WHILE MOST people have been cursing the severe winters that have hit Scotland in recent years, one Highland Perthshire community is praying for cold weather.
After an absence of more than 70 years, members of Toberargan Curling Club are hoping to bring the sport back into the great outdoors.
When the mercury plummeted at the beginning of the year and temperatures hit record lows, they attempted to make the most of it by using local curling ponds.
Unfortunately, despite there once being numerous facilities in and around Pitlochry in the past, the majority were no longer in use.
Jim Walker, who moved to the Victorian town from Killearn five years ago, went on a recce to estates around the area.
Sadly, he found that most of the historic curling ponds were either beyond repair, within grounds where the owners had no interest in restoring the pastime or, in one case, classed as a site of special scientific interest due to rare damselflies breeding there.
A spokesperson from Toberargan Curling Club said: “Jim eventually discovered a pond on the Balnakeilly Estate, above Pitlochry. Owner, Colonel Stewart Wilson, expressed delight at the offer of restoration.”
First constructed in 1857, the pond featured in a story in the Caledonian Mercury on February 12 of the same year.
It included a report on a 12-a-side game played there “for a quantity of oatmeal to be given to the poor”.
The last event took place in 1939 and the area fell into disrepair, becoming overgrown and choked with weeds.
Undeterred, members of ToberarganCurling Club undertook a major fundraising drive and arranged for work to be carried out last summer.
The spokesperson added: “The pond is clay-lined and in surprisingly good condition.
“Restoration was largely carried out by a JCB clearing out weeds and debris, with additional work involving rebuilding a sluice gate and carrying out restoration of drainage.
“Charlie Ewing helped oversee the project, with assistance from fellow club members.
“The pond is now ready for action, as and when temperatures plunge.”
As if restoring the pond wasn’t enough of a challenge, the club also had to track down the traditional equipment used to curl outdoors.
They were able to source various crampits (a narrow piece of metal that the curler stands on to deliver the stone) and markers, but the main component of the game proved harder to track down.
After putting out a call to arms, however,residents of Pitlochry rescued old curling stones from doorsteps and garages, donating them to the club so it now has a big enough stock to host a bonspiel come winter.
President Sarah Walker said: “There is likely to be a steep learning curve on how to prepare and maintain the ice, but we have had such enthusiastic support from everyone that there is a high degree of excitement and anticipation of seeing outdoor curling action return to the area.
“With Pitlochry the home of both the Edradour and Blair Athol distilleries, there will be plenty of the famous local produce to celebrate the opening ceremony of the restored pond and keep the curlers warm.”
sgray@thecourier.co.uk