One of the largest architectural practices in Scotland and the UK, Archial Architects, has secured a commission from the Kinross Curling Trust to design a National Curling Academy in Kinross.

Set to be located on the Market Park site in the heart of Kinross, the new academy will feature a six sheet curling rink, with full supporting facilities, offices, meeting rooms and a museum.

Charles Smith, director at Archial Architects, said: "This state-of-the-art curling facility in Kinross will cater for local curlers and national elite squads alike and looks set to become the genuine curling centre of Scotland – which effectively means the curling centre of the world.

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"And having designed the new curling rink in Aberdeen, completed three years ago, host to the European Curling Championships later this year, Archial can stake a claim to be a world leader in curling rink design."

The National Curling Academy is scheduled to be operational in time for the 2010/2011 season.

Kinross was chosen as the location for the new National Curling Academy because of its historic links with curling. Instituted in 1668, Kinross Curling Club is believed to be the oldest curling club in the world.

The Archial Group Plc employs around 200 staff in Scotland, operating from offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness.

(GK/BMcC)