Curling is a bizarre and unusual sight for many sports enthusiasts all around the world. However, it has been a part of life in Scotland for generations. For the past two decades, Scottish curlers have made it a successful Olympic sport for Britain, as well as a popular spectator activity. The first official Olympic curling competition was held at Paris in 1892. As you can see, this ancient sport isn't going anywhere. The history of curling in Scotland dates back more than 1000 years. It was originally known as "Curlie" and was used by farmers to get rid of weeds between their crops. They would send a team of men out into the fields with bags of rocks (called "bougets") to destroy any unwanted plants they came across. As time passed, these men weren't sent out into the fields every day, so they invented a game that could be played indoors. This is how we come to use the word "curler". In 1753, a man by the name of James Young established the first curling club in Europe. There are now over 100 such clubs in Scotland alone, with more being formed all the time. Curling is becoming more popular in Scotland thanks in large part to the fact that it is no longer necessary to be a farmer to play it. Anybody who is interested can join a club and have fun with friends old and new.