If you have an hour to spare and you are in Edinburgh in the months ahead, make sure you head for the National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street to see Playing for Scotland: The Making of Modern Sport. The story is on the History Blog here.
Last summer it had been hoped that the Charles Lees painting of the Grand Match on Linlithgow Loch might have been part of this exhibition, but this painting remains in store whilst fundraising for its restoration continues. I note from the recent minutes of the Royal Club Communications Committee that the fundraising efforts are to be relaunched. That's good news! I really hope that in my lifetime I will see the painting on display once again.
The National Portrait Gallery exhibition includes a steel engraving of Lees's painting, as well as other paintings, and some artifacts from the Royal Club's collection of memorabilia. I enjoyed my visit and look forward to seeing it again. There is an introductory film, with a section on curling history.
