtags on Instagram. Located in Skipton in North Yorkshire, this wild swimming gem is reachable from Leeds in 54 minutes by car.

In seventh place, we travel 100 miles north to the Lake District, home to the glacial lake, Wastwater. This wild swimming spot has accumulated 49,400 Instagram hashtags, nearly double as many as 10th place. Unlike other locations in the ranking, this three-mile-long lake is not easily reachable from major cities in the UK. So, if you’re seeking full nature mode for your first (or next) wild swim, then a trip to the Lake District might tick all the boxes.

250 miles down the country, we find our eighth-place holder, Symonds Yat. This wild swimming spot lies on the River Wye in the Wye Valley National Landscape, near Ross-on-Wye and Gloucester. It’s been hashtagged on Instagram 35,700 times, owing to its accessibility to towns and cities in the South West, such as Gloucester, Bristol, Newport, and Worcester.

References

[1] Outdoor Swimmer | Trends in Outdoor Swimming 2023

[2] Outdoor Swimmer | Outdoor Swimmer Media Pack 2024

Methodology:

The experts at Live Football Tickets wanted to investigate the UK’s most scenic wild swimming spots. To do this, they first collected a seed list of wild swimming spots in the UK fromWild Swimming’s Wild Swim Map UK. The experts then extracted the Instagram hashtag volume for each wild swimming location to form a ranking. This would inform how “scenic” or “photo-worthy” each destination is. The data was collected on 03/03/25 and is correct as of then.

This research is conducted by : https://www.livefootballtickets. com/.