Markinch Curling Club
Encyclopedia
Markinch Curling Club, is a curling
club in Markinch
, Scotland
that was instituted in 1842. Its members were formerly composed largely by employees of John Haig, the whisky
blend whose bottling plant and offices used to be situated in the eponymous small Fife
town, workers for Tullis Russell, a paper-mill on the banks of the nearby River Leven
- in fact, Mr. Tullis was one of the founding members in 1842 - and a mixture of farmers and local Health Service professionals. With the closure of John Haig, one source of members was stopped; however, the club survives.
The current membership displays an eclectic range of backgrounds; while many members have Markinch roots, others appear to have joined through happenstance.
Until 2009, though, all members shared a common gender. Ladies had never featured in the membership lists, although they had occasionally been drafted in to prevent a rink from being a "man" short in a game; none, however, had ever attended a Markinch Curling Club supper - other than as waitress or barmaid - until December 2008, when Morag Erskine was present as a representative of Pitlessie Curling Club. After this ground-breaking event, Morag's name, along with those of Marianne Sankey and Karen Turley, now features in the list of members.
Curling is known to have taken place in Markinch on “The Common”, an area in the centre of the town now used as the car park for Markinch Bowling Club, Markinch Town Hall, Markinch Primary School, and the local library, prior to the Club’s founding but there is little known about this. The Club possesses a complete set of hand written minutes from the inaugural meeting to the present day.
There have been three curling ponds in the Club’s history. The first, opened in the winter of 1842, was on the North edge of the town on “the low lying ground at the foot of Archibald’s Park”. It was only played on for five years. It had to be closed in 1847 when the North British Railway
Company’s line to Cupar
was built over the site. The Club received £15 in compensation. The second pond at Balfarg farm, on Balbirnie estate was the most successful of the Club’s ponds, being played on during the great days of outdoor curling in the cold winters in the latter half of the 19th century. It was opened in 1850 with a match against Stratheden and curled on every winter for 64 years. This pond was the venue for club games, district medals and inter club challenge matches. A fine stone Curling House
was built with three rooms, the Laird’s room,(the Laird being Mr. Balfour, of Balbirnie House
, the west room and the curling stone room. However in 1914 the club was again forced to move as with the coming of electricity to Balfarg farm the mill lade was drained and the source of water for the curling pond lost. A site for a new rink was found on “the common” in Markinch
town itself, and it was opened on 6 January 1914. thus formalising the arrangements which had taken place before the Club's foundation. The days of outdoor curling were beginning to draw to an end as with the opening of Haymarket Ice Rink
in 1912 outdoor curling was becoming less popular. This rink eventually closed in 1938 bringing to an end 96 years of outdoor curling in Markinch
.
Club games are played at Kirkcaldy Ice Rink, and at the ice rink of the Green Hotel, Kinross
. The Kirkcaldy venue, also known as Fife Ice Arena
suffered a roof-fire in February 2007, so some of that season's games were either cancelled or re-scheduled to Kinross.In season 2008-09, Kirkcaldy was back in action, so it is again used by the Club.
The Club's main internal competition is the Balbirnie League, contested between the constituent rinks, which are named after historic Markinch
place-names, Balgonie, Stob Cross, Dalginch, and Sweetbank.
An annual game for the Mounie Trophy against Meldrum & Daviot Curling Club means that the Club may also play at Forfar
Ice Arena, Curl Aberdeen, or Perth Ice Rink.
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
club in Markinch
Markinch
Markinch is a small town situated in the heart of Fife, in the eastern central lowlands of Scotland. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
that was instituted in 1842. Its members were formerly composed largely by employees of John Haig, the whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
blend whose bottling plant and offices used to be situated in the eponymous small Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
town, workers for Tullis Russell, a paper-mill on the banks of the nearby River Leven
River Leven, Fife
The River Leven is a river in Fife in Scotland. It flows from Loch Leven into the Firth of Forth at the town of Leven. The river is home to brown trout and hosts a run of sea trout and atlantic salmon...
- in fact, Mr. Tullis was one of the founding members in 1842 - and a mixture of farmers and local Health Service professionals. With the closure of John Haig, one source of members was stopped; however, the club survives.
The current membership displays an eclectic range of backgrounds; while many members have Markinch roots, others appear to have joined through happenstance.
