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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Paul Rodger & Kelly-Ann Mills

Brave swimmers strip off for New Year's Day Firth of Forth splash

Almost 200 people braved the chilly waters after stripping off at the Firth of Forth to bring in the New Year with a splash.

Dressed in shorts, swimsuits, bikinis and fancy dress, revellers soaked up the atmosphere and helped raise money for charity at the event in Kinghorn, Fife.

The Loony Dook dates back to 1986 when it was jokingly suggested as a cure for Hogmanay hangovers.

Three brave women were spotted wearing bright pink Flintstones-inspired costumes while one man took the plunge in a shirt and tie along with two hot water bottles.

The wacky tradition is echoed at numerous other spots around the country today.

Around a hundred people braved the cold (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)
Some donned fancy dress (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)

The most popular event in South Queensferry near Edinburgh attracts around 1,000 participants every year.

Neil Chalmers, a helmsman at Kinghorn Lifeboat Station, who benefited from a £1,295 donation to the RNLI, said: "We're delighted. It's really great to see the community out to support us.

"We've had a really busy year with 82 call outs which is a record number for us.

"Fundraising events like this help to fund the training and equipment for RNLI.

"160 is a record number of people in the water.

"It's growing every year we've run it and we're happy to see locals and people from further afield joining in."

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