Loony Dook: Over 1200 people now join founders Jim and Iain for their hangover swim

THEY’VE been at it for more than 30 years but the founders of the world-famous Loony Dook say they have no plans to stop any time soon.

Jim Mackenzie and Iain Armstrong came up with the idea as a novel hangover cure over a pint of Guinness in 1986.

Back then only 12 people took part in the annual charity New Year dip in the Firth of Forth.

Since then, the event has gone global, and now attracts more than 1200 people to take part every year, with Jim, 60, and Iain, 52, never missing a single dook.

Edinburgh Airport worker Jim said today’s event was the biggest yet, with people from all over the world participating.

Jim – who leads participants down South Queensferry High Street into the sea with Iain – said there was a tell-tale sign that gave away dook newbies.

“The first time I went in it was absolutely Baltic and after a couple of years doing it you know how cold it’s going to be,” he said.

“You know the first timers by their screams but it doesn’t get any easier.”

Iain added: “I think it’s great that so many people come from around the world.

“It gets South Queensferry on the map.

“I once met a man who decided to do the dook after he saw it in his local paper in Phoenix, Arizona.”

Jim said he enjoyed teasing the tourists in the run-up to the dook.

He said: “When the Australians first start doing it one of the guys said, ‘Do you have sharks?’ and I said, ‘We used to have sharks but the crocodiles took care of them’.

“There were 30 of them convinced that there were crocodiles in the water.”

Jim said the original inspiration for the dook struck while he was in the pub.

“We just got down to talking about hangover cures and my friend said that in Helensburgh, they used to jump in the sea on New Year’s Day,” he said.

“After a few pints, it seemed like a good idea. Everybody thought we wouldn’t go through with it.”

Kitchen Porter Iain said he got roped into joining in when he arrived at the pub.

He said: “I walked in later and they said, ‘what are you doing on New Year’s Day? Fancy jumping in the Forth?’

“Once you got dragged in, it was very hard to get out of it.”

Since then, Jim and Iain have taken part in the dook every year.