Curling originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded games taking place on frozen ponds and lochs there in the early 16th century, particularly around Paisley and the central Lowlands.

Most historians point to:

  • Early written records from 1541 describing stone-throwing contests on ice at Paisley Abbey in Scotland.
  • Old curling stones dated to the early 1500s linked to the Scottish regions of Stirling and Perth.

There is some discussion about related ice‐stone games in the Netherlands and Low Countries around the same time, but modern curling as a codified sport is widely considered a Scottish creation.