Grand Match

The Grand Match, also called The Bonspiel, is an outdoor curling tournament, or bonspiel, held on the Lake of Menteith in Perth and Kinross, Scotland when the weather is cold enough. Traditionally it is a match between the north and south of Scotland.

The last tournament was held in 1979. Since then, due at least in part to the effects of global warming, the loch has never frozen over sufficiently to allow the tournament to take place. It can attract thousands of curlers when it is held.

In total the Grand Match has taken place on 38 occasions, of which 33 were on outside ice: 1 in November, 9 in December, 16 in January, and 7 in February. The 5 indoor matches were held at the Edinburgh and Glasgow ice rinks.

List of National Bonspiels

*Penicuik, 15 January 1847 - 96 competitors
*Linlithgow Loch, 1848 - 280 competitors
*Carsebreck, near Blackford - 25 matches between 1853-1935, on leased land which was specially flooded to provide good, safe ice - the final match, on 24 December 1935, attracted 2576 competitors
*Loch Leven, 1959
*Lake of Menteith, 1963
*Lake of Menteith, 1979

External links

* [http://www.royalcaledoniancurlingclub.org Royal Caledonian Curling Club]
* [http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/item/item_photograph.jsp?item_id=4732 Am Baile - Highland History and Culture - Curling Bonspiel]