The Isle of Man has been named the seventh-best destination in the UK for sauna stargazing this autumn, according to new research.

Scoring 69 out of 100 in the ‘Finnmark Sauna’s UK Sauna Stargazing Index’, which analysed 70 destinations across the country to find the best places to combine outdoor saunas with clear night skies.

The research comes as the UK experiences a boom in public saunas, with the number of sites reportedly increasing by around 1,900 per cent in only three years – from approximately 45 in early 2023 to nearly 900 today.

And with September bringing earlier sunsets and darker evenings, the researchers say autumn is an ideal time to try the growing outdoor wellness trend.

The Isle of Man’s ranking was helped by its relatively dark skies, with the island recording a Bortle rating of 2.5.

Ranging from one to nine, the Bortle Scale measures light pollution, with lower scores indicating darker skies and better conditions for stargazing.

Around 1,350 hours of sunshine are recorded on the island each year, a figure used by the index as an indication of the likelihood of clearer skies.

Finnmark Sauna found the island has 7.5 public saunas for every 100,000 adults, a figure which puts its relatively small population into perspective when compared with larger UK destinations.

Among the options are Kishtey Çheh at Port Erin Beach, which offers traditional wood-fired saunas overlooking the bay, alongside cold-water experiences.

Riversea Sauna also operates a wood-fired sauna beside Ramsey South Bay, while another Riversea sauna is located at the far end of Laxey Promenade. Rhen Wild is also available in Glen Helen offering an ulterior to the seaside options.

The combination of coastal scenery, darker skies and outdoor sauna facilities helped place the island ahead of Stirling, Dumfries and Galloway and Moray in the rankings.

Although the top spot went to the Outer Hebrides, which scored 86.5, followed by the Shetland Islands and Argyll and Bute.

Jake Newport, chief executive of Finnmark Sauna and a member of the British Sauna Society, said autumn was one of his favourite times of year for outdoor sauna sessions.

He said: ‘The evenings are becoming darker, the temperature outside is beginning to drop, but we’re not yet in the depths of winter.’

‘It creates a really enjoyable contrast with the heat of the sauna.’

He added that the earlier sunsets made sauna stargazing easier to fit into everyday life.

‘In the middle of summer, you can wait until very late for a properly dark sky.’

Continuing Jake said: ‘By autumn, you can finish work, head to an outdoor sauna and experience that same setting without having to stay out until the early hours.’

According to the index, destinations were scored on three factors: dark skies, which accounted for 50% of the score; annual sunshine hours at 25%; and the availability of public outdoor saunas, also at 25%.

Destinations needed to have at least three public saunas to qualify.