A new inland surfing destination, Lost Shore Surf Resort, opens its doors next week in Ratho – just outside Edinburgh.
The £60m and 60-acre site is promising to be an ‘exciting addition to Scotland’s staycation and leisure sector” offering Europe’s largest wave pool, waterside accommodation, restaurants and a wellness studio and positioning Scotland as a new global hub for adventure tourism.
Founded by Andy Hadden, who wanted to bring a “paradise for surfers of all abilities and offer a resort that families and friends can enjoy”, the wave pool is three times the size of Wembley Stadium, and is believed to be the largest investment in Scottish sporting infrastructure since the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Set within a country park, with access to woodland and canal-side walks, the resort has 53 luxury accommodation units made up of Hilltop Lodges as well as Waterfront Pods and Lodges, along with the waterfront bar, café and restaurant.
The dining concept, ‘Canteen’, with seasonally rotating guest kitchens will see Civerinos joining the Resort for the opening year, while two guest kitchens – Five March and Mexican diner, Rafa’s – will rotate seasonally.
It is expected to provide a huge boost to the area with an anticipated 160,000 annual visitors and creating 130 new jobs – generating £11 million to the local economy each year.
Andy Hadden has said, “I believe that people who visit Lost Shore Surf Resort will not just want to experience the very best surfing waves, stay in some of the UK’s coolest accommodation, and taste the best from some of Scotland’s most exciting restaurants, I believe people also want to be in an environment that is authentic and inspiring. Somewhere relatable. If we can do that we’ll provide the platform to let our customers create their own memories, have their own fun, and leave our resort a little happier.”
Stephen Leckie, Chair of VisitScotland, said, “Lost Shore is an exciting development which could be truly transformational for the region and Scotland. Our stunning coastline has been bringing surfers to Scotland for many years and this new resort will only enhance its reputation as a world-class surfing and visitor destination. We know outdoor activities are a huge draw for visitors while water wellness, where visitors can recharge with water-based activities, continues to be an ongoing trend. Lost Shore will be able to capitalise on those trends with surfing aficionados, those tempted to try out the sport, and those who want to take in this unique visitor experience.”
As well as offering lessons in surfing and surf-skating on site, Lost Shore has funded the world’s first PhD in surf therapy, examining the physical and mental benefits that surfing brings and collaborated with Edinburgh Napier University to create the Surf Lab.