An action plan has been formed to safeguard the future of Scotland’s oldest curling club.
New legislation will come into place in less than three years, effectively making existing equipment at the Green Hotel in Kinross illegal.
In a bid to retain the town’s long-standing links with the sport, members of Kinross Curling Trust have approved proposals to breathe new life into the facility.
They have given the green light to the board to negotiate a lease with Montgomery Hotels, operators of the Green Hotel.
Plans are in place to relaunch the rink as a members-run facility and upgrade it so that it can continue to be used by the community for the next 25 years.
If this fails, the building faces a gloomy future, as it is likely to be closed down and the local club, which was established in 1668, made homeless.
Chairman Blair Melville welcomed the ”overwhelming” support from trust members.
He suggested that the current problems, which have been brought to a head by the new legislation, have been brewing over a number of years.
Mr Melville said: ”The rink has undoubtedly suffered from under-investment for many years.
”The trust will work to secure funding from as many sources as possible to achieve what local curlers want: a facility we can be proud of and which will attract future generations into one of Scotland’s true native sports.”
He called for support from locals, as well as from Perth and Kinross Council, saying that the project will deliver jobs, health benefits and future sporting success.
A detailed appraisal by Milnathort firm, the Architecture Workshop, and the Purvis Group suggests that between £1.1 million and £1.8m is needed to bring the dated facility up to scratch.
In addition, the money must be found within the next two years.
With that in mind, they have outlined a number of possible solutions to retain the rink at the Green Hotel.
The first would be to repair the building cladding, install internal insulation and a new ice floor and plant, refurbish the bar and changing area and upgrade utilities.
This has already been dismissed as unrealistic, however.
A report from the trust states that ”simply patching up an inadequate building would not guarantee the long-term quality of curling”.
Another suggestion would see the ancillary spaces extended over two floors and a new layout developed to improve changing, bar and catering facilities.
A further option details even more extensive work, suggesting an extension to the curling hall, to allow five or six sheets of ice, and and an increase in the availability of car parking.