The first Crossmyloof ice rink was the first indoor ice rink in Scotland. It was opened on the 1st October 1907 and was built by the Scottish Ice Rink Co. It was on the site now occupied by a Morrison’s supermarket in Crossmyloof, Glasgow.
The ice rink finally closed in February 1918 during the First World War. The rink was not reopened after the war, perhaps there was some fundamental problem with the rink. The ice pad was 149 feet by 49 feet and had a bandstand raised in pillars in the middle of the ice, this suggests that one rink played under the bandstand. The rink was also used from early on for ice hockey internationals with Scotland losing heavily to England in March 1909; it must have been an interesting game avoiding the bandstand.
In January 1909 the rink hosted the Strathcona cup between Scotland and Canada as outdoor ice was unavailable. Six rinks were able to play on each day and given the size of the ice rink then presumably three games were in play at a time. Perhaps one under the bandstand and one on each side
In the 1920’s the Club used the ice rink at Haymarket in Edinburgh until the new Crossmyloof ice rink was opened in 1929.
In 1928 a new company, The Scottish Ice Rink Company (1928) Ltd., was formed and this built a new larger ice rink on the same Titwood Road site. This rink measured 225 feet by 97 feet and had seating for 2000 spectators. This was probably the longest ice rink in Britain. There were murals above the spectators’ gallery. Rinks designed in those days were lit largely by large arched windows high up in the walls.
The ice rink was extended twice with two extra ice halls added on (one perhaps in 1938). One had 4 curling rinks and the other 8. The main ice hall was used for skating and ice hockey. A story says that one year a Christmas tree was placed in the centre of the ice which could be skated around. The tree could be lifted to allow ice hockey. Unfortunately the hoist failed and the ice hockey had to be played around the tree.
The Lanarkshire Ice Rink at Hamilton was opened in 1967 and as this was much more convenient to the club all play was transferred there. By this time the reputation for the quality of ice at Crossmyloof was not very good.
The Crossmyloof ice rink eventually closed in February 1986. Curling transferred to the Summit Centre in Minerva Street, Glasgow and now eventually to Braehead.
The first indoor rink in Britain was The London Glaciarium opened in 1876. Other larger rinks opened in the nineteenth century but none lasted longer than ten years. The Manchester Ice Palace opened in 1910. In the 1920s, it was for several years the only rink in England. It closed some 50 years later