Curling is a truly Scottish sport.  The first written record of it dates back to Paisley Abbey in 1751 when it was an outdoor game,  played each winter on frozen lochs.  As time has gone by,  and technology has developed,  the game has evolved into its current format- a modern,  indoor Olympic sport.

Curling is a precision sport where teams of four take turns to slide granite stones along a 138ft long sheet of ice towards a target area known as the house.  As one player delivers his stone,  two of his team-mates sweep the ice in its path,  melting it slightly to manipulate its speed and direction.  The fourth player acts as a tactician,  calling the shots for his team to play as well as delivering stones himself.

The object is to have your stones closer to the centre of the house than your opponents.  After each team has played 8 stones, the score for that "end" is calculated.  One point is scored for each stone within the house which is closer to its centre than the nearest opposition stone.  Once the score has been determined,  the stones are cleared and the process begins afresh.  The winner is the team with the highest score after 8 ends (or less, if one team concedes early).

Curling has captivated Scots for centuries-  millions watched the Scottish women's team of 2002 bring the Olympic gold medal home to the sport's birthplace.  Why not come and try it- and maybe just become the next Rhona Martin?