1868 - 1871
The 'Annual' of 1866-1867 is the last year in which Nairn listed as a club, although for one further year, 1868, the County of Nairn is listed as having one Associated Member Club.
There is no doubt that Jack Frost permitting, curling took place in the surrounding district, with clubs at Inverness, Altyre and Elgin, but the lack of a suitable pond and a coastal climate mitigated against curling in the town of Nairn.
Each year the RCCC awards a number of District Medals to be played for between two nominated clubs. In the seasons 1866-67, 1867-68, 1869-70, medals were awarded for matches to be played between Elgin and Banks of Findhorn (Altyre); and in 1871-72 between Elgin and Strathspey. There are no results recorded by the RCCC for these ties. The Medal was not necessarily played for in the year it was awarded, because of the lack of ice. Notably the medal awarded for Tullymet v Weem in 1850 was not played for until 1875 !
Not until 1874 was the first recorded District Medal Match in Moray & Nairn played at Grantown-on-Spey, on December 31st, when Dyke defeated Strathspey 27 shots to 24.
The report in November 1868 of the proposal to hold a bonspeil of North Clubs at a central location (Probably Loch Flemington), gives an indication of which clubs were active in the area at that time.
The RCCC 1871-1872 Annual report of the 1871 annual meeting of representatives held in the Trades' Hall, Glasgow on 27th July 1871 records the admittance and registration of the Dyke Club. The founder members are listed in the extract here:
There is anecdotal evidence (see report on a speech made by C.C.Calder, the secretary of Dyke, to the Nairn Curling Club in 1925) that the Dyke club was started by a few members of the Banks of Findhorn club founded by Sir A. P. Gordon-Cumming of Altyre in 1864. The Vice-presidents of the new Dyke club, John Bisset and Wm White, are listed in the Banks of Findhorn membership for 1871.
