The stone put (Scottish Gaelic : clach air a chur) is one of the main Scottish heavy athletic events at modern-day Highland games gatherings. While similar to the shot put, the stone put more frequently uses an ordinary stone or rock instead of a steel ball. The weight of the stone will vary from 16 to 30 lb for men (or 8 to 18 lb for women) depending on which type of stone put event (Braemar stone or Open stone) is being contested and also on the idiosyncrasies of the event (mainly because stones in use have no standard weight). There are also some differences in allowable techniques and rules.
Robert Burns was keen on stone putting and apparently left his favourite putting stone at Ellisland Farm near Dumfries. If he saw anyone using it whilst he lived there he would call "Bide a wee" and join in the sport, always proving that he was the strongest man there. [1]
As with most aspects of the Scottish Highland games, and Scottish Highlands culture generally, a certain amount of legend has grown around the origins and antiquity of the stone put.
Michael Brander, in his 1992 book Essential Guide to the Highland Games, reports on some of the stories concerning the stone put which have become traditional. He discusses what have become known to tradition as the "stones of strength" which were of two types. In one, the Clach Cuid Fir (or Manhood Stone), a very large stone of well over 100 lb is employed and the test is to be able to lift it to a certain height or place it on a wall.
In the other type, the Clach Neart (or Stone of Strength), a smaller stone, variable in weight, but around 20 or 30 lb, is employed. The object is to see how far the stone could be thrown or putted.
In addition to the Highland Games, throughout European history the stone put has been a popular form of exercise with records dating from Ancient Greece. [2] It was also a popular leisure activity in the medieval ages. The practice of heavy stone throwing also continues as part of Unspunnenfest, which is a traditional Swiss festival which dates from the 13th Century. It features the throwing of an 83 kg stone. The event, called the steinstossen, typically uses a two arm throwing style. Similar events also continue as part of cultural festivals found internationally, such as the Ohio Swiss Festival [3] and the German-American Festival, in addition to professional strength competitions such as the Arnold Strongman Classic. [4]
The stone put features as a competitive strength event in numerous cultural festivals found internationally.
Features a weight throw involving the one armed put of a heavy stone. There are professional and amateur divisions, and divisions for men and women. [6]
The Braemar stone event involves the putting of a 24 pound stone from standing. [7]
The 'Braemar Stone Put' event involves the putting of a heavy stone from standing. There is also an 'open stone' variation which allows movement in the throwing area, similar to an Olympic shot put. [8]
This festival features heavy athletics involving two stone put [9] events: the Braemar stone put, featuring a 22 lb stone, and the open stone put featuring a 16 lb stone. [10]
This festival features a heavy sports event involving a stone put from standing. In 2023, the women's event was won by Siri Svensson. [11]
'The Giant Stone Throw' involves the two-handed throw of a stone over the head from standing. [12] The thrower starts off facing the opposite direction to the throwing sector before crouching down to preload the throw, and then throwing the stone vigorously over their head behind them into the sector. The longest throw wins the contest.
The heavy athletics competition involves a Braemar event with a put from standing with a 19-28 lb stone. The feet are allowed to be reversed after the throw. There is also an open stone event involving a 16 lb stone and where taking an approach before the throw is allowed. [13]
These games feature a light and heavy stone put. The light stone weighs 7.5 kg and the throw can be taken after a run up. The light stone is made out of granite taken from the Berson quarry in Largeasse, in 2003. [14] The heavy stone is 10 kg and thrown in the Braemar style, without a run up. [15]
Features a single arm stone throw for distance. The men's event uses a 7 kg stone and the women's event a 4 kg stone. [16]
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the shot—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival (1896), and women's competition began in 1948.
The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular outdoor track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin.
Highland games is a competitive strength sport with events held in spring and summer in Scotland and several other countries with a large Scottish diaspora as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain aspects of the games are so well known as to have become emblematic of Scotland, such as the bagpipes, the kilt, and the heavy events, especially the stone put, Scottish hammer throw, weight throw, weight over bar, caber toss, keg toss and sheaf toss. While centred on competitions in piping and drumming, dancing, and Scottish heavy athletics, the games also include entertainment and exhibits related to other aspects of Scottish and Gaelic cultures.
Strength athletics is the collection of strength sports which measure physical strength, based on both: non-standard and historical implements as seen in Strongman and Highland games, and standardized and calibrated equipment as seen in Powerlifting and Weightlifting.
