In Scotland, people have access to all wild waters<\/a>, so there are plenty of areas to explore from the lochs to the North sea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you\u00b4re new to outdoor swimming, finding local groups on social media sites like Facebook and asking people for their recommendations is a great way to discover new spots,\u201d says Sydney Read, a 21-year-old seasoned outdoor swimmer and surf instructor based in St Andrews. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u00b4ve recently started not only running surfing lessons but also dip sessions where we go swimming in the North Sea, especially when the waves are not big enough for surfing, so we can still get the health benefits of a cold-water plunge,\u201d explains Sydney, who is currently a Social Anthropology and Sustainable Development student. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria Kovacova also enjoyed going for an outdoor swim while studying at St Andrews. \u201cI prefer to go to East Sands. The place is beautiful and the water is really refreshing,\u201d she says. The 24-year-old adds that it is important to check the weather forecast before going for a dip in the sea, as the waves can become high and unsafe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But finding groups and long-time swimmers to go with is not the only way to discover great places for swimming. Sydney told us that just by looking at the map you can discover some great outdoor swimming locations near you. To get you started, we\u2019ve collected five places<\/a> around Scotland to go for a plunge.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t