Stewarton

Heather Curling Club

Profile

There is a membership of 60 players both male and female ranging in age from juniors to the over 60’s and beyond.

Most of our games are played in the Galleon Sports Centre Kilmarnock on Monday or Tuesday evenings.

The range of abilities is from the very beginners, up to National Champions and all other levels in between.

Coaching can be arranged for beginners or for anyone who wants to improve their game.

We have the reputation of being a friendly, competitive, but noisy club while playing the game (as anyone who has been in the ice rink while the Stewarton teams are playing will vouch for) but curling is known as the roaring game.

The only equipment you require is rubber soled shoes.

A Brief History of the Club

The Stewarton Heather Curling Club was formed in 1842 and is the survivor of what was originally two clubs, Stewarton Heather and Stewarton Curling Club. 

The Heather Club was made up mostly of  farmers and agricultural workers where the Stewarton Club was mostly from the textile and manufacturing industry.

The first president was Thomas Young of Tailend farm Dunlop. 

We have records for the club dating back to 1845.  Over the first three years either no records were kept or they have been lost.  Efforts have been made to locate them but nothing has ever been found.

According to the records Stewarton Heather played at Fullwood, (up the hill from  Howie’s grain mill on the Neilston road).  The Stewarton club played at Clerkland.

There are very few details on the Stewarton Club other than the names of some of the players at that time.  This was recorded when the two clubs played against each other.  The last record known record was against the Stewarton Club in 1912 where the score was Stewarton 80 shots, Stewarton Heather 114 shots. After that time some of the players from the Stewarton club are noted as members of Stewarton Heather and there is no further mention of the Stewarton club.

In 1881 Stewarton Heather became a member of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.  This is the parent club for all curling world wide and where the  rules and regulations for the game of curling are made.  We are in possession of a medal presented to the club in 1888 on the jubilee of the RCCC.

Curling at this time was played outdoors. Some years there are no games but the annual general meeting was still held to select the officebearers.

One of the changing points in the clubs history is in 1946 when indoor ice was taken at Crossmyloof for club games.  The club had played at Crossmyloof before but only when invited by other clubs.  In 1950 the club finally abandoned playing at the Fullwood Dam and the hut was dismantled and the crampits and stones removed.

There have been many changes within the club over the years but the most significant change recently has been the introduction of female members in 2001.

We have a very strong club with over 70 members.  These range from very good junior members to the not so young and maybe not so good seniors.  There is no age limit to being able to play the game.  We have exworld junior champions and Scottish Champions as members. Presently various members represent their country at junior and national level.  One of our junior members Sarah Reid skipped the junior team that has just won the Scottish Championship and will represented her country in Canada in March this year.

It is hoped to give more details of the history of the club on this website in due course.

Borland Bonspiel 2005

How to Contact us

If you are interested and would like to take part in a very active team sport that gives you exercise but at the same time is not to strenuous then contact either:

Club Treasurer

Douglas Reid on 01560 483696

Club Secretary

Robert Whiteford on 484207

or click to email