Three of the World's strongest men came to Braemar in October 2022 as part of a challenge to lift a 32 stone boulder, known as the Invercauld Stone. The 207kg - 456lbs stone or stein, which came from the nearby Invercauld Estate, had never been lifted since it was brought to the Braemar Gathering and Highland Games centre.
The gauntlet was thrown down to the heavy lifting superstars who had been competing in the Giants Live strongman events in the UK. Promoter and World's Strongest Man commentator, Colin Bryce, brought three of the World's Strongest Man competitors, Andy Black from Scotland, Eddie Williams from Australia and Pa O'Dwyer from Ireland to take up the challenge. This was organised by local strongman Martin 'StoneMan' Jancsics, one of the only men to have successfully lifted all the Scottish Stones of Strength, except the Invercauld Stone.
This video shows the strongmen taking on the Invercauld Stone outside the Highland Games visitor centre, with both Andy Black and Eddie Williams managing to clear the ground with the stone. Black, Williams and O'Dwyer also showed off their super strength by lifting the 256lbs Inver stone onto their shoulder with O'Dwyer managing to push the stone above his head during the morning. (Video to follow) Present was President of the Braemar Royal Highland Games Society, Peter Fraser, a Scottish heavyweight athlete himself in his younger days.
Andy Black has twice won Scotland’s strongest man in 2020 and 2021. Known as 'The Bulldozer' Andy is 6ft 7Iin in height and weights 195kg (430 lb). Eddie Williams is a two-time Australia’s Strongest Man winner and World’s Strongest Man competitor from Adelaide, South Australia. At 6’ 4” tall and weighing 190kg (419lb), Eddie is one of the biggest strongmen on the circuit and a firm favourite with the crowds. Pa O'Dwyer “The Limerick Lion”, is a five-time Ireland’s Strongest Man winner and World’s Strongest Man competitor. The 6' 2" tall and 140kg (308lb) former UK’s Strongest Man winner is a regular on the Giants Live circuit.