Edinburgh Curling Gets £1 Million Brush-Up

New Ice Surface Adds Shine To Olympic Sport In The Capital

Curling in Edinburgh will receive a boost when a £1.1 million refurbishment programme gets underway at the Capital’s only Curling Rink at Murrayfield.

Murrayfield Curling Ltd is to replace the rink’s concrete cooling floor, which has reached the end of its lifespan, with a modern more energy efficient and environmentally friendly surface.

More than 1600 curlers from eight-year-olds to octogenarians play curling for around 70 clubs at the rink, which is situated in the shadow of the national rugby stadium in west Edinburgh.

The first phase of the upgrade will see contractors Star Refrigeration remove the existing surface which dates back to 1981 and replace it with a £750,000 state-of-the-art concrete floor, which includes an underfloor heater mat with enhanced insulation.

The environmentally-friendly solution will dramatically cut the amount of water required to be frozen to produce a surface for curling, from an estimated 125,000 litres down to less than 25,000 litres, and energy consumption is expected to be cut by up to 20% per year.

Along with existing reserves, Edinburgh Curling Club members have donated more than £400,000 to support the refurbishment, while SportScotland have awarded a £200,000 grant and the World Curling Federation have agreed to provide a $100,000 interest free loan.

The second phase of works, which is estimated to cost £350,000, includes the replacement of the building’s external cladding with modern insulated composite panels and is scheduled to take place over the summer of 2019.

Norman Watt, chairman of Murrayfield Curling Ltd, said the improvement work would greatly enhance the curling experience for thousands of club members. He said: “The current playing surface has served the curling community well but a more modern surface is long overdue. This refurbishment programme will ensure existing and new curlers will be able to enjoy our sport by playing on one of the best ice surfaces in the country.

“It is through the commitment and generosity of members of Edinburgh Curling Club and the valued support of SportScotland and the World Curling Federation that we are able to undertake such an ambitious project. It will not only make curling in Edinburgh a far more pleasurable experience but the energy efficiencies we are introducing will reduce our annual overheads.

“We have engaged Star Refrigeration, a Scottish specialist in this field, to deliver the works during the summer 2018 off-season which means there will be no impact on the 2018/2019 season commencing in September.”

SportScotland chief executive, Stewart Harris, said: “We are delighted to be investing in the curling rink at Murrayfield. The new surface will support the curling community around Edinburgh and beyond for years to come.

“Curling is in a great place at the moment in Scotland with our curlers in the hunt for medal at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and, back at home, Scottish Curling continues to do great work to encourage more people to take up the sport.

“After the opening of Scotland’s first dedicated Curling Academy in Stirling in August, the country now has a facility to rival any in the world and I have no doubt we will see more success on the world stage in years to come.”

 

Ends

Note to Editors

Pic captions left to right:

Edinburgh Curling 1:

Steven Anderson, SportScotland, Colin Baxter, president Edinburgh Curling Club, Paul Stevenson, director Murrayfield Curling Ltd and Norman Watt chairman Murrayfield Curling Ltd.

Edinburgh Curling 2 and 3:

Standing: Steven Anderson, SportScotland, Colin Baxter, president Edinburgh Curling Club, Paul Stevenson, director Murrayfield Curling Ltd and Norman Watt chairman Murrayfield Curling Ltd.

Curlers – Jennifer Dodds, Scottish Ladies Champion and Bruce Mouat, Scottish Mens Champion.

Edinburg Curling 4:

Standing: Colin Baxter, president Edinburgh Curling Club, Steven Anderson, SportScotland,  Paul Stevenson, director Murrayfield Curling Ltd and Norman Watt chairman Murrayfield Curling Ltd.

Curlers – Jennifer Dodds, Scottish Ladies Champion and Bruce Mouat, Scottish Mens Champion.

Edinburgh Curling host Try Curling sessions which provide a great taster to the sport. The sessions include an introduction to the basics and information on how the game is played. The cost is £10, payable on the day and participants should be 8 years of age or older, families and groups are welcome.

For more information on Try Curling session and Edinburgh Curling, please visit www.edinburghcurling.co.uk

Issued on behalf of Edinburgh Curling by Sure Public Relations Ltd. For further, information please contact Stephen Rafferty on +44 (0)7980 598764 or email stephe@surepr.co.uk