24/07/2026
We asked some members of our New Stones beginner club (past and present) about their curling journey so far. Next up, the curling journey of the Cassie and Clapperton families, by Louise Clapperton. (Note that the compilation photo of some of the group is the best we could find).
“In 2019 we saw a Try Curling advert and thought we would give it a bash. It was a challenge to find a session where all 6 of us could do it together, but after many emails to get it arranged, we rocked up one Sunday afternoon in January 2020 to give it our all. I mean how hard can it be…. We were soon eating our words! Onto the ice we went and we had a very enjoyable session trying to get to grips with sliding and sweeping.
Five of the group returned that March for a beginners session - the very night that lockdown was announced! Sitting in the bar after our session listening to the news was surreal. So ended our first curling stint.
Fast-forward to October 2021, things were getting back to normal, and the New Stones beginner club was beckoning. Five of us still remained keen and we participated in the sessions, meeting lots of folks along the way and having coaches from various clubs take sessions. One of these clubs was Penicuik Curling Club so with us all being from the ’cuik, this seemed an obvious club for us to join. Before we knew it we were playing some games with them, had signed the dotted line for membership, and were invited to their presentation dinner in April 2022. And then things became serious.
When the season started we were in various teams across different competitions and all playing at Lead. I think it’s fair to say, we didn’t really know what we were doing half the time. However what a great learning curve, and everyone was really helpful, offering assistance and coaching.
In the seasons since, we are all still playing for Penicuik, and are also playing for other clubs either as full members or as subs. We are also now playing in different positions. Some of us have taken part in the Indoor Grand Match, the Edinburgh International Gathering, and done a curling weekend in Stranraer.
What started as a fun day out for a grey January afternoon has turned into a sport that we all love. We have met so many new people along the way - curling is such a friendly sport and some of the best chat happens in the changing rooms! It’s got under our skin and now we can’t imagine not playing. Hopefully we will be playing for a long time to come”.
If you would like to get into curling, our four-part Become A Curler course and New Stones beginner club will teach you the basics, develop your skills, and inspire you to progress into regular club curling.
You can get more information and register your interest on our website: https://www.edinburghcurling.co.uk/becoming-a-curler/