Dinnie Stones
57°3′54″N 2°39′4″W / 57.06500°N 2.65111°W
The Dinnie Stones (also called Stanes or Steens) are a pair of Scottish lifting stones located in Potarch, Aberdeenshire. They were made famous by strongman Donald Dinnie, who reportedly carried the stones barehanded across the width of the Potarch Bridge, a distance of 205+1⁄2 in (17 ft 1+1⁄2 in; 5.22 m), in 1860. They remain in use as lifting stones.[1]
The stones are composed of granite, with iron rings affixed. They have a combined weight of 332.49 kg (733 lb 0 oz), with the larger stone weighing 188.02 kg (414 lb 8 oz) and the smaller stone weighing 144.47 kg (318 lb 8 oz).[2]
The stones were reportedly selected in the 1830s as counterweights for use in maintaining the Potarch Bridge.[1] They were lost following World War I, but were rediscovered in 1953 by David P. Webster.[1]
Replicas of the Dinnie Stones have been used in international competition.[3]
Records
As of June 2019[update], 106 individuals have managed to lift the stones, including four women. Jan Todd in 1979 and Leigh Holland-Keen in 2018 were both assisted with weightlifting straps. On 19 January 2019, Emmajane Smith lifted the stones without straps, making her the first woman to do so.[4][5][6] On 10 June 2019, Annika Eilmann from Finland became the first woman who has successfully fully lifted and held the stones for over ten seconds in an unassisted manner.[7][8]
The current record for holding the stones up unassisted is 41.00 seconds, set on 21 January 2019 by Mark Haydock of Lancashire, England.[9] Five individuals, all men, have been recorded as matching Dinnie's carrying feat, including his father.[10]
The current record for carrying the stones in a "farmers walk" style is held by Brian Shaw of the US, a four-time World's Strongest Man, who carried the stones 11 ft 6+1⁄2 in (3.52 m).[11] This was achieved on the 18th April 2019 and featured in the History Channel show The Strongest Man in History.[12][13]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Shanks, Steven. "The Dinnie Stones: The Ultimate Challenge". DinnieStones.com. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- ^ "Gladiators star smashes Dinnie Stones record". BBC News. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ Dingwall, Blair (18 January 2017). "Dinnie Steen challenge to take centre stage at Arnold Schwarzenegger's US strongman festival". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "Listed below are the names and details of lifters who have put the wind under the stones unassisted". DinnieStones.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ Saner, Emine (August 7, 2018). "A short guide to becoming seriously strong – by the woman who just lifted 332.5kg boulders". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ http://www.thedinniestones.com/Lifters%20Pages/Emmajane%20Smith.html
- ^ Annika Eilmann Dinnie Stone Lift, retrieved 2019-08-22
- ^ First women in the world who take... - Strongwoman Annika Eilmann, retrieved 2019-08-22
- ^ Athey, Neil (6 June 2018). "World record Dinnie Stone lift smashed by strongman". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- ^ "Listed below are the names and details of lifters who have carried the stones unassisted". DinnieStones.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "The Dinnie Stones". The Dinnie Stones. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ "Stronger than a Scotsman Full Episode". HistoryChannel.com. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ Athey, Neil (6 June 2018). "World record Dinnie Stone lift smashed by strongman". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 8 August 2018.