The sport of curling originated in Scotland in the early 16th century, with the earliest known records pointing to games played on frozen ponds and lochs there.

Quick Scoop: Origin of Curling

  • Most historians credit 16th‑century Scotland as the birthplace of curling, especially regions around Paisley, Stirling, and Perth.
  • The first known written reference is from 1541 at Paisley Abbey, describing a contest throwing stones on ice.
  • An early curling stone dated 1511 is linked to the Scottish area around Stirling and Perth, giving physical evidence of the sport’s Scottish roots.
  • Similar ice‑stone games appeared in the Low Countries (Netherlands/Belgium), but Scotland is widely seen as the place where the modern sport was shaped and formalized.

In short, when people ask “where did the sport of curling originate,” the widely accepted answer is: 16th‑century Scotland , even though related games existed elsewhere in Europe.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.