Stone stackers rock into town for European Championships

Professionals and amateurs alike will require steady hands to win the fourth European Stone Stacking Championships this weekend.

The event, celebrating Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020/2021, is one of the main highlights of the Edinburgh Science Festival’s closing weekend as it invites stone stacking enthusiasts of all ages to join in on the fun.

Stone stackers take materials found in nature and works with Earth’s gravity to create sculptural towers, archways and other awe-inspiring structures from rocks and stones, requiring patience, concentration and focus, hand-eye coordination and a steady hand.

This weekend, in Dunbar, will see professional and amateur competitions taking place, including stacking against the clock and highest stone stacking sculpture.

The event takes place on Eye Cave Beach, just below Bayswell Road.

Artist James Craig Page told STV News: “What’s great about Dunbar is that we have amazing geology here and the stone selection for the artists is absolutely phenomenal.

“It’s almost like sometimes the stacks build you, but the really important message behind this is to look after nature, clean the beaches behind you and leave no trace wherever possible and to have fun in nature and to create.”