Curling and the Bonspiel

Hone describes curling as a parish game of Scotland, played in winter when the waters would bear, and also known in Northumberland and other northern parts of England. The meeting agreed for play was the tryst, the match the bonspiel, the marks at each end the tees, and the stones were called quoits or coiting-stones. He quotes the poet Grahame on rival parishes and shires meeting on upland lochs for their yearly bonspiel, where old men played with the eagerness of youth. Curling is still played across Scotland.