'Underbelly can get in the sea' - locals respond to news that Edinburgh's Hogmanay Loony Dook is sold out

Many people were not happy.

The Fireworks are over, glasses have been emptied and thousands of people around Edinburgh and the Lothians are now looking forward to the finale of their Hogmanay celebration: the Loony Dook.But amid a turbulent year for relations between the city’s residents and festival organisers, many people have expressed anger on social media at the news that the Loony Dook event at South Queensferry, part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay run by Underbelly, is now ‘sold out’.

“Tickets for this event are now sold out. Additional tickets may be available from the box office,” reads an announcement on the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay website.

Those lucky swimmers who managed to scoop a ticket are required by organisers to check in by 1.45pm today for the 2.15pm event.

Many people were not happy at the news that the event sold out yesterday.

“This is getting beyond a joke - the Loony Dook is, according to Underbelly, “sold out”,” wrote Twitter user Alan Ferrier.

“It is the sea. They do not own the sea,” one user replied.

Tickets for the Loony Dook at South Queensferry are now sold out.

“Underbelly can get in the sea,” another added.

Several people wondered how Underbelly plans to stop visitors from swimming in the Forth.

“How can this possibly be a ticketed event? Utterly bizarre. 100s of folk should just turn up. How are they going to stop them going into the sea?” one wrote.

“What would they do, I wonder, if someone turned up without a ticket and just dooked themselves? Do they have security armed with giant fishing nets, ready to remove any unauthorised dookers?” asked another.

“Will they impose a surcharge for breathing fresh air next?” one user added.

Some users even suggested protesting at South Queensferry. “Is there any actual organised protest at #LoonyDook tomorrow?” one asked.

“Are people genuinely just accepting that [Underbelly] are making people buy tickets to GET IN THE SEA!?!?!?”

Others suggested alternative sites for a non-ticketed and free Loony Dook - including Kinghorn, Portobello, Broughty Ferry and North Berwick