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Curling, the true origin of this ancient game is believed had its beginnings on the frozen ponds and streams of Scotland. The game of curling was popular in Scotland in the early sixteenth century - as evidenced by a curling stone, inscribed "St. Js B Stirling". A famous curling stone inscribed with the date 1511 was uncovered, along with another bearing the date 1551, when an old pond was drained at Dunblane, Scotland.

It was not until 1716 however, that the Kilsyth Curling Club, Scotland was the first club in the world to be formally constituted.

The Harriston Mutual Curling Club ( Harriston, Ontario, Canada ) was formed in 1875, so documented in the 1883 Annual of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. Also in articles from the Listowel Banner (1881) it was noted that the famous “Palace Rink” was built (1878) to include a skating & hockey surface along with one curling surface at each side of the main ice pad. The Meiklejohn family from Scotland, are credited as founding members as well as having started the famous Meiklejohn Bonspiel held annually at the Harriston Curling Club since 1912. The first winner of the Meiklejohn trophy was a rink out of the Fergus Curling Club.