A TEAM of Canadian curlers were in Inverness yesterday following in the footsteps first made by their countrymen 100 years ago.
They are part of a 40-strong group competing against Scottish curlers for the prestigious Strathcona Cup.
A team from Canada first travelled to Scotland to compete in 1908 after being invited by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club (RCCC). The RCCC were returning the hospitality the Scots had enjoyed on a 1902-03 tour.
The Canadians travelled from far and wide to organise themselves into a team. One member travelled 14,000 miles over land and sea from his home in Dawson City, in the Yukon.
They gathered in Halifax, Nova Scotia and set sail on their voyage to Liverpool, where a train took the party north to Edinburgh.
During their five-week trip they curled, attended dinners and travelled across the country. All the games took place on the artificial ice at Crossmyloof Ice Rink, in Glasgow, and the visitors won the cup, named after Lord Strathcona, the former Lord High Commissioner of Canada and a keen curler.
Every alternate five years since then Scots and Canadians have toured each others’ country.
On their centenary trip the Canadians are aiming to regain the trophy the Scots won five years ago.
After arriving in Scotland on January 7, they split into two groups – with 20 heading north and 20 competing in the south.
The north contingent have already played in Perth and Elgin, before coming to Inverness, where they attended a civic reception at the town house on Thursday.
During their two days in the city they have played teams from the north and north-east at the Inverness Ice Centre.
They leave for Aberdeen today and head home on January 31.
Captain of the north team, Bruce Beveridge, said it was a privilege to come on the tour.
The 70-year-old from North Vancouver said: “We’ve been very busy but had so much fun. The Scots are very hospitable.
“Of course, coming back in 2009 is very different compared with 100 years ago. The distances are great and it will have taken them a lot longer to get over here by ship.”