OVER 400 skinny dippers will descend on an East Lothian beach this summer to try and smash a Guinness world record.
The naked swimmers will take the chilly plunge into the Forth on June 2 starting near the lighthouse on Fidra Island in North Berwick.
The brave volunteers will try to raise thousands of pounds for cancer care charity, Marie Curie, and break the world record of most people skinny dipping at one time
The previous record to beat was set in June 2011 when 413 people swam naked off the coast of Llangennith in south Wales raising £40,000 for the charity.
Isobel Paul, regional events manager for Marie Curie in Scotland, said that the event would be a “celebration of life.”
She said: “It’s going to be fun, different and it’s something that everyone can take part in and enjoy with no training needed.”
Ms Paul said that measures would be taken to make sure that walkers do not accidently stumble across hundreds of naked people while walking along the beach.
She explained: “We are treating it as a very respectful, discreet event and we will be doing our utmost to encourage everybody involved to do the same.
“We will be looking at marshalling the event and there will be signs up to suggest to people that they may like to take a minor detour.
“We certainly won’t be encouraging spectators, we’re promoting it as a participant’s event, not as a spectator sport.
“It’s very much a celebration of life and being able to enjoy a beautiful location. The more support and awareness we raise the better, and we want to raise as much money as we possibly can. It costs £20 an hour for a nurse to go out and look after someone, so just £20 makes a huge difference.”
East Lothian Council have already granted permission for the event which will be held early in the morning but the exact location is not being made public.
Speaking about the East Lothian attempt, a spokesman for Guinness World Records said: “In order to break the current record, the organisers of the event will need to have more than 413 participants.
“All the participants must be naked and enter simultaneously the water up to their waist.
“After the attempt, the organisers will need to provide Guinness World Record with a list of evidence, which includes video footage, pictures and witness statements.”
There is a registration fee of £15 per person and each skinny dipper is expected to raise at least £85 in sponsorship money.
The event will be followed by hot drinks and a breakfast barbecue.
Last month, over 600 people attempted to break the record in New Zealand but because they took part in dips at two different beaches, the record was not broken.
Three other Marie Curie skinny dips are set to take place in England throughout this year.
