"WILL you do a swap," says Willie Baxter, writes Roger Robson, and so it was that an old book on my shelves was was exchanged for a new hardback book, dustcover and all entitled "Donald Dinnie, The First Sporting Superstar" by David Webster and Gordon Dinnie.

Donald Dinnie at 6f 1in and 15 stone was a world renowned athlete in the second half of the 19th Century, the winner of more than 11,000 prizes.

He mainly excelled at the strength events like the hammer, throwing the stone and the caber.

But he also could win sprint races, jump over six feeet in height and 22 feet in length, win prizes for Highland dancing and wrestle in several styles.

He was born in 1837, the year that Quen Victoria came to the throne, and was still competing at the age of 69.

A photograph shows him wrestling at Rothienorman Games in 1905.

Although he first made his name on the Highland Games circuit, he spent much of his life in America and Australia.

In the United States he was invivted by the Caledonian clubs to compete in their events and made an excellent living.

His best payday was in 1883 when he pocked £320 in prizemoney at the Games organised by the Thistle Club of San Fransisco.

The book gives a real insight into the international nature of wrestling.

When challenges might be decided in five different styles.

Dinnie was a great athlete but he was also a showman, touring the music halls and travelling round in circus fashion.

His fame was truly worldwide.

He used to advertise Irn Bru.

He was a model for a stuatue of William Wallace.

He appeared in several poems and a stained-glass window.

He is also famous for the Dinnue stones, which were a relic f his days as a stonemason before he became a professional athlete.

These stones used to lie beside a bridge on the Rover Dee at Potarch and the challenge was to carry them across the road and back again.

The Kendal wrestler Tony Hayhurst recalls travelling up to the Highland Games at Aboyne in company with Ted Dunglinson and Reggie Armstrong.

Of course they would try their strength on the stones.

Mighty Dunglison was useless at the job but Armstrong of Tirermain managed the feat.

The book is packed with detail, drawings and photographs and portrays a fascinating picture of the Victorian athletic scene.

"Donald Dinnie" is published by Ardo Co, priced £12.95.