Event Industry News

Loony Dook gets the cold shoulder from city’s party

ORGANISERS of the annual “Loony Dook” into the Firth of Forth have hit out after being ditched from Edinburgh’s official Hogmanay programme.

The iconic event – which sees hundreds of people run into the freezing water on New Year’s Day – has raised more than £100,000 for charity since it was first held in 1987.

But the volunteers in South Queensferry who help organise the event claim that after years of support from the city council, they have been left out in the cold.

The event, staged in the afternoon of 1 January, was excluded from Hogmanay publicity material and left off the official event website.

David Steel, head of the organising committee, said he was “very angry” at its treatment this year.

Officials in the council’s winter festivals unit insisted cutbacks in the budget were to blame for a decision to concentrate marketing on “official” events in the city centre.

But Steve Cardownie, the city’s festivals and events champion, offered an apology and promised steps would be taken to step up promotion.

The Loony Dook started life as an idea among drinkers in the Moorings pub in South Queensferry.

Within a few years it was attracting several hundred participants, many from overseas who were visiting Edinburgh for the Hogmanay celebrations.

Mr Steel said: “Since the early beginnings of the Loony Dook in 1987, many thousands of pounds have been raised mainly for local charities and good causes, and in addition people have raised money for their own causes.

“After we officially became part of the Hogmanay programme it really took off and in terms of numbers of participants and spectators it’s been getting bigger every year.

“This year there must have been over 600 people in the water and around 3,000 onlookers.

“I’m really angry the Loony Dook isn’t part of the programme this year, especially as we were told it would be.

“We do rely on the publicity to let people know it’s on. Virtually every major national and many local newspapers cover the event. But I get the impression it’s because we’re out here ‘in the sticks’ that we don’t matter. If our event was happening down at the new waterfront, it would be a different story.”

A spokeswoman for the winter festivals said: “We have given significant in-kind support to the event in previous years, but because of the budget restraints this year neither the council nor the official event producer has the resources to devote to other events this time round.

“The Hogmanay guide focuses on the four days of events which are officially part of the programme and concentrates around the city centre.

“A link to the Loony Dook website was not made (from the Hogmanay one) in error, but was done as soon as this oversight was brought to our attention.”

Mr Cardownie said: “The Loony Dook is a hugely popular event and I know the Lord Provost, George Grubb, has done it himself on a couple of occasions. I am sorry if it has not had the level of promotion it should have done, and will ensure this is rectified.”

WHAT NEXT

ORGANISERS of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations have warned revellers not to leave it too late to snap up tickets after revealing there has been a late rush for briefs.

Sales of street party passes are now running ahead of last year, while the main Concert in the Gardens is said to be on course to sell-out within days.

It emerged yesterday that all of the £10 tickets for the street party had been sold. Revellers will now have to fork out £17 for a last-minute “membership” pack or pay for a separate ticketed event.

Groove Armada and Paolo Nutini will appear at the £37.50-a-head Concert in the Gardens, which has an 8,000 capacity.

Around 5,000 of the £17 passes for the street party – featuring Glasvegas and Attic Lights – are still available.

Source: The Scotsman

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