A surftrip in Scotland. A personal recap by Angie, NOMB Surf head coach and proud wave chaser
We came for cold water and Schabernack – and left with a lot more
I’ll be honest – when I first floated the idea of a surftrip to Scotland, I expected hesitation. Cold water. Unpredictable weather. Midges. But what happened instead was pure magic. The trip sold out within 3 days, even been advertised as a surprise surftrip. Meaning noone really knew what was gonna happen.
By chance an all-women crew signed up for this Scotaround adventure. That meant epic curiosity, courage, and litte expectations of what was about to happen. So what did Scotland give us? Waves, every single day. Raw, untouched nature. Long daylight hours. Laughter that shook our van walls. And that deep, rare feeling of connection that only shows up when you brave the unknown together.
Lost Shore Surf Resort – Where our Surftrip in Scotland kicked off (and closed)
We started and ended our journey just outside Edinburgh at Lost Shore Surf Resort – Europe’s largest wave pool. Not your typical surftrip beginning, I know. But trust me: mechanical waves and a calm, crowd-free space were exactly what we needed to warm up. As a special surprise we had our first session at Lost Shore led by none other than Good Old Lee – partner of our Ireland trips and now running the show at Lost Shore. He took the time to welcome us, guiding everyone into the waves with his usual mix of skill, humour, and stoke. What a Lee-gend!
Those first sessions were about experimenting, feeling our boards, and getting our heads in the game. No tides, no crowd, no stress. Just clean waves and space to mess up and try again. By the time we returned at the end of the trip, everything had shifted. The pop-ups were cleaner, the turns sharper, and the confidence higher. And we have video proof to show off with.
A special shoutout to Adam and Mike, two Scottish surfers who gave us a paddling and breathwork workshop that added a whole new layer to how we approached the water. We enjoyed an introduction to Foundation Training and Adam shared insights of his professional osteo approch. What a treat!
And when we were off the waves? Lost Shore spoiled us with warm showers, really good pizza, and the kind of beds you melt into after hours of paddling. Plus an epic sunset view to top it all off.
Wild North Coast – The Soul of this Surftrip in Scotland
From the city, we headed North. And I mean really North. Seven nights in a restored stone farmhouse overlooking a little village – sheep outside, silence inside (apart from loads of laughter). I guess none of us had expected for this corner of the world to be so beautiful. And I had definately not expected our house to be that big. Spread over three stories it was sometimes easier to find someone by message that looking around.
As for surfing, every day we surfed somewhere new. A hidden reef break, long mellow beaches, rocky corners that only worked on certain tides. And often, we had them to ourselves, well, nearly all of the days. And guess what, meeting other surfers in the line-up was more fun than anything else. Have you recently seen a group of guys fully stoked cheering for each other? And also loudly cheering for us as visiting surfers? What a great experience and an epic example of how surfing can be if everyone shares the stoke.
But the true gift of the Highlands? Our local surfcoach Iona from Northcoast Watersports. Local surfer, former surf champ, storyteller, total legend. Her knowledge of the coastline, her openness with which she welcomed us into her home spots, and the way she shared with us her Highland world? Priceless. Thanks to her, we didn’t just surf Scotland – we felt like we belonged in it.
Staying Strong in Cold Water
Scotland isn’t exactly tropical, and back-to-back surf sessions in thick wetsuits can hit hard. That’s why we ended each surfday with movement – not to get ripped, but to stay ready. We rolled, stretched, activated, breathed. Simple stuff with purpose. I had created a simple mobility routine, easy to integrate into everyones daily recovery.
A few faves of that routine are:
- Theraband shoulder warm-ups
- Hula-hoop hip openers
- Lower back fascia release
- Deep squat walk for mobility
- Conscious breathwork and grounding
It wasn’t just body prep – it was mindset prep, too. And it gave us space to groan and laugh together before hitting dinner. Everyone ‘hated’ it but was greatful for it the next day.
Highland style stuff happening
What made a surftrip to Scotland different from anywhere else I’ve coached? The space between the waves. Here, your in-between moments aren’t about beachtime and sunshine – they’re about wild headlands, jumping off stuff, cafecitos and air that smells like salt and moss.
We stood in silence on the cliffs of Duncansby. Soaked in a wood-fired sauna before jumping into an icy barrel. Shared bad jokes over late-night tea. Drank too much coffee in Bettyhill. Paddleboarded glassy inlets in sea fog. Jumped of rocks, listened to sagas, and finally also saw some beautiful highland cows (total winner).
On this trip I decided to hit the theory softly. Just a few bit and bops, well balanced input. We ‘drysurfed’ in our living room. We updated our daily partyplan and looked at video and photo footage of the surfing. As usual I tried to gently kick my students out of their comfort zones, firmly believing in their surfing potentials. And this little kick seemed to have worked.
Apart from the ‘serious’ stuff we filled treasure boxes with kind words, had a hilarious Schabernackwichteln gift exchange, and the kind of belly laughs that make your cheeks hurt. These are the things I never plan – but that totally made this trip. What a group!
What Made Scotaround So Special?
This one’s easy. Everything. Waves? Yes. Every. Single. Day. But more than that: space. Space to explore, to pause, to fail, to reset. Space to reconnect with surfing – and with each other. The group spirit was on another level, where every single one of us was perfect, just the way she is.
And Iona? She turned out to be pure gold. Her no-fluff coaching, her fierce local pride, her quiet leadership. With her on board, this was never just a surftrip. It was a reminder of how surfing can exist outside the hype – raw, real, and rooted in nature, with the coastline itself as the only playground you need.
Want a glimpse of the magic? Check out our photo album from the trip in our Facebook album – salty smiles, wild landscapes, and plenty of neoprene moments included.
The End – or Just the Beginning?
Scotaround was never meant to be a glossy highlight reel. It was a vision. A dream. A challenge. And it worked. It gave us more than I ever hoped – and it left all of us wanting more. Will we go back? That is the easiest yes. Sign up for the NOMB newsletter below and stay in the loop.
If you’re craving your own cold water experience for this year, why not join our #IrishIcebox this November? Yep, you heard that right — we’re heading back to our favourite D-place in Northwest Ireland for more antics and laughter, fully suited up in 5mm rubber.
A big thank you to everyone who made this surftrip Scotland a reality: the NOMB Surfteam – your calm chaos management and sharp playlists were outstanding. The Lost Shore crew – for making me and the group very welcome. Good Old Lee – for moving to Scotland. Kitchen queen Ray – as usual best food and best company on yet another trip. And Iona – for being the heart of this wild northern ride.
Sea you later, Scotland. We will be back. Love, Angie
