1908
7th January 1908
The winter of 1907 - 08 provided excellent ice for curling - especially at Glenferness.
28th January 1908.
Loch Leven, Glenferness, provided perfect ice for friendly games with Ardclach, and for a Points competition for valuable prizes - including a Buff Orpington cockerel !
Note the Rev. Mr. Miller's proposal at a dinnet that followed one of the games v Ardclach. This led to the formation of the Nairnshire Curling Association in the following March.
14th January 1908
In the coastal town of Nairn, work was proceeding apace with the construction of the new ponds.
The ponds were to be of the 'Cairnie' type of construction. These consisted of a macadam lined tray on a bed of sand or ash, and required only a minimal covering of water when the thermometer reached freezing to provide ice for curling.
In spite of this, arranging a water supply for the new facility was not proving straightfoward!
21st January 1908
The construction of the ponnds would have been similar to that of those of Dyce Curling Club in Aberdeenshire.
A detailed description of the materials, method and costs is given in the RCCC 'Annual' of 1909-10, page ccxv.
11th February 1908
Water supply granted.
18th February 1908
12th Lord Leven to present Cup
3rd March 1908
The Nairnshire Telegraph report includes a list of prominent attendees.
17th March 1908
The first meeting of The Nairnshire Curling Association was held on Thursday 12th March 1908.
12th May 1908
Agreement was reached with a newly formed tennis club to rent the macadam ponds and the clubhouse. This ran for several summers until WW1.
To play tennis and have Saturday afternoon tea at the clubhouse became a regular feature of Nairn's social scene.
19th May 1908
27th July 1908
At the RCCC Annual General Meeting held in the Station Hotel, Perth, Nairn Curling Club was proposed for membership by the Secretary, A Davidson Smith (Whittinghame) and seconded by Provost Gordon (Bathgate).
25th August 1908
A summer visitor to Nairn commented on the new tennis courts 'started as a curling rink, but surface never yet froze"!
20th October 1908
A draw was made by the Nairnshire Curling Association in anticipation of ice at Glenferness. Note that Auldearn and Nairn had, between them, entered six rinks
28th December 1908
The previous week's issue of The Nairnshire Telegraph carried a report of a Glenferness Curling Club held at Drumlochan Farm House, courtesy of Mrs Leslie. Speeches paid tribute to the encouragement given to estate workers by the 12th Lord Leven, and to the facilities which included a curling rink and artificial ponds.
However, the following week, on Christmas Day, the new Nairn ponds were in use!
