Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebration includes the Loony Dook, a New Year’s Day swim in the River Forth.
The Loony Dook is a costumed or fancy-dress plunge held at South Queensferry, near the Forth Bridge, on 1 January. Participants parade through the town before entering the cold water of the River Forth. The name combines “loony,” suggesting eccentric behavior, with “dook,” a Scots word meaning a dip or plunge.
The event became part of Edinburgh’s wider Hogmanay program and developed into a well-known charitable tradition. Many participants use the occasion to raise money for charity, while spectators gather to watch the colorful procession and swim.
The Loony Dook is not the same event as Edinburgh’s main Hogmanay street party or its torchlight procession. Those activities take place in the city around New Year’s Eve, whereas the Loony Dook is held on New Year’s Day in South Queensferry, outside the central city area.