The Prince and Princess of Wales visited the National Curling Academy in Stirling, where they tried their hand at the sport and met with Team GB and Paralympic GB curling teams. The visit comes ahead of the Winter Paralympic Games in Milano-Cortina, scheduled for February and March.

William and Kate took to the ice alongside some of the athletes at the sports center. After their curling experience, they spoke with locals and children about the sport.

Bruce Mouat, skip of the men’s curling team, welcomed the royal support. «It was wonderful, really nice that they came to wish us good luck for the next month we are about to embark on, both of them were lovely and willing to curl,» he said. «They said they would be watching the games, which means a lot to us.»

National curling hub

The National Curling Academy opened in August 2017, providing British Curling athletes with a dedicated facility and year-round access to high-quality ice. The center was established in the run-up to the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Curling has its roots in 16th-century Scotland. The sport has become one of Team GB and Paralympics GB’s most successful winter disciplines, with six Olympic medals and two Paralympic medals to date.