The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games may still be fresh in the memory, but it’s time to bristle your brushes and polish your stones – curling season is back.
From 27 October to 1 November, 12 of the continent’s best teams will contest the European Curling Championships in Ostrava, Czechia, with Scottish representation across both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Grant Hardie’s men are one of the favourites following their silver medal at the Olympic Games earlier this year, while Fay Henderson’s women’s team have similarly lofty ambitions as European runners-up last year.
Let’s meet the teams.
Scotland men
In June this year, Grant Hardie ended nine years in Bruce Mouat’s team to skip his own team, which he will lead into the European Championships instead.
Hardie was Mouat’s trusty third for two Olympic silver medals in 2022 and 2026, as well as two World Championship golds in 2023 and 2025.
And he has immense European pedigree, having won six medals, including four golds, most recently at the home tournament in Aberdeen in 2023.
Ross Whyte will also enjoy a new role thanks to the major reshuffle of teams this season, as he will be the team’s fourth at the Europeans.
The 28-year-old had skipped his own team ever since breaking into the sport as a 15-year-old and will still throw the decisive stones, but without the tactical onus he has had for the majority of his career.
Whyte has two European golds on his CV, as well as an Olympic silver from 2022.
Craig Waddell will be the team’s second and will make his second European Championship appearance after taking bronze in Helsingborg in 2019.
He was part of Whyte’s team last season and has retained his place in the shake-up alongside the team’s lead, Euan Kyle. They were part of Whyte’s team that took home a bronze medal from the World Championships in Ogden earlier in 2026.
Scotland women
And in the women’s team, Fay Henderson will skip a quartet who are hoping to take Scotland’s final step to the summit of the European podium for the first time since 2021.
The 24-year-old won a bronze medal in Lohja, Finland in 2024 as an alternate before reprising her role and upgrading to a silver at the same venue last year after losing the final 7-5 to Sweden.
And Henderson’s promotion to skip is far from the only change in the squad. Sophie Sinclair is the only other member of last year’s squad in Henderson’s team and will be the alternate.
Lisa Davie will make her European Championship debut as the third, though she won silver at the World Mixed Curling Championship in 2022.
Laura Watt, still just 22 years old, joined Henderson’s team straight out of the junior ranks and will throw second in Ostrava.
And lead Katie McMillan, a three-time Scottish champion who first competed alongside Henderson in 2021, completes the team.
Sportsbeat 2026