Icy waters of River Dee await brave Dumfries and Galloway New Year’s Day revellers

The icy waters of the River Dee await brave revellers on New Year’s Day.

The popular Dee Dip will once again be held at Crossmichael at 11am – the perfect way to start 2025 in style.

And it’s also the start of the build up of the 40th anniversary of the event in 2026.

Everyone is welcome to join organiser Jim McLelland and pals in the water to shake off the cobwebs from the Hogmanay celebrations.

And Jim is encouraging people taking part to raise funds for staff at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.

This year, Jim organised One Big Thank You, where he walked, jogged and ran round Lochside Park in Castle Douglas for 12 hours straight.

In the process, he raised an incredible £26,000.

But he is planning to continue his fundraising efforts in a bid to raise a total of £100,000.

Jim took on the challenge in memory of wife Ruth, who died in the Alexandra Unit in DGRI last year. Jim’s first wife Diane also passed away in the Alexandra Unit at the old hospital in 1994.