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Granite Curling Stones
Thursday 10 February, 2022
News Brief

Not only is there Celtic rivalry on the Rugby pitch as Specialist Aggregates discover when investigating the origin of curling stones. The traditional source of curling stones and indeed the source of the stones used in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is the “Blue Hone” granite from the island of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde. However, in more recent times a granite from North Wales has found favour particularly in North America and Canada.

Full Story:

Updated 11/2/22
Apart from the bruising encounters at the Millennium Stadium and Murrayfield, Specialist Aggregates discovered another fierce Celtic rivalry in the world of Curling.

Whilst Scotland claims the right to the origin of the sport, the accolade of the location producing the highest quality curling stones or “rocks” is hotly contested.

The “traditional” source of curling stones and indeed the source of the stones used in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is the “Blue Hone” granite from the island of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde. However, in more recent times the Silurian granite from Trefor Quarry in North Wales has found favour particularly in North America and Canada. Both stones have similar geological origins, being attributed to the result of slowly cooling magmas encased within the roots of long extinct volcanoes. However, if age has anything to do with it the Trefor Granite clocks in at an impressive 440 million years old, whilst the Ailsa Craig is a mere youngster having been formed at a similar time to the “Tertiary” granites and lavas of Aran, Mull and Skye at around 60 million years.

Even in international curling nature has the final say. Ailsa Craig stones can be found in North Wales having been uplifted and swept there within ice sheets during recent glaciations …… we are not sure of the provenance if the Welsh made curling stones from Scottish glacial erratics perhaps it would have to be declared a draw!

r Whilst the secrets of manufacture of curling stones is closely guarded we did manage to obtain these images of Welsh stone "cheeses" prior to final shaping and polishing. The traditional Ailsa Craig stone with a natural curling pond in the background was photographed at Blair Athol Castle in Scotland.


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Granite Curling Stones
Granite Curling Stones
Granite Curling Stones
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