Nairn Club members Gus Forbes and Scott Fraser, with some support from Muir of Ord, recently ran out winners of the Inverness Hospitals Evelyn Watson Bonspiel.
Millennium Win Makes it a Double
18th March 2026
Nairn Club president Gus Forbes and his team beat Murray Urquhart's brave lads in the final of the Millennium Trophy to add to their Sandy Gunn League win earlier in the month.
Pictured are the winners (L to R): Fraser Pottie, Gus Forbes, Neil Pottie and Alan Scott (sub for Hamish Clark), together with the ice centre's brand spanking new micrometer measure.
Congratulations to the winners and commiserations to the loosers.
Photo Stephen Laurie
The New Measure
This has been donated to Inverness Ice Centre by NairnCurling Club. Keith Petrie, who has looked after the ice there for more than 50 years, has posted this appreciation.
Last month Nairn CC Skip Seamus McArdle guided his team to victory in the Inverness Seniors League. This month Nairn's Peter Duncan, with some help from Kingussie, completed the double by winning the Masters league. Congtatulations on a great campaign !
Pictured opposite with the Trophy and the prizes supplied by the sponsors Gordon & McPhail, are (LtoR) : Peter Duncan (skip), Andy Cowan (1), Erich Beherendt (3) and John Macpherson (2).
A report of the final games of the Sandy Gunn League has been promised by the Match Secretary, and will be published as soon as received !
February 21st 2026
On a day when GB's Mens's Curling Team lost a brave fight for Olympic Gold, Nairn CC No.2 rink at the RCCC Area 13 competition for the MacGregor Kettle showed they knew how to win.
The Nairn team, under the guidabce of skip Neil Pottie, is pictured here receiving the. trophy from Area 13 Rep. Andy Cowan.
Congratulations all round !
February 19th 2026
For more than 20 years now many 'mature' Nairn Club members have played at Inverness in the Masters (over 50) and Seniors (over 60) Leagues, sponsored by Gordon & McPhail and organised by Innes Rankin.
The Leagues welcome all eligible curlers who want to continue playing and enjoying the game, and who are prepared if necessary, to develop skills in alternative methods of stone delivery.
So big congratulations to this year's Seniors League Winners - the rink pictured opposite of (back row) Jim Clark, Ali Tunstall, with Seamus McArdle (skip) and Al Cruickshank.
Photo: Al Cruickshank
February 17th 2026
This year's competition was played in a new format. The 24 entries were dvided into teams of three, and each team played a round robin of 3 short games, non-skips or less experienced skips to take charge of the rink.
An enjoyable evening was had, particularly by the winning trio skipped by Mark Hodges aided by Erich Berhendt and John Bochel, with 2 wins out of 3. Well done guys !
Not to take anything away from a great evening's curling, but the committee should look at regularising the format of the competition, as the wishes of the donor, when gifted in 1957 can no longer be complied with. A new format which still encourages less experienced skips could be devised.
Pictured: Erich, Mark and John. Photo Gus Forbes
February 3rd 2026
A company of 105, including curlers from Inverkeithing, Dunfermline, Edinburgh and many clubs closer to Nairn, sat down to the traditional curlers fare of "Beef and Greens", efficiently served by the Newton Hotel, though many hoped the evening's speakers would not be as dry as the beef ! No worries there, as the speeches were all well delivered, the Toast to Jack Frost by Alex Fleming being judged "outstanding"
Neither the RCCC President or a deputy were available to attend this year's celebration of the traditional curling societies of days long past, but RCCC Past-president Mike Ferguson had been persuaded to record a suitable address in reply to the Toast to the RCCC.
Road diversions on the A96 caused a delayed start to the evening, but even so, the Court decided to fine the latecomers. When the Dunfermline lads pleaded that Scotrail had broken down at Blair Atholl and that they had paid an eye-watering sum for a taxi to complete the journey, the Court awarded them free tickets for next year's Dinner !
The organisers and workers of Nairn CC can feel proud of producing yet another great evening.
Top Table (L to R): Richard Mackenzie (President Sutherland Province), Stephen Laurie (NCC VP and Match Secy.), Gus Forbes (NCC President), Alex Fleming (Avondale Heather CC - Jack Frost), Danny Gray (NCC Secy). NB Andrew Cowan (RCCC Rep Area 13) unavoidably missed the photo-call ..
