Ladies Swimming Pool

You didn’t know that Portlethen had its own “swimming pool” long before the present one was built next to the Academy at Bruntland Road?  

I’m afraid that this particular “lido” isn’t actually a swimming pool but a rock pool on a sheltered spot near the outer, southern section of Peel Slough. The pool itself is only about twelve foot square but within those confined dimensions it has a “deep” and “shallow” end with the deep end being cold and the shallow end being warm (depending on the type of weather). With every high tide the sea sweeps through the pool refreshing the contents twice daily.  

This name originated from my father’s generation and it was in this small rock pool that some of his friends learned to swim. Why the name “Ladies Swimming Pool”? On an ironic note it was so called because no ladies were allowed to swim there. It was then doubly ironic that on the September day that I took some photographs I found four kids swimming there, and horror of horrors, two of them were girls!  

It’s a well hidden spot, requires a bit of climbing to reach, is very close to the open ocean and not many people are going to find it easily. If your kids are going to go swimming or sunbathing in this area then my suggestion would be to use nearby Muckle Shore rather than this place or any similar areas so close to the open sea. There! I’ve finally turned into my parents – do as I say and don’t do what I did!