EVERY year on 1 January, crowds of brave souls throw themselves into the icy waters of the Firth of Forth in what is fittingly known as "The Loony Dook".
Event founder and organiser David Steel explains how the tradition originated and what keeps people coming back for more. The Loony Dook was conceived over a casual conversation at the bar of South Queensferry's Moorings pub during the 1987 Christmas break, when one of the regulars, Andy Kerr, said to his pal Jim Kilcullen, "How about doing something different to celebrate the New Year?" Jim replied, "Ach, let's jump in the Forth on New Year's Day, maybe it'll clear the hangovers!" Andy immediately agreed, saying, "If you will, I will." Some of the other locals also agreed to join in, and so the event was born. Sadly Andy Kerr (who also coined the phrase "Loony Dook") is no longer with us: many of us remember him fondly, especially at this time of the year. From that very small beginning, with only a handful of "dookers", we now welcome upwards of 150 participants and well over 1,000 spectators from all over the world.
archive.scotsman.comThe full article contains 205 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
