World Stone Skimming Championships: 400 people arrive on tiny island to compete

Competitors will gather on Easdale Island, near Oban, for the event after the competition was rocked last year by a cheating scandal.

This year, a geologist has been hired to ensure that all rules are complied with - and that the Easdale stones required for skimming have not been tampered with.

The annual celebration of one of Scotland’s most unusual sporting traditions has this year attracted 400 competitors to an island which has a resident population of around 60.

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Set in the former slate quarry at the heart of Easdale Island, the contest sees competitors put their technique, style and stone-selection skills to the test, with the aim of sending a perfectly flat stone bouncing as far as possible across the water.

To make the scoreboard, competitors need to achieve at least three skips.

Now in its 43rd year, the championships will be the most international tournament in the event’s history, with competitors representing more than 30 countries and over 20% of the participants travelling from outside the UK to take part.

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With more than 400 competitors taking part across men’s, women’s, junior and team categories, the championships promise another day of fierce but famously friendly competition – with bragging rights, trophies and international glory up for grabs.

The growing global appeal of the event is also attracting attention from broadcasters. BBC Alba will be filming this year’s championships, while a second film crew will attend as part of preparations for a potential future series or film exploring the sport.

Kyle Matthews, Event Organiser, said: “Every year we think the championships can’t get any bigger, and then the entries come in and prove us wrong! It’s fantastic to see so many people travelling from across the world to take part, while our biggest ever youth and female entries show that the sport is continuing to reach new generations of skimmers.

“Stone skimming might be a simple sport, but it has this incredible ability to bring people together. You can have someone travelling halfway around the world to compete alongside a local islander, and everyone is standing on the same quarry edge cheering each other on. Allica Bank’s support has been a huge help in bringing the event together for another year, and we’re incredibly grateful to have them behind us.”

Alongside the competition, visitors can enjoy live music, food stalls, the island bar and plenty of cheering from the quarry banks – with fancy dress and kilts expected to make their usual appearance.

The event is sponsored by Allica Bank.

Steven Smillie, the banks relationship manager for Scotland, said: “Stone skimming is exactly the kind of wonderfully unique British tradition that makes local communities so special. What started as a competition on a tiny Scottish island has grown into an event attracting competitors from all around the world, while still retaining that incredibly strong sense of community.

“We’re delighted to be supporting the championships for a third year and to see the event continuing to grow, it’s clear that Easdale has created something special that people from all over the world want to be part of – and we’re proud to play a small part in helping that continue.”