Perth curlers win Scottish Senior Championships again and will now represent Scotland on world stage

There was perhaps an added feeling of pressure being the reigning champions.

But Perth curlers remained ice cool to add another Scottish Senior Curling Championships title to their growing list of achievements in the sport at the weekend.

Mairi Milne, Katie Loudon and Wendy Johnston - representing Team Lockhart alongside Jackie Lockhart at the Lanarkshire Ice Rink in Hamilton - toasted their gold success following a 6-3 final victory against Team Wyllie.

Team Lockhart had actually lost their opening round robin game of the week but recovered in style and continued to improve as the tournament progressed.

“We had our bye in the first game and it was maybe a bit of a disadvantage as the others had got to grips with the ice,” Dewars Centre curler Milne reflected.

“After we lost that, due to the small field, we knew we had to keep winning. Luckily - and happily - we found our game and managed to win the rest of the round-robin matches which put us straight into the final.

“We dropped our first game last year too so we knew we could do it.”

Milne admits the final was a bit of a “nervy and cagey” contest but the feeling of pride was as strong as ever when the final shot was completed.

“We blanked the first end and then lost two steals against the head,” Milne told the PA. “So we were 2-0 down after three ends and were maybe thinking this wasn’t our year.

“But Jackie played a great shot to get us our one in the fourth and, in the fifth, we stole two after playing a really good end.

“It was a turning point and probably gave us the belief that we could do it and that we just needed to dig in. It all worked out fine in the end and I think it was a big relief. Of course, we are delighted and really excited.

“We probably did feel