Spa

Recent openings and developing spa trends are enhancing the UK wellness scene, while established spa scene favourites reveal surprising new treatment ...

It’s followed by a traditional massage around the neck and shoulders, working into the jaw and scalp, which sets me up for a soothing Shirodhara treatment in which a steady flow of warm oil is streamed onto my forehead. Now, in an effort to promote [mental health](https://www.cntraveller.com/article/mental-health-travelling) instead of mere pampering, it’s swerved leftfield with a new trio of Modern Alchemy treatments inspired by the lunar cycle and promoting peace, power and balance. A foot massage using a small Kansa bowl – a technique borrowed from Ayurveda that purports to alkalise the body – feels pleasingly rough and grounding. A 20-treatment-room wonder with an army of therapists, it exudes the spirit of Gleneagles at large: celebrative, assured and chock-full of bonhomie. I settle into the Tranquillity experience, which starts with a foot-bathing ceremony with crystals, then continues with a two-hour ritual that includes a scrub with orange peel, jasmine and peppermint oils, which perfume the womb-like treatment room. Some come and go, while other stick around for the long-haul – buzzwords such as Ayurvedic, holistic and naturopathy are firmly cemented in the mind of wellness enthusiasts across the globe today.