Loony Dookers brave the Forth

HUNDREDS of hardy revellers took the plunge into freezing waters yesterday for an annual New Year event.

Swimmers braved the chilly e Firth of Forth in the Loony Dook challenge. Participants had travelled from as far afield as South Africa, Australia, Malaysia and the United States to join the event, which has been taking place in South Queensferry on New Year's Day for more than 20 years.

And while some swimmers wore bikinis or trunks, others donned fancy dress, with one man going into the water dressed as a chicken and a woman taking the plunge in a wedding dress.

The popular event was the brainchild of friends Andy Kerr and Jim Kilcullen, who, in 1987, came up with the idea of jumping into the bitterly cold water to try to clear their hangovers. It now attracts as many as 3,000 spectators, as well as hundreds of hardy – or foolhardy – participants.

Organiser David Steel said the water in the Forth was now much cleaner than when he took part in the event in the late 1980s.

He said: "I first took the plunge more than 20 years ago now, and back then I can tell you the water was filthy.

"The next time I took part was when I was 50, just over ten years ago, and it was so much cleaner. You can really see the difference in the quality of the water."

Scottish Water said it had made a number of improvements to waste water treatment works.

The Loony Dook raises money for several charities, with this year's main beneficiary being Queensferry Churches Care in the Community, which has already received over 1,000 from the freezing dip.