Dookers (people from Tarbert) are being encouraged to do what Dookers do and join in the New Year’s Day Dook.
The new tradition for the village was launched three years ago after cold water swimming experienced a surge in popularity during lockdown.
Hazel Dale, who grew up in Clachan, organised the event after pondering, “why is the village of Dookers not doing a dook?”.
Hazel lives in Erskine but loves coming home to Kintyre for the holidays.
She said: “I took up cold water swimming during lockdown when my mental health was under pressure and I really enjoyed it. There are massive benefits.
“I always looked at places like Dundee doing dooks on New Year’s Day and wondered, why is the village of Dookers not doing a dook?
“The first year there were maybe 10 of us in total, last year between 25 – 30.
“It’s one of those ones, where more people came to watch us go out in the water than took part. I’m hoping more people will give it a go.”
The swim takes place at Portavadie ferry terminal at midday. The boat is off and the terminal is “reasonably sheltered” promised Hazel.
She also advised a dook is a great hangover cure, but added: “It will kill it or cure it!”
Fancy dress is very much encouraged, although not essential. Hazel hopes that more Tarbert folk will take part this year and would like to see the event take off.
She said: “They are Dookers. They should therefore be dooking.”
The Anchor Hotel and Seabed Restaurant is providing hot soup and drinks for donations to the chosen charity, which will again be for the Pensioners’ Christmas Dinner.