Until 2009, though, all members shared a common gender. Ladies had never featured in the membership lists, although they had occasionally been drafted in to prevent a rink from being a "man" short in a game; none, however, had ever attended a Markinch Curling Club supper - other than as waitress or barmaid - until December 2008, when Morag Erskine was present as a representative of Pitlessie Curling Club. After this ground-breaking event, Morag's name, along with those of Marianne Sankey and Karen Turley, now features in the list of members.
Curling is known to have taken place in Markinch on “The Common”, an area in the centre of the town now used as the car park for Markinch Bowling Club, Markinch Town Hall, Markinch Primary School, and the local library, prior to the Club’s founding but there is little known about this. The Club possesses a complete set of hand written minutes from the inaugural meeting to the present day.
There have been three curling ponds in the Club’s history. The first, opened in the winter of 1842, was on the North edge of the town on “the low lying ground at the foot of Archibald’s Park”. It was only played on for five years. It had to be closed in 1847 when the North British Railway
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
Company’s line to Cupar
Cupar
Cupar is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town is situated between Dundee and the New Town of Glenrothes.According to a recent population estimate , Cupar had a population around 8,980 making the town the ninth largest settlement in Fife.-History:The town is believed to have...
was built over the site. The Club received £15 in compensation. The second pond at Balfarg farm, on Balbirnie estate was the most successful of the Club’s ponds, being played on during the great days of outdoor curling in the cold winters in the latter half of the 19th century. It was opened in 1850 with a match against Stratheden and curled on every winter for 64 years. This pond was the venue for club games, district medals and inter club challenge matches. A fine stone Curling House
Curling House
A Curling House was used to store curling stones, brushes and other equipment used to maintain a curling pond and play the game of curling in Scotland and elsewhere.- Introduction :...
was built with three rooms, the Laird’s room,(the Laird being Mr. Balfour, of Balbirnie House
Balbirnie House
Balbirnie House is an early 19th-century country house in Glenrothes, in central Fife, Scotland. The present house was completed in 1817 as a rebuild of an 18th-century building, itself a replacement for a 17th-century dwelling. The home of the Balfour family from 1640, the house was sold in 1969...
, the west room and the curling stone room. However in 1914 the club was again forced to move as with the coming of electricity to Balfarg farm the mill lade was drained and the source of water for the curling pond lost. A site for a new rink was found on “the common” in Markinch
Markinch
Markinch is a small town situated in the heart of Fife, in the eastern central lowlands of Scotland. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town...
town itself, and it was opened on 6 January 1914. thus formalising the arrangements which had taken place before the Club's foundation. The days of outdoor curling were beginning to draw to an end as with the opening of Haymarket Ice Rink
Haymarket Ice Rink
Haymarket Ice Rink was a former ice skating and curling venue in Edinburgh, Scotland, which opened in 1912 and closed in 1978. It was constructed following the availability of land resulting from the relocation of James Swan's cattle market to Chesser, and was sited near to Haymarket railway station...
in 1912 outdoor curling was becoming less popular. This rink eventually closed in 1938 bringing to an end 96 years of outdoor curling in Markinch
Markinch
Markinch is a small town situated in the heart of Fife, in the eastern central lowlands of Scotland. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town...
.
Club games are played at Kirkcaldy Ice Rink, and at the ice rink of the Green Hotel, Kinross
Kinross
Kinross is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It was formerly the county town of Kinross-shire.Kinross is a fairly small town, with some attractive buildings...
. The Kirkcaldy venue, also known as Fife Ice Arena
Fife Ice Arena
Fife Ice Arena opened in 1938. was designed by architects & . Fife Ice Arena is the home venue of the oldest Ice Hockey team in the UK - the Fife Flyers. It is also a venue for public skating, figure skating, speed skating, curling and ice shows...
suffered a roof-fire in February 2007, so some of that season's games were either cancelled or re-scheduled to Kinross.In season 2008-09, Kirkcaldy was back in action, so it is again used by the Club.
The Club's main internal competition is the Balbirnie League, contested between the constituent rinks, which are named after historic Markinch
Markinch
Markinch is a small town situated in the heart of Fife, in the eastern central lowlands of Scotland. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town...
place-names, Balgonie, Stob Cross, Dalginch, and Sweetbank.
An annual game for the Mounie Trophy against Meldrum & Daviot Curling Club means that the Club may also play at Forfar
Forfar
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
Ice Arena, Curl Aberdeen, or Perth Ice Rink.