A small factory in Mauchline, Scotland, crafts the curling stones used at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, from unique granite quarried on the remote island of Ailsa Craig. Kays Scotland, founded in 1851, holds exclusive rights to the island's microgranite, ensuring the stones' durability and performance on ice. The process combines ancient geology with handcrafted precision, supporting the sport's Olympic tradition since 1924.
The curling stones gliding across the ice at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium originate from Ailsa Craig, a tiny uninhabited volcanic island in the Firth of Clyde, 10 miles off Scotland's South Ayrshire coast. Formed 60 million years ago from hardened magma, the island provides microgranite unavailable elsewhere, ideal for the sport's demands.
Kays Scotland, a family-owned company in the East Ayrshire town of Mauchline employing 15 staff, has produced these stones since 1851. Operations manager Ricky English explains the process: “It takes 60m years and about six hours to make a curling stone.” The body uses Common Green granite for its elasticity, acting like a spring during collisions, while the running band, the only part touching the ice, is Blue Hone granite, prized for its waterproof qualities. “It’s basically a waterproof granite, which makes it perfect for running across ice. And the only place on the planet you can get that is Ailsa Craig,” English says.
For the 2026 Olympics, 132 stones were handcrafted and shipped to northern Italy, where 16 are used per game, each weighing about 18kg. Kays has supplied stones since the 1924 Chamonix Games and became the sole Olympic provider when curling joined the medal program in 1998. Production supervisor John Brown, who joined in 2006, oversees final checks, engraving serial numbers, and matching stones to players via an algorithm that predicts curl based on measurements.
Granite is harvested every six to seven years in environmentally sensitive operations, with the 2020 yield of 2,500 tons of Common Green and 500 tons of Blue Hone representing just a fraction of the island's 680 million tonnes. Exclusive quarrying rights, secured in 1988 and extended through 2050, ensure supply. Stones cost £750 each and last decades, returnable for refurbishment. “It’s handcrafted, it’s traditional, it’s got history. It’s a great wee place,” English adds, highlighting the factory's role in a sport native to Scotland since 1511.
Curling's Olympic inclusion has grown its global reach, with World Curling's membership tripling to 74 nations since 1998. Kays also produces giftware for the Games, boosting the business amid rising interest.
