HUNDREDS of Loony Dook bathers splashed about on New Year’s Day just yards from raw sewage pouring into the sea.
The sickening waste spewed from an overflowing drain on the beach next to where unsuspecting revellers were diving into the Firth of Forth.
Participants and spectators walked through the foul waste — which was captured in photos obtained by The Scottish Sun.
One man at the event at South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, told how his kid had been standing in the “stinking gunge” before they realised what it was.
The witness, who declined to be named, said: “We walked down from the steps to get a view of my wife doing the Loony Dook. As we were standing there I began to smell s**t.
“Then I realised the drain was overflowing and it was minging sewage that was flowing out of it.
“My son was standing in it. So I grabbed him right away and we moved away from that area.”
He added: “I told as many people as I could but later on I saw people who’d taken part in the dook walking through it too. It’s disgusting.”
Another onlooker said: “Sewage was just running from the top of the drain cover into the beach. Lots of people who were watching seemed oblivious to it.”
More than 300 brave souls took part in the Ne’erday dip — with several appearing to walk through the waste to get to the water.
Some wore tartan bikinis and kilts for the barmy event. The Loony Dook dates back to 1986 when it was jokingly suggested as a cure for Hogmanay hangovers.
Nearly 40 years later it has become a festive tradition at many Scots locations.
Similar scenes unfolded this week at other dooking sites.
They included Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Portobello in Edinburgh, Rhu in Argyll, and St Andrews, Fife.
The disgusting scenes at South Queensferry come despite watchdogs hailing a “welcome” improvement in water quality since new regulations were brought in almost a decade ago.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said in November that 85 per cent of the country’s bathing sites will reach a “good” or “excellent” standard this year, Sepa also declared 97 per cent will be at least “sufficient” standard.
This compares to 65 per cent when the Bathing Water (Scotland) Regulations were implemented in 2015.
SNP MSP Christine Grahame said earlier this week: “As partygoers bring in the New Year with the world-famous Loony Dook, we can look back on a decade of success in improving our waters.”
Scottish Water was approached for comment.