Hundreds of brave Scots  celebrated the New Year with an icy dip as part of the Loony Dook 2024. 

Crowds gathered in coastal communities across Scotland for the annual New Year's Day tradition of taking a plunge in the ocean to wash away the Hogmanay hangover.

In South Queensferry, hundreds took to the pebbly beach as bagpipes played, with fancy dress costumes ranging from Santa hats to flamingo inflatables. 

Read more: Couple gets engaged at South Queensferry Loony Dook

One couple even got engaged after taking the plunge in the chilly Firth of Forth. 

Gordon Fairbairn got down on one knee in a surprise proposal to his partner Kitty Ellison on Queensferry beach. 

"I'm cold and ecstatic!" the 4-year-old from Edinburgh told the Herald, while his now fiancée Ms Ellison, 39, said she was "shocked, cold and really happy". 

Meanwhile in Helensburgh, around 150 people gathered at the marina for the dook at around 2pm. 

Loony Dooks were also held at other locations in Scotland including Portobello, Kinghorn in Fife, St Andrews, and Dunbar, East Lothian. 

Read more: Loony Dook New Year's dip in Firth of Forth, in pictures

RNLI volunteers were on site at events to make sure things ran smoothly, with fundraising buckets collecting donations for the charity. 

The Loony Dook tradition started in South Queensferry in the 1980s when a group of friends jokingly suggested it as a hangover cure. 

Its name derives from the abbreviation of 'lunatic' and the Scots word for dip or bathe - dook. 

It has grown enormously in popularity over the years, but the South Queensferry event was criticised for becoming too commercialised after organisers started charging up to £20 to take part. 

Since 2023 however, the event has been reclaimed by local organisers and is no longer a part of the official Edinburgh Hogmanay calendar. 

No fee is charged now for the Loony Dook, but participants are encouraged to donate to the RNLI.

The Herald: The Loony Dook 2024 in South QueensferryThe Loony Dook 2024 in South Queensferry (Image: Peter Summers/Getty Images)

The Herald: The Loony Dook 2024 in South QueensferryThe Loony Dook 2024 in South Queensferry (Image: Peter Summers/Getty Images)

The Herald: The Loony Dook 2024 in South QueensferryThe Loony Dook 2024 in South Queensferry (Image: Peter Summers/Getty Images)

The Herald: The Loony Dook 2024 in South QueensferryThe Loony Dook 2024 in South Queensferry (Image: Peter Summers / Getty Images)

The Herald: Gordon Fairbairn and Kitty Ellison get engaged at the Loony Dook in South QueensferryGordon Fairbairn and Kitty Ellison get engaged at the Loony Dook in South Queensferry (Image: Ginny Sanderson)

The Herald: The Loony Dook 2024 in South QueensferryThe Loony Dook 2024 in South Queensferry (Image: Peter Summers/Getty Images)

The Herald: New Year's Day 2024 Loony Dook at Helensburgh MarinaNew Year's Day 2024 Loony Dook at Helensburgh Marina (Image: Gordon Terris)

The Herald: New Year's Day 2024 Loony Dook at Helensburgh MarinaNew Year's Day 2024 Loony Dook at Helensburgh Marina (Image: Gordon Terris)

The Herald: New Year's Day 2024 Loony Dook at Helensburgh MarinaNew Year's Day 2024 Loony Dook at Helensburgh Marina (Image: Gordon Terris)

The Herald: New Year's Day 2024 Loony Dook at Helensburgh MarinaNew Year's Day 2024 Loony Dook at Helensburgh Marina (Image: Gordon Terris)