Europe’s newest pool looks good! Photo: Lost Shore Surf Resort
Lost Shore Surf Resort in Scotland announced its surf park will open to the public on Monday, November 11. The Wavegarden pool located in the town of Ratho outside of Edinburgh is the largest wave pool built in Europe to date.
If you’ve been feeling dejected by the entry prices of new pools opening around the world ($950 for Kelly’s pool in Abu Dhabi, $212 at Palm Springs Surf Club), you might be pleasantly surprised that only £65 ($84 USD) will get you a spot in Lost Shore’s “barrel session.” You could surf Lost Shore 11 times for the price of one Abu Dhabi session. Aside from the barrel, Lost Shore offers public sessions labeled “maneuvers,” “turns,” “cruiser” for intermediates, and surf lessons for beginners and “improvers.” The pool can pump out 1,000 waves per hour and features 20 customizable settings.
The £60 million wave pool project ($77 million USD) includes accommodation, restaurants, wellness retreats, and a surfskate academy. The pool estimates that they’ll receive 160,000 visitors annually, create 130 jobs, and contribute $14-million USD to the local economy.
The resort also made a point to be accessible to adaptive surfers. The site was designed on one level so no elevators are necessary and includes accessible changing rooms, ramps, beach wheelchairs, and 16 handicapped parking spaces.
“We believe Lost Shore will make surfing accessible to everyone, while also showcasing Scotland as a top destination for adventure tourism,” said Andy Hadden, Lost Shore’s founder. “I can’t wait to see more people realize the mental and physical benefits of surfing. Who knows – this could be the training ground for Scotland’s next Olympic surfing champion.”
