NEW parents across Scotland are celebrating the arrival of the first babies of 2017, with some born less than 20 minutes into the New Year.

One of the earliest arrivals was Violet Gromett, who was born seven minutes after the bells at University Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock.

She is the first child for Sheryl Bell and David Gromett, of Ayr, and weighed 8lb 14oz.

She was followed soon after by Carl Bridges, born at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow at 12.19am.

The baby, the first baby of 2017 in the city, weighed 6lb 6oz and is a fourth child for mum Leigh Bridges, 29, from Glasgow.

She said: “I’m tired but I am really happy that Carl is here and most importantly that he is healthy.

“Carl’s my fourth child and both my two daughters and son are really looking forward to meeting him for the first time.

“I’m hoping to take him home tomorrow and I can’t wait to let him meet the rest of the family.

“I just know everyone is going to love him, I’m a very proud mummy.”

He was followed minutes later by Daniel MacPherson, a third child for Nicola Swan from Blantyre, who said his two siblings helped choose his name.

Daniel was born at 12.31am at Wishaw General Hospital and weighed 6lb 2oz.

At the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Zahra Sajjad, 27, from Dumbarton, gave birth to the hospital’s first baby of 2017 at 1.56 am.

The baby boy is yet to be named and weighed in at 6lb 9oz.

Delighted mum Alison Roy gave birth to the first New Year baby at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital The heavily pregnant mum was not due to give birth for another two weeks but headed to the city hospital because she was in pain.

She had been all set to bring in the New Year with a little party for her 10-year-old daughter Carol at their home in Aberdeen.

The 36-year-old said: “It was surprising because I wasn’t expecting to have a New Year baby. I thought it was just a fake labour.

“I came in with my daughter at about two o’ clock in the afternoon. I didn’t know what it was at the time until I was told she might have to be induced.

“They said they would have to deliver the baby today because I had too much pain. She was actually due on the 15th of January.”

Little Lisa was born at 2:26am weighing 6lbs 8oz.

She added: “It was just one massive push and she came out. “My daughter wanted to call her Lisa and her middle name is Margaret after my mum.”

Elsewhere in Glasgow, a baby was born at the city’s Princess Royal Maternity at 02:54am.

The first baby of the year to be born in Edinburgh arrived at 04:41am.

Little Alvie Frater was born at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and weighed in at 8lbs.

There was a slightly longer wait for a New Year arrival at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, with the first baby of 2017 born at 5.33am.

He is a third child for Victoria, 37, and Stephen Timpson, 33, from Cumbernauld, who were still deciding on a name for their 7lb 1oz newborn this morning.

The first New Year baby born at St John’s Hospital in Livingston was 5lb 6oz Imogen Finlay at 8.42am.