Which New Year's Eve event in Scotland is known as the Loony Dook?
Answer
A costumed swim in the Firth of Forth
The Loony Dook is a costumed New Year’s Day swim in the Firth of Forth near South Queensferry, Scotland.
Although its name is associated with the Hogmanay season, the event takes place on January 1 rather than on New Year’s Eve. Participants often wear elaborate costumes and enter the cold water beneath or near the Forth bridges as a humorous way to begin the year.
The first Loony Dook was held in 1986. “Dook” is a Scots form related to “dook,” meaning to dip or bathe. The event combines Scottish New Year customs with a charity-oriented, public spectacle.
The Loony Dook is sometimes mistaken for a parade because costumed participants process through South Queensferry before reaching the water. Its defining feature, however, is the cold-water swim.