Ailsa Craig Rock Curling Stones

The granite from Ailsa Craig, as recently seen on BBC's wonderful series coast, has long been regarded as the best for producing curling stones for the "roaring game" that has been played on ice for centuries. The first written reference to a contest using stones on ice come from the records in 1541 from Paisley Abbey, Renfrew, although the word appeared in print in Perth in 1220. But Scotland's long pedigree in the game - and as producer of the best stones - is under challenge from Finland. The Finns claim that their country can produce a "Rolls-Royce" of curling rocks. Their new product was unveiled this week at the European Curling Championships in Basel, Switzerland. The dominance of the stones from Ailsa Craig is bound to come to an end as the island has been given protected status and can no longer be quarried. The World Curling Federation obtained 2,000 tons of the granite before that - but with world demand for stones soaring, that will not last forever.