Teams from Haapsalu and the British Embassy in Estonia faced off against each other on the ice, while, given that it was just after January 25, Burns Night, an evening event showcased Scottish culture and food to guests – though since the event has been going for a decade now, many local residents may already be quite familiar with haggis and neeps.

Despite the recent milder weather, the inshore ice in Haapsalu held firm.

Peep Aedviir, a curling expert, told AK that "The most important thing about a curling rink is the quality of the ice. Today we have some more or less good ice. It has been very different over the years, but since the game is played on ice, much depends on nature."

In fact, the thaw had brought a thing layer of water on the surface of the ice on the Väike Viik, a lagoon close to the town center, but colder temperatures Friday to Saturday resolved this issues as these puddles froze over.

For the record, while last year the British Embassy team had won the curling event, this year they diplomatically finished in second place to a team led by Mayor of Haapsalu Urmas Sukles.

"I think this was a bit more diplomatic," Ross Allen, British ambassador to Estonia, told AK.

A piper in full regalia was present on the ice, while the after party, or Cèilidh to give it its correct name, took place at the nearby Kaluri clubhouse and included the traditional piping in of the haggis among other revelries.

The original AK segment is below.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!