We took a deep dive chat with Edinburgh Blue Tits society

The Blue Tit’s society is Edinburgh Universities latest phenomenon. From 11 am Sunday swims at Portabello to fun trips all over Scotland, we sat down with the first Edinburgh University open water swimming society and talked about all things adventure.

The lovely Blue Tits Society committee leaders, from left: Sasha, Lila , Evie, Jemima.

During our chat, we discussed what the committee’s main motivations were behind starting the society:

Building a community

The committee explained how Blue Tits is the perfect opportunity for Edinburgh students to meet and engage with other students outside of the campus setting. Unlike other sporting societies, there are no expectations or pressure for newbies to come along and join. If you are an experienced open-water swimmer, or the activity is a foreign concept to you, Blue Tits provides a friendly environment for all newcomers to take a dive.

“Don’t be intimated if you have little or no experience with open water swimming, it’s all about trying it out and progressing each week.”

Secretary of the society, Lila, described that growing up in London meant she had “no experience of open water swimming before Edinburgh,” however she fell in love with the activity through Blue Tits. Now, she finds herself encouraging her peers to give the cold plunge a chance and is “always excited to see newbies join the community.”

The society has grown rapidly in numbers over the years. Proven through the increasing membership rates, the water may not be warm but the community welcome sure is.

This might rival Tama Tuesday as Edi’s biggest event of the week…

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One of the key benefits of Blue Tits is the amazing opportunities provided for Edinburgh students to explore and swim at scenic destinations across rural Scotland without the hassle of having to organise and plan the trip themselves. During exam season it can be easy for us Edinburgh students to coop ourselves up within the confines of the fourth floor, however, Blue Tits encourages its members to adventure outside of the city.

“All our members have to do is hop on the buses… and bring their towels.”

There are multiple benefits members gain from participating in a cold plunge, the activity is described as a “weekly reset” for its members, providing a fun and social activity to help clear our minds from academic stress. Not to mention it’s a great activity to help with the hungover Sunday scaries.

Scotland has countless stunning locations to explore, so why not make the most out of your time as a student at Edinburgh and experience the wildlife and scenery while making friends at the same time?

From sunrise to sunset – there’s always time to swim

Experiences and adventures

The committee also mentioned a couple of their favourite swims and memories of Blue Tits so far:

“The Pentlands was my favourite, as despite the long bus journey our swimming spot was still packed with members! It was really refreshing to see how many people were dedicated to showing up despite the travel as they loved the location and catching up with other members.

“For me it was the Sunset Swim at Portobello. The sunset was beautiful and the sheer amount of people to show up for Blue Tits was just a really lovely thought. We went to the Co-op and bought out all the marshmallows and bonfire wood, it was really special.”

So if you are interested in joining the Blue Tits, the membership is available to purchase through their Instagram bio. Don’t miss out on the upcoming swim meetings and other exciting society events outside of the water.

“If you are by yourself, come along and have a chat with the committee. We would love to have a cup of tea, a biscuit, and a chat with you.”