Famous New Year's Day Loony Dook near Edinburgh cancelled over safety fears
Organiser Tony Pirouet said it would be “irresponsible” to go-ahead with the famous 40-year-old event
A traditional New Year’s Day plunge in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh has been cancelled by its organiser over safety concerns.
For the past 40 years, the community-run Loony Dook has seen dookers from far and wide brave the freezing waters at Queensferry in all manner of fancy dress every January 1.
Organiser Tony Pirouet, who braved a hip replacement to rescue the event from cancellation in 2023, said it would be “irresponsible” to run this year’s event due to the volume of people attending.
In a statement, he said: “Due to its previous success, history is repeating itself. I now honestly feel the dook is becoming a safety issue due to its popularity and without safety measures being put in place, ie road closures, safety fencing and marshalls.
“I feel it would be totally irresponsible of me, and would feel so bad if there were any injuries to anyone.”
The annual cold water dip first started as a joke between friends Andy Kerr and Jim Kilcullen in 1987 in a bid to cure their Hogmanay hangovers but now attracts hundreds of dookers and spectators to raise money for charity. It has taken place every year except for a brief hiatus during the pandemic.
The event was briefly run by Unique Events who organise Edinburgh’s official Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations from 2009 until Mr Pirouet resurrected the event in 2023.
Mr Pirouet thanked the army of “amazing” people who have since helped him put on the world renowned dip, for which he did not get any funding for.
This included the team of medics, soap suppliers and piper Nyree Howes who serenaded dippers into the Forth alongside his “long suffering wife” Eileen and two “idiotic mates” who “realistically just got in my bloody way”.
He added: “But the final huge thanks go to... The wonderful people of Queensferry & surrounding area who came on January 1 braving big coats and bigger smiles on yer faces, and the huge amounts of cash that was popped into those collection buckets and online which went to our local lifeboat station.
“I'm sure you'll see me in and around the waters of Queensferry in the future, but a final thank you from your Chief Loony for all your support over the past few years.”