Wild swimmers brave freezing waters on Christmas Day

A wild swimmer takes a Christmas Day dip at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh. Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Wearing variety of Christmas hats, both humans and pets braved the cold waters for a festive plunge.

Congregating at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh on Christmas morning, swimmers wore full elf outfits and tutus to jump into the water.

A group of women braved the chilly water together, holding hands as they entered the water.

In Montrose, Angus, the appropriately named Polar Bears outdoor swimming group gathered for their swim.

Filmmaker Anthony Baxter, who lives in the town, said their “morning dook” had been “freezing”.

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.