Health Beauty & Fitness: One Spa, Edinburgh

How long can you spend in a spa? Well, before I went to Edinburgh's One Spa, part of the city's five-star Sheraton Hotel, I thought a couple of hours, tops. By then your fingers are as wrinkly as prunes. A headache is on its way thanks to overdoing it in the bake-your-brain-arium or, worse, a pimple or two. Now, having spent a whole day in One Spa I stand corrected. I'd live in this world-class church of pampering if I could.

As soon as I arrived on a blustery Saturday morning and saw the blissed-out clientele breakfasting in their slippers and robes, I knew it was going to be a good day. I was booked in for an aromatherapy body massage many moons later but had been advised to show up three hours in advance to get the full benefit of the spa experience. For once I was on time.

It took me a while to get my head round the Thermal Suite. A heat system inspired by the ancient Romans, who really knew how to chill out as well as build roads, it seemed longer than the Gettysburg Address.

If you're a rule follower like me, all those diagrams will probably excite you as much as actually stepping out of your robe and doing it. I worked my way through the numbered system as obediently as a hound at Crufts.

The different saunas, showers, steam rooms, hammam and aroma grotto were sensational. The atmosphere was hushed at first though it got busier and a bit too loud later. Between each heat treatment I rubbed great melting handfuls of crushed ice into my arms and legs, then rested on the ceramic thermal couches that cup the contours of your body.

Afterwards, feeling invigorated, I had a swim in the pool. Then it was on to the outside area and the hydropool. It's a novelty to be outdoors in Scotland in your bikini at the best of times, but my head got a bit chilly.

Finally, it was time for my ESPA treatment. My robe was soaked, but my therapist was so intuitive she gave me one before I asked. The massage was long and glorious. She let me pick the oils, and applied just the right amount of pressure, working deep into my back, arms and legs, and finished with a facial and scalp treatment.

Afterwards she took me to a chill-out room, swaddled me in blankets, and brought me a copy of Vanity Fair. Like I said, I could live there.

Spring into Summer offer, Mon-Fri until 31 May, 105 per person includes access to Escape at One with one of four onehour

ESPA treatments: age defying facial, face and back facial, Swedish massage, aromatherapy body massage.

Summer Bliss Spa Package offer, Mon-Fri, 1 June -30 July, 120 per person includes access to Escape at One, a full body salt and oil scrub and luxurious essential body massage (treatment time, one hour and 20-mins in total). Tel: [phone], or visit www.onespa.com

This article was first published in The Scotsman on 15 May.