Province Origins

Member clubs of Cupar Curling Province have long wondered what were the actual origins of the Province. Unfortunately any records held locally documenting the very beginnings of the Province appeared to have long since been lost to the vagaries of time.

National records, held since the mid 1800's, make reference to the desire amongst curling clubs to not only become more organised on a local (County) level but to strengthen ties with the Scotland wide curling community and the Royal Caledonian Curling Club (established 1838). It was a time of establishing rules and common practices across many sporting activities such as Golf and Football in an effort to promote equity in these sports. In the Victorian mind consistency of purpose and the ability to maintain good practice across all of society was a national obsession.

The local winter sport, established by farming communities who found considerable pleasure in sliding stones towards a peg or circle marked on the ice over a frozen pond or poorly drained field corner to see who's farm or village was the best was becoming organised.

The hunt has been on for some time now to better understand how and when Cupar Curling Province came into being and, finally, one of our number, namely Roy Black of Cupar Curling Club, after many hours wading through various historical records looking for stories from that clubs 250! years of existence came across an article in the Fife Herald & Journal dated 5th February 1880 announcing the formation of the Cupar Curling Province from all the clubs within a recognised geographical area of Fife. This article, reproduced in full here together with a the first record of a Cupar District 'Provincial Match' within the Royal Caledonian Curling Club annual of December 1880 provides proof positive that the 150th anniversary of Cupar Curling Province will be held in 2030.

Our thanks go to Roy Black for his hard work in this endeavour and I'm sure a glass or two will be raised at the celebrations.