PHOTO: Ross Cope
January 29th 2026
Match Secretary Stephen Laurie worked hard to produce a full entry for this year's competition in which solo curlers compete against each other, He also added interest to those who managed to slip up in the main competition by organising a Low Road play-off, which was won by last year's winner, Callum Stewart.
In the main competition, Club president Gus Forbes defeated past winner, Club veteran Alan Stanfield, 3 shots to 1.
Pictured with trophies are Callum (L) and Gus (R)
Photo: Stephen Laurie
January 11th 2026
During the recent cold spell, the "go to" place for outdoor curling has been Muir of Ord's rink behind the Tarradale Hotel, and organised by Dabber and his capable crew. The Muir of Ord Club has extended an open invitation to all interested in the "outdoor game" and this has been taken up by numerous Nairn members. Credit for the attached photos goes to Paul McIvor, Paul Macdonald and John Bochel.
Photos - Clockwise: A happy Paul McIvor; Nairn Rink of PMcIvor,A Bulcraig, J Clark and John Bochel; A Nairn/ Ardclach Hybrid Rink; Mike McInnes Points out an historic photo on the Muir of Ord Club's Wall of Fame. [Note: the jumper still fits !]
A Winning rink from the past :- Jimmy Asher, Martin Macdonald, Mike McInnes and George Pirie.
January 7th 2026
A good entry of some 16 members pitted their skills against one another in the "points" competition for the Club's oldest trophy, donated by the Club's first president, William Whitelaw in 1908. Highest scorer and winner of the bragging rights as Nairn's best shot-maker for this season is Dean Clark, a seven times previous winner. Well done all who took part and congratulations to the winners, pictured below, receiving their trophies from Club president Gus Forbes:
Photos: Stephen Laurie
Douglas McGlynn
Dean Clark
Mark Hodges
2025-26
A happy Scott Fraser and his rink of Stewart Morrison, Robbie Cope and Ian Hutcheson, are presented with the historic Park Cup by Club President Gus Forbes, watched by a seasonal visiting dignitary.
The beaten finalists were Al Cruickshank, Neil Pottie, and D MacGlynn, skipped by Gus Forbes.
It was a tense final. The Forbes rink got off to a bad start, giving away a 1 shot penalty for lateness - so they knew they had to clear the game by two clear shots to lift the trophy. They took the first end with a single, then traded singles with the Fraser rink over the next three ends. They took a two at the next end, but this left the opposition needing a score of 2, with last stone advantage, to take the game. Scott Fraser and his rink produced the shots when needed and emerged victorious.
Congratulations to both teams for a game played in the true Spirit of Curling. !
November 14th 2025
NAIRN Curling Club at the 2025 Indoor Grand Match
Nairn Curling Club did their bit for 'The North against 'The South' in this huge nationwide' Bonspiel, sponsored by Ambassador Cruises. Despite returning positive results, they finished up on the losing side. From the photos collected by Stephen Laurie, it can be seen that the day was there to be enjoyed, and our rinks made the most of it !
At Lanarkshire Ice Rink v New Bothwell
At Lockerbie v Glasserton
At Greenacres v Reform
At Dumfries v Castle Kennedy
November 14th 2025
Four rinks from Nairn CC travel to Hamilton, Lockerbie, Greenacres and Dumfries this weekend in search of a shots haul to boost the North's total in their bid to defeat the South of Scotland rinks this weekend, A morale-boosting graphic goes with all good wishes to these brave Knights of the Broom:
Graphics :- Stephen Laurie
September 2025
2025-26 Curling Season
Ice rinks all over Scotland are feeling financial pressure, and our local Inverness Ice Centre is no exception. Good work by the CEO Gordon Barron and his team supported by the directors has managed to keep the Centre afloat, and with a fund raising initiative put in place at the end of August, the future of ice sports in the North is looking brighter.
To make the ice rink more energy efficient, and a more attractive venue, an ambitious target of £250K has been set. Amazingly. in just over 2 months £170K has been passed ! The Ice centre newsletter reports: