Stone-stackers told they are ruining nature

FOR years a seemingly harmless habit has seen people stacking up stones on beaches and at picturesque sites around the country.

Now environmentalists have demanded a crackdown on those who pile up rocks for artistic pleasure as they attempt to show off their creative skills.

Activist group The Blue Planet Society claims the hobby has reached ‘epidemic proportions’ and is in danger of ruining many beauty spots.

In one online post they wrote: ‘Almost every beach we visited in Orkney was spoiled by people leaving their mark and for a photo for social media.

‘It’s a worrying trend. It ruins the scenery and the environment.’

Stone-stacking can involve spending hours balancing rocks on top of one another.

Its opponents have suggested it poses a ‘very real concern for wildlife’ and is akin to ‘rubbing out history’ because of the damage done to Britain’s Neolithic monuments.

However, James Craig-Page, an artist from Dunbar, East Lothian – who organises the European Stone Stacking Championship – maintains that stacking is meditative and can even help children with behavioural disorders.

Mr Craig-Page described how teachers in Dunbar noticed an immediate difference when children with ADHD began practising the skill, adding that ‘the benefits people get from rock-balancing and what it teaches you about meditation’ outweighs any criticism.

Gareth Adkins, writing on Twitter, told the Blue Planet Society to ‘get a grip’. ‘This is farcical,’ he wrote. ‘In Orkney these rock stacks will be gone after the winter storms.’