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Outdoor curling makes comeback

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HISTORY repeated itself when curling, the traditional way, returned to a Dumfriesshire lake for the first time since 1979.

The thaw from the big January freeze held off long enough to allow a match between teams from the west and east of the River Annan to take place at Kinmount.

Weeks of sub-zero temperatures left the fairly shallow north lake, in the grounds at the stately home, west of Annan, frozen solid and safe to play on.

There was a good turnout at the scenic venue for the mini 'Grand Match', organised by George Birkbeck of Hoddom and Kinmount Estates.

He said: "The water has been frozen since before Christmas and we decided to keep up the tradition and hold a curling match before the weather changed.

"The lake was man-made but has been venue for formal and informal curling matches on a number of occasions for over a century."

Mr Birkbeck explained that members of the local Cummertrees Curling Club had been among those who had played on the lake on previous occasions.

In addition to the match 30 years ago, curling had also taken place in the sixties, fifties and much earlier.

Players from both teams described the ice as being rougher than on an indoor rink but both challenging and enjoyable.

The match, which ended in a narrow 5-4 victory for the west team, provided an afternoon which will long be remembered.

Meanwhile, ten miles away at Lochmaben, walkers, skaters, sledgers and curlers ventured out for a second time this winter on to the Kirk Loch with smaller numbers risking the edges of the Castle and Mill Lochs.

A special competion was staged, involving 20 teams, at the Kirk Loch.

Further west, on the Bush Moss, near Gatehouse of Fleet, over 200 people ventured out on the ice to compete in for the John Russell Trophy.

The tournament, last staged at the venue in 1969, involved 20 rinks competing on two specially-cleared sheets of ice.



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