Today in History - 1795

Duddingston Curling Society became the first curling club in the world to be formally organised. It had a membership fee of three guineas and attracted Scotland's top curlers. By the beginning of the 19th century the game had become extremely popular in Scotland. The rules of the sport were codified in 1803.

Large boulders from the river were originally used, then iron handles were attached. In Canada the curling 'stones' were made of metal and called 'irons'. A game like curling was popular in the Low Countries. The famous painting 'Hunters in the Snow' by Peter Brueghel shows little figures on the ice playing just such a game.