A Pembrokeshire man has successfully lifted one of the world’s oldest lifting stones following three previous attempts to raise the 127kg Bodach stone onto its plinth in Perthshire.

Derek Burton travelled to Scotland last week, determined to quash his three previous failed attempts, and raise the 280 lb stone from the ground onto the adjoining plinth.

“Yes, there’s been a lot of hardship and pain along the way, but having finally lifted the Bodach makes it all worthwhile,” Derek told The Pembrokeshire Herald from his home in St Dogmaels.

“The first time I tried to lift the stone was four years ago, and I couldn’t even get it off the soil.

“The second time I managed to break it off the ground after 15 attempts, by around four inches, and the third time there was a massive downpour, but I still managed to get it onto my lap.

“But to qualify for a lift, the stone has to be raised onto the plinth.  So I put everything into it, made the 600-mile trip to Scotland once again, and this time I succeeded.”

The Bodach, which is also known as the Fianna Stone, is believed to be the world’s oldest liftable historic stone, and dates from before the turn of the 11th century.  According to legend, it was used as an ancient testing stone for the Fianna Warriors who were protecting their land from foreign invaders.

“What makes the Bodach particularly difficult to lift is its shape,” continued Derek.  “It’s light on one side but extremely heavy on the other.”

Derek has been lifting stones for the past ten years and carries out regular training sessions with natural stones in his garden.  He has also placed two lifting stones in the Preseli Mountains for other people to lift. He has named them Cerrig Ifan – Ifan’s Stones – in memory of a young child who lost his life on a farm in Blaenffos, north Pembrokeshire.

“So those stones will stay there forevermore, in memory of Ifan, at their site near Garn Gwr, which is just past Foel Drygarn,” said Derek.

“Yes, of course there are times when I hit that point when things get painful, but I know that I’ll never give up.  If I don’t succeed the first time, if I don’t reach whatever goal I’m aiming for, I’ll just keep going, because however tough things are, I’ll get there in the end.”

Derek’s commitment is now being shared by Cardigan’s Criw Glo which is a team of women who regularly carry 50kg sacks of coal over extensive distances to raise money for local charities.  Over the past eight years they have clocked up over 1,000 road miles and have donated more than £70,000 to numerous local charities.  The team is  currently in training for two new coal carrying challenges in 2025, which will take place in April and June. 

Meanwhile Derek has had his coal carrying challenges applauded at the Pride of Britain Award and has been named ITV Cymru’s Fundraiser of the Year.

“I suppose this is how my stone lifting started,” he explains.  “As a child I remember watching our local coalman carrying two hundredweight sacks of coal on his back into our house in St Dogmaels instead of just a hundredweight, as he said it saved him from having to go back for the second load.  I couldn’t believe that anyone could do this, so I decided to get my own hundredweight of coal and find out for myself.  And that’s how the charity coal carrying idea started.

“The Criw Glo is having such a positive impact on all the people who take part as it’s showing them, too, that with determination, they can do it.”

Meanwhile Derek is looking forward to his next stone lifting challenges.

“There are a few more stones in Scotland that I’d like to lift, but there are also a few big ones in Iceland that I’m determined to have a go at.

“Obviously when you do something like this you can get injured or hurt, but I know that whatever I do, my mamgu (grandmother) is always with me.  Whenever I feel like quitting, I know she’s there.  And this is what keeps me going, each and every time.”