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Eve Muirhead’s home village of Blair Atholl enjoyed perhaps its finest moment in recent times early on Sunday morning.
The centre of activity was the Tulach Restaurant at Blair Atholl Golf Club, where friends and family members gathered for the televised final of the women’s curling.
For weeks there had been great and growing excitement in the local community of Team GB’s Winter Olympics flagbearer and women’s curling skip.
Around 30 people – including Eve’s big brother Glen – watched, biting their nails for the 1.05am final of Team GB against Japan at the Ice Cube in Beijing.
Eve is not only a top curler but locally was known as a top golfer and piper too.
The early hours gathering at the golf club eatery was hosted by Sally Judd and Davie Mckenzie, owners of the Tulach family restaurant and also the fast food stop at Blair Atholl, Food in the Park.
And the business posted their delight: “Massive congratulations to Eve and all your team who have made the people of Blair Atholl and Scotland extremely proud of all your achievements. Eve, a local lass, continually shows that if you want something bad enough and work hard, you can achieve it.
“And let’s not forget the guys who also brought home a silver medal. Curling history has been made.”
Chef and owner Davie, a curler himself, famously said in 2018 if the GB curlers won at the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, he would paint the posts of Food in the Park gold.
“I’m going to honour my promise now,” said a jubilant Davie yesterday in light of the Team GB gold clinched by Eve’s champion team.
“I will speak to our painter, he’ll get the gold paint and the posts at Food in the Park will show our joy in Eve’s teams wonderful achievement before March 25 when we open for 2022.”
The curling bug has hit his family, with oldest daughter Islay (12) going to curl with Perth juniors every Tuesday.
She’s proud to use one of Eve’s old brushes when she is training on the ice. As a mark of her support for Eve, the Pitlochry High School pupil wore a signed shirt which Eve had had on in Pyeongchang 2018.
Her mum Sally said Islay refused to take it off for the last two weeks as the team GB ladies skipper’s battle to the top of the 2022 Winter Olympics took place.
Blair Atholl Primary and Nursery, which Eve attended when she was small, tweeted ahead of the early hours battle against Japan:
“It’s a little late for our pupils, but everyone at Blair Atholl PS wishes the whole team well,” it read. “As a former pupil, Eve Muirhead and the rest of Team Muirhead perfectly demonstrate our school values of proud and together.”
And Pitlochry High School, where Eve once studied, shared delight.
Head teacher Elaine Liney said: “Staff and pupils, past and present, are delighted for Eve and her team. She was, and is, both talented and completely focused on achievement at the highest level. I am in no doubt that she has and continues to inspire many young people from Pitlochry High School to follow their dreams.”
Amid such celebration the natural thought was that, like champion tennis player Andy Murray, Eve and her Guildtown team mate Mili Smith would get a gold post box.
But a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail congratulates all of the Team GB Olympians on their inspirational performances.
“Royal Mail did not paint postboxes gold during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and will not be creating gold postboxes for the Beijing Winter Olympics.”
Blair Atholl Country Life Museum started Sunday, February 20 with a show of delight: “Eve Muirhead, Olympic Champion 2022. Well done Eve and team. You did Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland and the UK proud. Meanwhile, we’ll have to keep updating your achievements on your Highland Perthshire Sports Hall of Fame accolade. Long may it continue.”
The emblem of Blair Atholl is arguably the private army, the protectors of the castle, The Atholl Highlanders.
Graham Jack, Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) toasted the historic victory: “A fantastic achievement by Eve Muirhead and her GB Olympic curling team. Blair Atholl, Perthshire, indeed the whole of Scotland are very proud of their fantastic achievement in winning Olympic gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.”
