sports
February 13, 2026
‘A great wee place’: the small Scottish factory crafting Olympic curling stones
All stones in Cortina are made from granite found on tiny island in Firth of Clyde and crafted in East Ayrshire
TL;DR
- Kays Scotland is the only factory in the world that supplies curling stones for the Winter Olympics.
- The stones are made from two types of granite exclusively found on Ailsa Craig: common green granite for the body and blue hone granite for the running band.
- The manufacturing process is largely handcrafted, blending traditional methods with modern machinery.
- Founded in 1851, Kays Scotland has been involved with the Olympics since 1924 and has supplied every curling stone since 1998.
- The factory also produces miniature curling stones, drinks cubes, and coasters, and recently secured a contract for official Winter Olympics giftware.
- Finished curling stones cost £750 each and can be returned for refurbishment after decades of use.
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