Boxing Day Dips & Dooks

As I was in Arran over Christmas, on Boxing Day I headed along to Lamlash Pier to see the annual Boxing Day Dook. The brave (or foolhardy??) dookers were raising funds for the RNLI.

The lifeboat crew were on hand to provide safety cover.

It was rather cold; although the snow was mostly gone there was still slush underfoot, and the sleet started whilst we were watching the swimmers, but they didn't let the weather hold them back!

In fact, after swimming out from the slip, several of them jumped in from the end of the pier more than once, with a few participants then swimming back in to the slipway again. I was very surprised not to see more goose bumps in evidence!!

Go, Shonagh!

Meanwhile, in Orkney, the annual Dip with a Nip was held at Scapa, in aid of CLIC Sargent. It's always a great fundraiser (somewhere in the region of £10,000 this year I think, if I'm remembering correctly what I read in the paper last week.) This year for the first time there were also 2 offshoot dips - in Hoy and Stronsay - as they can't join the main dip for logistical reasons.

Photos courtesy of Acorn Concepts who was helping by providing safety cover with other sea cadets staff.

Note the snow on the beach! Brrr.

Both dip and dook were great efforts for good causes. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough, or foolhardy enough, to join them...... or maybe not!