The sheaf toss is a traditional Scottish agricultural sport event originally contested at country fairs. A pitchfork is used to hurl a hessian bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar above the competitor's head. Typical weight for the bag is 16 or 20 pounds. Three chances are given to each competitor to cleanly go over the bar. After all challengers have made their attempts, the bar is raised and all successful competitors move on to the new height. This continues until all but one athlete is eliminated.
Geoffrey Lewis Capes JP was a British shot putter, strongman, and Highland Games competitor. He was famous in the UK in the 1980s for his sporting prowess and appearances on television in shows such as Superstars and the World's Strongest Man.
Two sports have events that fall under the name of weight throw one being the track and field event and the other being the Scottish highland games events.
Unspunnenfest is a festival held in the town of Interlaken, Switzerland, near the old ruin of Unspunnen Castle, in the Bernese Alps, approximately once every twelve years, most recently in 2017. The festival highlights traditional Swiss culture and features competitions of Steinstossen, Schwingen (wrestling) and yodeling. The stone-throwing competition uses an 83.5 kg (184.1 lb) stone known as the Unspunnenstein, made of Aare granite from the Hasli valley.
Lifting stones are heavy natural stones which people are challenged to lift, proving their strength. They are common throughout Northern Europe, particularly Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Basque Country, Faroe Islands, Wales, North West England centered around Cumbria, Switzerland, Southern Germany centered around Bavaria, Austria, Scandinavia and also in the United States and parts of Asia such as Japan.
Burger Lambrechts is a South African shot putter.
Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, of throwing a heavy stone overhead using both arms for the longest distance. Practiced among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. During the 15th century, it is frequently recorded to have been practiced alongside the Schützenfeste of the Old Swiss Confederacy.
Brian Oldfield was an American athlete and personality of the 1970s and early 1980s. A standout shot putter, Oldfield was credited with making the rotational technique popular. With his "Oldfield spin," he set the indoor and outdoor world records in the sport many times. However, due to his status as a professional athlete, and due to the lack of official control of his achievements by athletic authorities as well as later steroid-related investigations, his records were never officially recognized.
Margaret "Meg" Elizabeth Stone is a retired Scottish discus thrower and Shot putter. She reached the Olympic finals at discus in Moscow 1980 (9th) and Los Angeles 1984 (5th). She also won the 1982 Commonwealth Games title. Her discus best of 67.48 metres has stood as the British record since 1981, while her shot put best of 18.99 metres has stood as the Scottish record since 1983.
Pétur Guðmundsson is a retired shot putter and Highland games competitor from Iceland. He represented Iceland at the 1988 Summer Olympics and 1992 Summer Olympics. He is a police officer by profession.
The Highlander Challenge World Championships is a tournament that marries traditional Highland games with more contemporary strength athletics. It was created to help reinvigorate Highland games in Scotland by giving a modern and aspirational image while maintaining the tradition inherent in the history of the sport.
Gregor Edmunds is a Scottish Highland Games competitor and strongman. Gregor is a winner of the World Highland Games Championships, world record holder in Highland games throwing the 28lb weight 95’10.5" Highlander Challenge, and Scotland's Strongest Man.
Andrés Guðmundsson is an Icelandic Strongman and Highland Games competitor. He held the titles of the World Strongman Challenge and the European Hercules.
Hjalti 'Úrsus' Árnason, is an Icelandic former strongman competitor and world champion powerlifter. Known by the nickname 'The Great Ursus', Hjalti first began in strength sports by competing as a junior powerlifter in 1983. He also coached Jón Páll Sigmarsson and won the 1988 Le Defi Mark Ten International. Hjalti also competed with Magnús Ver Magnússon in Pure Strength team competitions in 1989 & 1990.
The Húsafell Stone is a legendary lifting stone weighing 186 kg (410 lb) located in a west country farming estate in Húsafell, Iceland about 132 km (82 mi) northeast of Reykjavík. The slightly triangular, slab shaped stone is kept at a sheep and goat pen built from natural stones by Reverend Snorri Björnsson around 1756, and was made famous by the legend of his daughter Guðný Snorradóttir carrying it. The stone has been used as a test of physical strength by either simply lifting the stone, or by lifting and carrying it around the sheep and goat pen. The stone is also known as pen slab (Kvíahellan in Icelandic), because its original purpose was to act as the gate to the sheep and goat pen, ensuring the animals remain in the pen without escaping.
Weight over bar is a traditional strength sport derived from ancient Scottish Highland games that involves the heaving of a 25.5 kg (56 lb) weight, over a bar using one hand. Unlike its other counterpart, the Weight throw which involves a full body rotating spinning technique, the Weight over bar requires the weight to be kept between the legs before swinging it up in a pendulum like manner, and releasing when it is at its apex, directly overhead.