Friday September 18th 2026
Local photographer and outdoor swimmer Lee Simpson at Glencourse Reservoir
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
What began five years ago with one simple motivation – not wanting to swim alone through another Scottish winter – has developed into one of the area’s most active outdoor swimming communities.
In September 2021, local photographer and outdoor swimmer Lee Simpson created the Glencorse Reservoir Swimmers Facebook group.
Five years later, the group has almost 3,000 members, regular swimming sessions throughout the week, a growing network of friendships and connections, and positive working relationships with organisations and businesses around Glencorse Reservoir and the Pentland Hills.
Lee’s outdoor swimming journey began during the first year of the Covid pandemic. With much of his normal working life brought to a halt, swimming outdoors became a way of staying active, getting outside and connecting with nature.
He initially became involved in a dedicated skinny-dipping group established during the lockdown period. It provided a positive release for people during an extraordinary time, but when winter arrived, enthusiasm for swimming in icy water rapidly diminished.
Rather than giving up, Lee decided to create a different kind of group.
Glencorse Reservoir Swimmers was deliberately made inclusive of everyone.
Although Lee had already begun swimming at Glencorse Reservoir in November 2020, it was not until the following September that he created the Facebook group.
The first winter was relatively lonely, with only a handful of people joining Lee for Monday swims once or twice a week. The second year brought modest growth.
It was during the following three years that the group really began to develop.
There are now almost 3,000 members of Glencorse Reservoir Swimmers, although Lee estimates that he has personally swum with around 300 of them.
More importantly, the group has become self-sustaining.
Lee originally felt responsible for posting and organising the regular swimming events. Today, if he cannot attend, other members simply organise their own swims and welcome newcomers.
There are now regular group swims throughout the week, alongside additional ad-hoc events.
The main swim session takes place on a Monday morning, with swimmers meeting at 10.10am outside the Pentland Hills Cafe Express at Flotterstone before walking up to the reservoir.
Other regular sessions take place throughout the week, subject to fishing times.
The walk itself is part of the experience. The main swimming area is approximately 2km from the car park, with the journey taking around 25 minutes each way.
The group has developed a strong social side which, for many members, is just as important as getting into the water.
The walk to and from the reservoir gives people time to talk and get to know each other. Afterwards, swimmers often gather at the café, particularly following the Monday, Thursday and Friday morning sessions.
The result is a community which extends well beyond the water.
Glencourse Reservoir (photo by Lee Simpson)
Friendships have developed, members have organised trips together, and people who initially arrived knowing nobody have become regular faces within the group.
The café has also become part of the routine, with the regular influx of swimmers providing valuable custom for a local business.
The growth of the swimming community has also required swimmers to develop a responsible relationship with the other people and organisations who use and manage the area.
The group has established positive working relationships with the Pentland Hills Rangers, Scottish Water and Glencorse Trout Fishery.
Swimmers are encouraged to keep well away from fishing boats, avoid busy fishing periods and stay clear of the reservoir’s infrastructure and sensitive areas.
Lee’s swimming guide also provides practical information about access, weather conditions, water temperatures, suggested swim routes and cold-water considerations.
The guide highlights the risks associated with cold-water swimming and advises people to take conditions seriously. It also makes clear that swimmers take responsibility for their own safety when entering the water.
Glencorse Reservoir lies within the Pentland Hills Regional Park and provides a distinctive setting for outdoor swimming.
The swimming area is reached on foot from Flotterstone, with the route taking swimmers away from the main road and into the hills.
The reservoir offers relatively short swimming routes as well as longer options for experienced swimmers, including a 260-metre return route to the bench, a 400-metre crossing and a 500-metre triangular route.
Lee’s online guide to swimming at Glencorse has developed alongside the group and contains information about the reservoir, including access, conditions, temperatures, suggested routes, safety considerations and regular swimming sessions.
For Lee, however, the attraction of Glencorse is not simply the swimming.
He deliberately keeps one or two swims each week for himself, away from the group, when he can swim alone and concentrate on photography.
That balance has been important throughout the five years. The group has grown dramatically, but Lee has retained the solitary relationship with the reservoir which first brought him there.
Lee has now completed more than 2,100 swims at Glencorse Reservoir, having begun swimming there in November 2020.
He continues to swim throughout the year and photograph the reservoir in changing conditions.
A recent Monday morning session attracted 25 swimmers – a new record for the regular Monday gathering, which normally attracts around a dozen people.
For Lee, however, the size of the group is not the most important achievement.
“Five years ago I just wanted others to swim with through the winter. I never imagined it would grow into this supportive community of friends.”
He hopes the group will continue to remain welcoming to newcomers while retaining the relaxed atmosphere which has allowed it to grow.
“Above all, I just hope that I have made each one of you feel welcome. That’s what matters to me.”
Five years after its creation, Glencorse Reservoir Swimmers is no longer a group that needs its founder to make everything happen.
It has become a community which organises itself, welcomes new people, supports local businesses, maintains relationships with the organisations around the reservoir – and, most importantly, keeps turning up to swim.
Lee’s detailed guide to swimming at Glencorse Reservoir can be found at:
Swimming at Glencorse Reservoir — Lee Live
Facebook: Glencorse Reservoir Swimmers
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