As they meticulously plan where each stone should come to rest on the ice, it's clear Scotland's next generation of elite curlers know exactly where they are going.

Meanwhile, just a few yards away, a group of mature ladies battle it out in a closely-fought game in which every millimetre counts.

Welcome to Lockerbie Ice Rink, Scotland's newest elite sporting venue.

There aren't many sports at which Scotland can claim to be one of the world's best, but curling is an exception.

Over the last 10 years the nation has won 35 medals on the world stage, including the famous victory of the women's Olympic team in 2002, led by Rhona Martin, while our men currently hold the European title.

We even invented the sport.

However, curling couldn't hope to survive and thrive in the tough modern world without funds, and thanks to an injection of £600,000 from SportScotland, that's what the sport's elite competitors, its governing body, and the nation's politicians believe can happen.

Lockerbie Ice Rink, which has reared so many champions past and present, received £214,000 from the national sporting body to bring its ailing facilities up to international standard.

The remainder of the grant will be spent developing the game across the country at all levels.

If the money had not been spent at Lockerbie, which was re-opened yesterday by Scottish Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell, there is little doubt it would have closed, and there would have been no chance of a future David Murdoch walking out on to the ice with his broom.

David is something of a local hero in these parts.

Alongside his team mate Euan Byers, the 30-year-old elite curler, who learned his craft on this very rink and still trains here, will defend his European title next month in Sweden.

He will also compete for Britain in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010.

For David, the money means the sport he loves has a more secure future.

And now, with state-of-the-art lighting and an energy efficient new refrigeration system, his rink is fit for the 21st century.

"So much talent has come out of Lockerbie in the last 15 years, there's so much spirit here," he says.

"And thanks to this new money I genuinely believe the future for the sport both in Lockerbie and nationwide is bright.

"Having the best coaching structures and allowing our youngsters to compete at the highest level both at home and abroad makes all the difference.

"That's why I am where I am today, and I want to see the next generation getting the same opportunities."

Some of the talented young curlers David speaks of are also delighted that their home rink has received such a welcome boost.

Alice Spence and Hannah Fleming, both 17 and pupils at Lockerbie Academy, hope one day to emulate the success of their coach - a certain Rhona Martin.

Both girls are hoping to go to university next year, but both say they are committed to keeping up their curling.

"Rhona is a real inspiration to us, and a fantastic coach," says Alice, who will compete alongside Hannah at the European Youth Olympics in Poland next year.

"We hope to win gold in Poland, but our dream is to win a medal at the 2014 winter Olympics.

"We're lucky to live in Lockerbie, where there's such a tradition in curling.

"It's a really challenging game, that you need to be both physically and mentally fit to play well.

"And it's brilliant fun."

However, not all young people in Scotland currently have the chance to take up curling.

Many ice rinks across the country have closed in recent years - including those in Pitlochry and Irvine - while the facilities at too many others are outdated at best, and at worst could soon break European laws on energy efficiency.

Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell says this problems is one of the reasons curling has been given such a high priority by the Scottish Government.

He said: "Curling is a sport that can be played by people of all ages, and has a wonderful tradition in Scotland that needs to be maintained.

"We realise that facilities up and down the country need to be improved and replaced - it's a difficulty but we will keep working towards this.

"This money will allow us to get more people than ever before enjoying the sport, and make sure our elite curlers have the best facilities and coaching.

"Scotland must do everything it can to stay at the top of the sport."

Stones of destiny The game of curling was invented in Scotland. A curling stone, inscribed with the date 1511, was uncovered in Dunblane. The first written reference to a contest using stones on ice coming from the records of Paisley Abbey in February 1541, where it was thought to have been played by the abbot. Curling was originally played outdoors, usually on frozen lochs and specially constructed ponds. Although there were indoor ice rinks at Manchester and Southport in the latter part of the nineteenth century it was not until 1907 that the first indoor rink in Scotland - at Crossmyloof in Glasgow - was built. Two more rinks opened in 1912 - in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. The ice hockey boom of the late-1930s, following Great Britain's success at that event at the Winter Olympics in 1936, led to many more ice rinks being built. Curling is now one of Scotland's most successful sports. Around 23,000 people play the game, at 25 ice-rinks. Curling strongholds include Lockerbie and Perth and Kinross. The Royal Caledonian Curling Club, the sport's governing body in Scotland, has 14,000 members. The average age of players in Scotland is 35. Curling was a demonstration sport in the Olympics four times - 1924, 1932, 1992 and 1994 - before being admitted as a full medal sport in 1998. Today Canada has more curlers in total than any other country. One million people play there. Teams are made up of four people with each player throwing two stones. Two teams play against each other on one "sheet" of ice.