No single person is credited with “inventing” the sport of curling; it developed gradually in Scotland in the 16th century and has no known individual creator.

Quick Scoop

  • Curling began as a winter pastime on frozen ponds and lochs in Scotland in the early 1500s.
  • The earliest dated curling stone (the “Stirling Stone”) is from 1511, pointing to Scottish origins.
  • One of the first recorded matches is a 1540–1541 challenge between John Sclater and Gavin Hamilton in Paisley, Scotland.
  • Because it emerged from local ice games over time, historians say curling was not invented by a single person , but by Scottish communities who played and refined it.
  • Scotland later formed the first organized clubs and helped spread the sport globally, especially to Canada.

In short: if you’re asking “who invented the sport curling,” the best historical answer is “16th‑century Scots,” not a single named inventor.

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