Day 2 - Tour of Glasgow and Exhibition Match

Day 2 of the Tour started with a buffet breakfast at the Glynhill hotel followed by a bus tour of Glasgow.  The highlight of the tour was definitely visiting the Glasgow Cathedral.  The cathedral was consecrated in 1194 and houses the Tomb of Saint Mungo.  It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow.


We also came across a statue of David Livingston, of “Mr. Livingston, I Presume” fame.

Finally, we were treated to views of the bonnie (beautiful) Scottish countryside on the drive back to the hotel.


Next the Tourists ventured to the Greenacres Curling Club.  The club is located in the countryside with sheep literally 5 feet away from the parking lot.



Once the Tourists arrived at the Greenacres Curling Club, we received the awesome news that not only had the Seattle Tourists landed in Edinburgh but also that they (meaning the Tourists, not the airline) had located Bret Jackson’s luggage in the baggage claim area of the airport.  The Tourists were picked up by a couple of the 2017 Tourists and upon their arrival at the Greenacres Curling Club, all of the Tourists and their luggage were finally together.  A momentous occasion to be sure.

The Herries-Maxwell Trophy was put on display for the first time on the Tour.

Rhona Howie (Martin), Olympic gold medal winning skip of the 2002 Salt Lake City games is helping out at  the Greenacres Curling Club, so some of the Tourists had an opportunity to speak with her.  Rhona is the full time Equipment and Logistics Officer for the World Curling Federation. If you have never watched it, “a Beautiful Curling Story” is a great documentary that details Rhona and her team’s road to the Olympics and their gold medal win.  It is available on the Olympic Channel’s website.



All 5 teams played an exhibition match against the 2017 Scot Tourists with the American’s winning 3 games, drawing one and losing one.



The evening ended with a wonderful formal dinner reception at the Glynhill hotel.  The reception consisted of Alex Dickson, the planner of the Tour on the Scottish side providing a welcome, followed by the saying of “Curling Grace”, a toast to the king followed by a welcome from Mike Ferguson, the President of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.  The Scots then toasted the American Tourists, American Tour Captain Leland Rich made some remarks thanking the Scottish for their support of the Tour and then the Tourists blessed the Scottish attendees with their “entertainment” which consisted of 3 songs and 2 stories.  All agreed that the singing could only get better over the course of the Tour.  

The reception was concluded with the singing of the Scottish classic song “Auld Lang Syne” complete with the apparently traditional grabbing (across your body) of your neighbors hands and a “richt gude willie-waught”.






If today, and tonight’s reception, are any indication of what the Tourists will experience over the course of the Tour, it is an experience that none of the Tourists shall ever forget.

The Tourists would like to express their thanks to the 2007 and 2017 Scottish Tourists that traveled in from all over Scotland to be a part of the Opening Dinner.  We truly feel blessed for your hospitality.


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