Our Origins
Troon Portland Curling Club was founded in 1830 and is recognised as one of the oldest curling clubs in the world. From its earliest days, the club has been at the heart of the local sporting community, bringing together enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.
Development Through the Years
Over the decades, the club has grown in both membership and reputation. From outdoor curling on natural ice to the modern indoor facilities used today, Troon Portland has adapted while maintaining its traditions and values.
Modern Day Club
Today, the club continues to thrive, offering competitive leagues, friendly matches, and social events. It remains committed to promoting curling within the community and welcoming new members to the sport.
History of Troon Portland Curling Club
Troon is a small seaside town on the west coast of Scotland, about 30 miles south of Glasgow. The fourth Earl of Portland is credited with transforming Troon from a resort associated with lawless smugglers in the early 1800s into a thriving seaport. Many of the men who later formed Troon Ice Club, the Club’s original name, probably took part in this development.
The Club was founded on 17 November 1830, when 46 members each subscribed one shilling and Mr William Aiton was appointed Treasurer. Its early annual subscription was only sixpence, with much of its income coming from fines for non-attendance at meetings and matches. Expenditure included transporting curling stones to neighbouring villages, maintaining the pond, providing whisky, and giving food to poorer members of the community.
The Club’s ponds were initially at Burnfoot on the North Shore, then on South Beach near Lochend Road, and later at the Barassie end of the Darley golf course. In 1845, the Club purchased its final pond from Welbeck Estates for £6 10 shillings, funded by a levy of 3 shillings and sixpence per member. Known first as the Reed or Red Loch and later as Lochgreen, it was situated inland from the present Lochgreen Hotel. The pond and clubhouse were eventually sold back to Welbeck Estates in 1947 for £30.
Two early members, Mr Hector Cowan and Mr A. B. Cowan, each gave more than 50 years’ service to the Club. The first female member, Lady Glenarthur, joined in 1899. A great benefactor, she strongly supported the Club’s long tradition of helping those less fortunate. This tradition was demonstrated in 1929 when half a stone of meal and half a pound of tea were distributed to each of 160 poor people.
The Club’s first trophy was a silver medal presented by Mr Robert Smith, contested between sides representing Templehill and Portland Street, with a levy on players supporting charitable causes. The Club has also played for the prestigious Eglinton Jug on a regular basis and the Gairdner Silver Curling Stone has been won on many occasions. The latter, contested between local parishes, remains a special feature of the curling season.
The first recorded indoor curling by the Club took place at Ayr Ice Rink in 1941. In 1920, 90 years after its foundation, Troon Portland Curling Club was admitted to the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, founded in 1838. At the RCCC AGM in 2020, the Club received its 100-year medal from RCCC President and longtime Troon Portland member Andrew Kerr.
The Club celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 1980, when 135 members attended a dinner chaired by Mr James Watson, with Mr Charles Carlow serving as Honorary Secretary and Treasurer. The growth of many new curling clubs during the 1970s and 1980s attracted some members away from larger clubs such as Portland.
The 175th Anniversary in 2005 was marked by several events, including a bonspiel at Ayr Ice Rink attended by Provost Gordon Mackenzie of South Ayrshire Council, who presented the Club with a quaich. A celebratory dinner followed later that year, with RCCC President Gifford Rickard as guest, and the anniversary celebrations concluded with a curling weekend in Pitlochry in November.
For many years, the Club also hosted the Letton Bonspiel, played for the Letton Stone and Wooden Spoon presented by Kirsty and Jimmy Letton to commemorate Kirsty’s rink winning the World Senior Ladies Championship at Braehead in 2000. The competition was later suspended following the Club’s move to Greenacres.
The Club’s Curlers’ Courts were held at the South Beach Hotel in 1963, chaired by Mr Stewart Young, and at Ayr Ice Rink in 1981, chaired by Mr James Watson.
The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 brought the curling season to an early end. The 2019–20 AGM dinner and prizegiving were cancelled, as was the following season’s curling. Ayr Ice Rink eventually reopened under restrictions in autumn 2021.
In September 2023, Ayr Ice Rink closed permanently after a 110% increase in energy costs, combined with falling membership, made continued operation uneconomic. Troon Portland consequently moved its home ice to Greenacres Curling Club in Howwood, southwest of Paisley, and adopted a reduced programme, competing in two of its previous four competitions.
Today, Troon Portland Curling Club runs two daytime leagues at Greenacres: the Martin Inkstand on Tuesday mornings and the Carlow Cup on Thursday afternoons. The Club continues to host Christmas and Closing Bonspiels, as well as its AGM and annual dinner. They also compete for the Lochend Trophy and the Norma Cairns Smith Salver in day long competitions held at the North West Castle Hotel’s ice rink in Stranraer.
It also enters rinks in Province competitions, the Eglinton Jug and friendly matches with Crossmyloof and Forest Hills Curling Clubs.
As the Club approaches its 200th anniversary, it continues to welcome new members and new curlers. In keeping with the spirit of its founders, it also maintains its charitable tradition through raffles and fundraising for local charities selected each year by the Club President.
A fuller history of the Club is currently being researched by Andrew Kerr. It will be completed by 2030, in time for our bicentenary, which will be marked by appropriate celebrations then.