Fact of the Week: The first heated swimming pool

NOTHING beats a relaxing swim after a long day’s travelling, and a Scottish country house lays claim to the world’s first indoor heated swimming pool.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Sep 2013, 18:56 BST
Mount Stuart, on the Isle of Bute. Picture: TSPLMount Stuart, on the Isle of Bute. Picture: TSPL
Mount Stuart, on the Isle of Bute. Picture: TSPL

The pool is located within the grand neo-gothic mansion of Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute. Construction began on the incredible building in 1880 after the previous home on the site burned down.

The building was an incredible architectural achievement - as well as having the first heated pool, it was also the first home in Scotland with built-in electric lighting and central heating.

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The project was on such a grand scale that a horse-drawn railway had to be built from a nearby village in order to carry raw materials to the house.

Mount Stuart has been home to a number of Marquesses of Bute, including the current Marquess, former racing driver John Colum Crichton-Stuart.

Today Mount Stuart is a popular visitor attraction on the island, and a renowned wedding venue. The original swimming pool, while closed to the public except in special circumstances, is still in use today, with the world’s first heated pool still capable of helping to overcome the stresses of a day on the move.