The week ahead

I've already mentioned that the Swiss Cup Basel begins tomorrow in Arlesheim. The Scottish teams taking part are skipped by David Murdoch, Tom Brewster and Logan Gray. The matchup for the first games in the thirty-two team triple knockout is here. It looks as if there will again be webcasts from Laola1.tv, see here.

Nearer home, the second of the Scottish Curling Tour events, the Cardwell Garden Centre Braehead Open, begins tomorrow evening. The draw is on this page. Thirty-two teams are taking part - and they are a real cross section of Scottish curling! In addition teams from Russia, Finland, Netherlands, Ireland and Wales are taking part.

After three preliminary rounds, the teams ranked 1-8 in each section will progress to the High Road Knockout. This will be played on Saturday evening, with quarterfinals, semis and finals on Sunday. There will be a 3rd-4th playoff in the High Road.

Teams ranked 9-14 in each section, twelve teams in total, progress to the Middle Road Schenkel, carrying forward their first three game results. They will play two further games – making five in total, except the 11th and 12th ranked teams after the fourth game, who will be eliminated.

Teams ranked 15 and 16 in each division will progress to the Low Road semifinal, which will be played on Sunday morning at 8.30am, with the final at 2pm on the Sunday. There's certainly something for everyone at the Braehead Open.

At Stranraer the Ladies' Branch Unders and Overs Competition is at the North West Castle rink on Saturday and Sunday. Twelve teams are in the draw for this, see here.

At the Taarnby Curling Club in Denmark, David Edwards, Kerry Barr, Scott Macleod and Louise Edwards will carry Scotland's colours in the European Mixed Championship. On Saturday, the Scots play Austria in their first game in the Red Section which has nine teams, including Russia, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Netherlands, Wales and Romania, as well as Austria, already mentioned. Eight countries compete in each of the other two sections. The website for the event is here if you want to follow how our team does in the week ahead.

Although the competition does not involve Scotland, the European Championship C Group Qualifiers will be played alongside the Euro Mixed.

L-R: Louise Edwards, Scott Macleod, Kerry Barr and David Edwards, Scotland's representatives at the European Mixed Championship in Taarnby. Photo © Skip Cottage.