THOUSANDS of swimmers have once again welcomed in the new year by braving Scottish waters as part of the annual Loony Dook.
Scots gathered to take part in the annual New Year’s Day tradition in numerous places such as Portobello, St Andrews, North Berwick, Helensburgh, Loch Venachar, and South Queensferry.
The dook, Scots for to dip or bathe, started in 1986 after friends Andy Kerr and Jim Kilcullen went for a swim in the icy waters at South Queensferry to stave off their hangover from the night before.
But the following year, they decided to repeat the event for charity.
Money raised goes to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and other local charities.
Other events sprang up across Scotland as companies such as Unique Events and Underbelly implemented a fee for locals to swim at South Queensferry as part of official Edinburgh Hogmanay programme of events.
Organisers said it was due to the popularity of the event that it was organised professionally from 2009. In 2011, a registration fee was introduced which rose to £20 in 2020, branded a “disgrace” by original founders.
But this year, there is no professional organisation and locals are taking matters back into their own hands.
From 2pm on New Year’s Day, dookers gathered, encouraged to come in fancy dress.
They then made their way down to the shore before braving the freezing waters and making their way back to a local pub to continue the festivities.
