#duddingston

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Dr. Neal's Garden, Edinburgh

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On January 17th 1795 Duddingston Curling Society became formally organised, one of the earliest in the history of curling.

A wee bit of a contentious one this, because Kilsyth lays claim to a date of 1716, however Kilsyth never pops up in my history alerts that I check every day,“what you don’t remember all these anniversaries” I hear you say? Sadly not! So anyway back to Duddingston…..

In the hard winters of the 18th century, many citizens of Edinburgh liked to skate and curl on the frozen Nor’Loch, immediately to the north of the Castle Rock. As the New Town began to take shape in the 1780s it was decided to drain the Nor’ Loch, and a new curling venue became necessary. In 1795 a group of gentlemen formed the Duddingston Curling Society, and erected a small building on the edge of the loch to house their stones.

By the 1820s efforts to enlarge and repair this building proving unsuccessful, it was decided to start again, and the fashionable architect WH Playfair was asked to draw up a design. This new building, most probably on the site of the old one, was completed in 1825. It is octagonal in plan and has two compartments, one above the other. The lower one stored the stones, and, though secured with bars, was open to the elements, so that the stones when required would be at the right temperature.

The upper room, accessed separately, was furnished with glazed windows and a fireplace, and there the members could go to warm themselves, to watch the game and, no doubt, to enjoy a wee dram.

The importance of the Duddingston Curling Society lies in their approach to the rules of the game. First they wrote down their version of the rules, recorded in the Minutes of the Society, and then about 1803, they had the rules printed and copies were distributed to every member. These printed copies, easy to refer to and completely portable, spread quickly throughout Scotland and became the standard form nationally. The Duddingston rules still form the basis of the international rules today.

Today in Scotland there is very little outdoor curling, and certainly none on Duddingston Loch. Edinburgh curlers play at Murrayfield Ice Rink.

You can visit the Curling Clubs’ building, called Thomson’s Tower, at Dr Neil’s Gardens in Duddingston, a great wee place to have a wander, it is free to see and there is a wee cafeteria you go through on entering.

The painting is from Robert Anderson from 1880.

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Hamilton Drive West, EH15

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Duddingston, Scotland

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Duddingston Kirk

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Duddingston Kirk, Edinburgh

[pershing100]

Duddingston Kirk, Edinburgh

[scotianostra]

On January 17th 1795 Duddingston Curling Society became formally organised, one of the earliest in the history of curling.

A wee bit of a contentious one this, because Kilsyth lays claim to a date of 1716, however Kilsyth never pops up in my history alerts that I check every day,“what you don’t remember all these anniversaries” I hear you say? Sadly not! So anyway back to Duddingston…..

n the hard winters of the 18th century, many citizens of Edinburgh liked to skate and curl on the frozen Nor’Loch, immediately to the north of the Castle Rock. As the New Town began to take shape in the 1780s it was decided to drain the Nor’ Loch, and a new curling venue became necessary. In 1795 a group of gentlemen formed the Duddingston Curling Society, and erected a small building on the edge of the loch to house their stones.

By the 1820s efforts to enlarge and repair this building proving unsuccessful, it was decided to start again, and the fashionable architect WH Playfair was asked to draw up a design. This new building, most probably on the site of the old one, was completed in 1825. It is octagonal in plan and has two compartments, one above the other. The lower one stored the stones, and, though secured with bars, was open to the elements, so that the stones when required would be at the right temperature.

The upper room, accessed separately, was furnished with glazed windows and a fireplace, and there the members could go to warm themselves, to watch the game and, no doubt, to enjoy a wee dram.

The importance of the Duddingston Curling Society lies in their approach to the rules of the game. First they wrote down their version of the rules, recorded in the Minutes of the Society, and then about 1803, they had the rules printed and copies were distributed to every member. These printed copies, easy to refer to and completely portable, spread quickly throughout Scotland and became the standard form nationally. The Duddingston rules still form the basis of the international rules today.

Today in Scotland there is very little outdoor curling, and certainly none on Duddingston Loch. Edinburgh curlers play at Murrayfield Ice Rink.

You can visit the Curling Clubs’ building, called Thomson’s Tower, at Dr Neil’s Gardens in Duddingston, a great wee place to have a wander, it is free to see and there is a wee cafeteria you go through on entering.

The pics include some old curling stones and Thomson’s Tower. The third is an amazing scene as hundreds skate on Duddingston Loch circa 1900. painting is a watercolour of winter sports on a frozen Duddingston Loch, by Charles Altamont Doyle, 1876 which is on display at National Museum of Scotland.