PICTURES: Strongman brothers Tom and Luke Stoltman make a splash with New Year's Day dip at Shandwick Bay in Easter Ross

IT's probably fair to say that you need to be made of sterner stuff to take a dip in the sea on New Year's Day.

So when the men dubbed the world's strongest brothers issued the call for a dip at Shandwick in Easter Ross, you could be fairly sure it was going to go ahead come hell or high water.

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Luke Stoltman is a firm believer in the benefits of cold water therapy in the morning as part of his strength training. 'Little' brother Tom uses cold water baths for recovery after training, generally in the evening.

The shout out for a New Year's Day dip in Shandwick Bay was well attended despite some miserable weather with a great buzz marking the gathering.

A spokesman for the brothers said: "It’s great to do more with the community where we can, so if we can make it a tradition or even just help inspire people to try cold water therapy to see if they can get the benefits from it then great!

"Luke and Tom both do the cold water dips. Luke actually goes most mornings, he finds it helps clear his head and set him up for the day, whereas for Tom he uses them for recovery after training so would normally go in the evening or in the cold tub at our gym – but Luke manages to drag him along some mornings too!"

See more pictures in this week's edition of the Ross-shire Journal.

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