Curling in North Queensferry

In 1838 the Caledonian Mercury newspaper recorded the game of curling being played on the Ferry Loch.

The article states, the Ferry Loch has been a curling venue from 1838 if not earlier. Elias Cathcart was the owner of the property called ‘St Margaret’s and also the land surrounding Ferry Loch.

At the other end of the timeline, the Ferry Loch was played on in 1897 as recorded in the 1897-98 of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. It was a District medal match on 29th January 1897 between the Torry and Aberdour clubs on “St Margaret’s, Inverkeithing”. [The Torry club was based at Torry House, west of Dunfermline, so this would have been a suitable neutral venue for a match against Aberdour]

In 1838 the club is termed “St Margaret’s” in the Caledonian Mercury article. Somewhat coincidentally, 1838 saw the 1st meeting of what became the Royal Caledonian Curling Club (the ruling body of the sport).

In 1840 the club affiliated to the Royal Caledonian Curling Club and was one of the earliest to do so. In the Annual of that season it is termed “St Margaret’s Club, Inverkeithing”. Appropriately, the patron was ‘Elias Cathcart Esq. Advocate LL.D. of Auchindrane’. In subsequent years it appears in Annuals as “St Margaret’s (Inverkeithing)” and sometimes as “Inverkeithing St Margaret’s”. In the 1908/09 Annual, the name St Margaret’s was finally dropped and the club becomes simply “Inverkeithing”. It is known today as the Inverkeithing Curling Club.

North Queensferry and Inverkeithing can be rightly proud of their 180 year old connection to the worldwide sport of curling.