The Replica Dinnie stones

The Replica Dinnie Stones (sometimes referred to as the Rogue replica Dinnie Stones) were commissioned by Gordon Dinnie — a distant relative of Donald Dinnie — in 1998.

The weight of the replica stones is almost identical to the original Dinnie Stones at 333kg (734 lb). They’re about 0.5kg (1 lb) heavier. The large replica stone weighs 187.3kg (413 lb), and the small replica stone weighs 145.6kg (321 lb)^{1 2}.

The large stone carries a plaque that reads:

Replicas of the Dinnie Stones
carried together across the width of the
bridge of Potarch, Aberdeenshire by the
great Scottish athlete Donald Dinnie
circa 1860
Commissioned by Gordon Dinnie 1998
Produced by Fyfe memorials Kemnay

Terry Todd and Jan Todd acquired the replica stones from Gordon Dinnie’s widow, Senga Dinnie. The stones are now used at both the Arnold Sports Festival and the Rogue Invitational. Their first appearance at the Arnold Sports Festival was in 2017.

Athletes are welcome to visit and attempt to lift the Replica Dinnie Stones at the Rogue Fitness HQ retail store in Columbus, where the stones are on display.

Although the stones are replicas of the original Dinnie Stones that sit in Potarch, they are not identical.

Differences from the original stones

As mentioned previously, the weights of the stones slightly differ from the original stones. However, there are a few more differences to highlight.

The large stone’s ring

Compared to the original large Dinnie Stone, the large replica stone’s ring is very different.

The ring on the original large stone is fixed with a bolt. Whereas on the replica, the ring is free to rotate through the eyelet, just like the small stone’s ring.

Additionally, the thickness of the ring’s steel is thinner than that of the original large stone. The ring’s thickness matches the small stone’s ring.

When the original stones were rediscovered in 1953, the large stone’s ring was missing, and a replacement was added. The large replica stone’s ring attempts to recreate that lost ring by using the small stone’s ring as a reference. However, it retains the internal diameter of the large stone’s replacement ring.

The small replica stone recreates the oval shape of the original small stone’s ring. People with small hands may get away with lifting from the end, but most athletes should lift from the flat side to prevent their fingers from getting pinched.

The replica stones aren’t as smooth

The replica stones are much less smooth than the original stones. Looking at photos, you can see the sharper, jagged edges compared to the originals. The originals lend their smoothness to centuries of weathering.

The replica stones are shaped differently

Although the weights of the stones are as close as possible to the originals, the shapes are visibly different. The most noticeable feature is the sloping on the large replica stone.

The height of the lift is slightly higher

The height of the lift is higher than the original stones by approximately 1 inch, slightly changing the mechanics of the lift.

Location

The Replica Dinnie Stones are usually kept at the Rogue HQ retail store in Columbus Ohio when they’re not being used in competition. People are free to attempt to lift the stones inside the store on the platform³.

The location is on our map.

Records

The records (and lifts) for the replica stones are distinct from the original stones’ records. Each set of stones has their own records. Therefore, breaking a record on one set does not count as a record on the other.

There are numerous athletes that have lifted the replicas that have not lifted the original stones in Potarch. And it has been a point of confusion for some people.

Men’s hold for time

Kevin Faires holds the Men’s hold for time with 41.31 seconds achieved at the Rogue Record Breakers event at the Rogue Invitational in 2023. He beat Mitch Hooper’s previous record by 1.46 seconds.

Rogue Fitness also shared a video of Kevin’s lift on their Instagram.

Women’s hold for time

Gabi Dixon holds the Women’s hold for time record with 6.86 seconds, achieved during the Rogue Record Breakers event at the Arnold Sports Festival in 2023. Gabi beat Chloe Brennan’s famous 1.33 second hold from 2022.

Carry

Mitchell Hooper holds the record for the carry at 41 feet 4 inches (12.6m) set at the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2024.

Note that the carry with the replica stones at the Arnold Strongman Classic and Rogue Record Breakers use different rules to the original stones’ carry. At the ACS and RRB, athletes are allowed a single 10-second drop of the stones.

Contributions

With many thanks to Jan Todd for her contributions to this article.

References