Curler Hamilton follows in footsteps of dad, curler Hamilton

WHEN it comes to curling, it's a case of 'like father, like son' as far as the MeMillan family in Stranraer are concerned.For, whilst Hamilton senior was skip of a Scottish World Championship curling rink in the mid 1990s, Hamilton junior is now following in his father's illustrious footsteps as a member of the Merchiston Castle School curling team.

A boarder at the Edinburgh school, Hamilton (13) has been a key player in a side which has won both the Miller Drummond League and Trophy and has, as a result, qualified for the finals of the Scottish Schools Curling Championships this month.

Intriguingly, other members of the Merchiston team include his cousin, Grant Hardic from Dumfries , and Kerr Aitken who also hails from Stranraer.

Young Hamilton's first memories of curling go back to the time when, aged four, he sat on a curling stone and was pushed down the ice by his dad - who is manager at the North West Castle Hotel in Stranraer.

Two years later the young Hamilton was playing the game for real and has been hooked ever since. Looking to the future, he has some lofty ambitions: 'After Merchiston, I'd like to go to university but after that I'm not sure what I would want to do work wise," he said.

"But I do know I'd love to go on and follow in my dad's footsteps by taking part in the World Curling Championships."

Perhaps such ambitions are indeed attainable. For Nigel Rickard, the member of staff in charge of the Merchiston Curling Team, is fulsome in his praise. He said " Hamilton undoubtedly has a lot of talent and, who knows, he could go all the way. "At the moment he's a key member of a very successful Merchiston team and I'm sure he'll go from strength to strength."