Curling comes home at last

Published on Tuesday 10 July 2007 00:26

IT IS regarded as the home of curling - the spot where the rules of the game were first laid down.

But Thomson's Tower, beside Edinburgh's Duddingston Loch, has been little more than a ruin after years of neglect.

Now the home of the curling club which drew up the rules of the sport more than 200 years ago has won more than 137,000 in National Lottery cash to help fund a restoration. It is hoped the William Playfair-designed octagonal building will be restored and open to the public by next summer.

Named after Duddingston Kirk's most famous minister, John Thomson, who used the upper floor as an artist's studio, the tower was built by the Duddingston Curling Society in 1825, who used the nearby loch as a rink.

In 1804, the club drew up the rules of the game, once regarded as Scotland's national sport, which are still the basis of the rules today.

The tower is in a two-acre section of garden run by Dr Neil's Garden Trust, created by Andrew and Nancy Neil in 1965. The trust garden is in the grounds of Duddingston Kirk.

The upper part of the tower will be used for exhibitions and private functions, while the lower part will be devoted to curling.

The Rev Thomson entertained renowned artists Joseph Turner and Sir Henry Raeburn in the building.

Jim Baird, chairman of the Garden Trust, said: "The tower really is the home of curling and it's of enormous importance.

"It's like St Andrews is to golf- we expect it will become a major focus for the sport and a very popular tourist spot."

Mr Baird said the work - which will involve replacing the entire interior of the tower, including the floor separating the two parts - will cost around 240,000 in total.

He said the balance had been raised from curlers across the world as well as donations from Historic Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland.

Colin Grahamslaw, chief executive of the Edinburgh-based Royal Caledonian Curling Club, said: "The fact that they will be including an exhibit on the history of the game is tremendous.

"This is a sport Scotland invented and it has been exported around the world."

Nearly 50 countries have curling associations - including Brazil and a group of Cameroonians who play in Italy.

HOW THE SPORT HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS

CURLING'S first rulebook listed only 12 laws, compared with the modern-day version that stretches to 46 pages.

In 1804, a rink had to measure between 108ft and 132ft - a modern rink is 150ft long - but the size could be changed if the players agreed.

A director, now called a skip, had to be named at the start of the game - and his direction was final.

Teams had to stick with the order of play decided at the start, and all stones had to be circular. Only broken stones could be replaced.

Players were told to be ready to play and take their shots promptly, and a neutral onlooker was to measure any doubtful stones.