Stonehaven Heated Open Air Pool

30/09/2026

𝗜𝗧’𝗦 𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧!
Stonehaven Open Air Pool features in Episode 2 of Scotland’s Golden Coast tonight at 9pm on More4.

“Stonehaven's Art Deco outdoor pool is preparing to open its doors for another summer. After months of hard work, chairman Steve and an army of volunteers race to put the finishing touches to this historic seaside institution before the first swimmers arrive.”

Tune in live at 9pm or watch on catchup after broadcast
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/scotlands-golden-coast

27/09/2026

Just some of the lovely comments left in our visitor book this season ❤️

Whilst we absolutely love a handwritten comment in our physical guest book, it’s really important to us to get reviews online too. They help other people discover the pool and show just how much it means to our visitors.

We’d be so grateful if you could leave us a review. It only takes a couple of minutes!

⭐ Google: https://tinyurl.com/SOAPGoogleReview

📝 TripAdvisor: https://tinyurl.com/SOAPTripadvisorReview

👍 Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/SOAPFacebookReview

Thank you ❤️

25/09/2026

A wee heads-up that there will be a private hire charity swim event taking place at the pool tomorrow, Saturday 26th September.

Portletico FC are taking on the challenge of swimming the length of Loch Ness with 724 lengths of our pool needed to reach their 22.5-mile target.

They’re raising money for Archie at Aberdeen Neonatal Unit and The Larder Portlethen & Surrounding Areas
If you’d like to support them, you can donate here:
https://gofund.me/c0868a30a

Any queries about the event should be directed to the organisers.

And don’t worry, we’ll let you know in good time when the pool will be open for public cold water swimming sessions. 🥶

Good luck, Portletico! 💪

24/09/2026

👀📺 Did you watch the first episode of Scotland’s Golden Coast last night? If you did, you’ll know it’s our turn next week!

A joyous journey along Scotland’s sublime and wildly beautiful east coast, from the Moray Firth to the Borders, as we meet the people who work and play here, and those lucky enough to call it home
www.channel4.com/programmes/scotlands-golden-coast

𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟮, 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟯𝟬 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝟵𝗽𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲𝟰 "Stonehaven's Art Deco outdoor pool is preparing to open its doors for another summer. After months of hard work, chairman Steve and an army of volunteers race to put the finishing touches to this historic seaside institution before the first swimmers arrive.”

Don’t worry, we’ll remind you again next Wednesday before broadcast!

20/09/2026

Thanks to Aberdeenshire Library and Information Service for sharing this fantastic postcard of the pool as part of their featured images from the archives this month.
Anyone want to make a guess at the date?

17/09/2026

Could you be the next Chair of the Friends of Stonehaven Open Air Pool?

Our current Chair Steve Harris is standing down at the end of the year after five years in the role and we’re looking for someone to take the Friends and our historic pool forward.

It’s a great opportunity to play a key role in supporting one of Stonehaven’s most loved and historic assets while working alongside our fantastic team of volunteers.

You don’t need to be a swimming expert and you wouldn’t be expected to run the day-to-day volunteer operations. We’re looking for someone who can provide leadership, support good governance and build relationships with the Council, volunteers and the wider community.

Interested? The full recruitment pack, including details of the role and how to apply, is available here:

https://www.stonehavenopenairpool.co.uk/assets/SOAP-Chair-Recruitment-Pack.pdf

Applications close Friday 16 October at 5pm.

15/09/2026

💥🎉 The work of the Friends of Stonehaven Open Air Swimming Pool to promote, maintain, and enhance this wonderful art deco facility is never ending.
☕️🍹 We have two events happening in October where you can support us and have a lovely time too - coffee morning and gin tasting evening.
Please see the posters below for dates, venues and how to get your tickets.

14/09/2026

Have you ever thought of volunteering at our pool? Our Chair is standing down at the end of the year and we are looking for somebody to take over.
We've created a pack so that you can get a feel for what is involved. It's a great opportunity to get involved in supporting one of Stonehaven's greatest and historic assets:

Steve Harris, our current volunteer Chair, is standing down at the end of the year after 5 years. The Friends are looking for a replacement. Could you be the person to take the Friends and the pool forward? The pool is a historic resource and vital part of the town's economy. Have a look at the atta...

13/09/2026

THAT’S A WRAP ON OUR 2026 DOGGY SWIMS! 🏊‍♂️🐾
A huge thank you to all the hundreds of four-legged and two-legged swimmers who joined us on Wednesday and Saturday.

📸 A massive thank you to The Story Lens for capturing so many fantastic photos. Laura is working her way through all 11 sessions to edit and upload them, so please be patient if you can’t find yours just yet. She has lots to get through! https://thestorylensphotography.pixieset.com/stonehavendogswim2026/

Thanks to all the Salty Sea Dogs who came along for a Doggy Paddle at the Pool PAWty, including Gracie’s Treat Lab and AberK9Treats. You all made a big splash and helped us finish the season on a high with a whole lot of wagging tails! 🐾

Now it’s time to turn off the heating, clean down the pool and get everything ready for our cold water swimming sessions over the winter. As soon as Live Life Aberdeenshire confirm the dates and times we’ll let you know ❄️🥶

12/09/2026

[AD]
Bramble went along to one of the dog swims at Stonehaven Heated Open Air Pool today and she'd give it two big paws up 🐾

In recent years, the team at SOAP have ran these dog sessions as the last heated pool days of the year once the humans have finished with it for the summer. The pool is a perfect cozy 29 degrees and there's plenty space for dogs and their staff (owners) to enjoy themselves.

The Open Air Pool has been open for almost 100 years, even serving troops during World War 2! Since then, it has gone from strength to strength, having been saved from closure in the 1990s by the formation of the Friends of SOAP charity. Although the pool's owners are now Aberdeenshire Council, the charity still plays a vital role today in the maintenance and promotion of the facilities as well as community events and fundraising.

When the pool isn't hosting four legged friends at the end of the season, you can expect a variety of human activities on offer including Aqua Zumba, Lane Swimming, Midnight Swims, Kids entertainment, live music and even Aqua Ceilidh!

At today's session there were treats available for purchase from AberK9Treats which Bramble was more than happy to peruse and take a couple home

A huge thank you to the lovely Gillian and Steve for such a warm welcome today, and to Nikki for reaching out to invite Bramble along!