Skater’s outdoor delight
Findo Gask field is perfect venue
Strath skater Hannah Robertson (13) enjoyed a dream opportunity to ice skate in the open air when the recent cold snap provided the perfect natural rink near Findo Gask.
The ideal spot was formed last week following an overspill of the River Earn, which had flooded nearby fields and frozen in sub-zero temperatures.
Mum Moira said: “If you think about it, the 1984 Winter Olympic gold medal winners Torvill and Dean had to go to Alaska to train outside, and here we are in Scotland – it has been simply amazing.”
A Strath teenager enjoyed a dream opportunity to ice skate in the open air when the recent cold snap provided the perfect natural rink near Findo Gask.
Before the pandemic, 13 year-old Hannah Robertson from Dunning competed all over the UK and hoped to enter the British Championships, but the 2020 competition was cancelled.
Her talent saw her visiting Kirkcaldy Ice Arena five days a week and she has kept up her training during restrictions with daily online sessions with coach Jackie Coubrough.
After briefly opening from October until Christmas Eve, public ice rinks are closed again.
However last week’s sub-zero temperatures resulted in perfect conditions for Hannah to take her passion outdoors.
Mum Moira helped her find the ideal spot near their home in Dunning, an overspill of the River Earn which had flooded nearby fields.
Hannah, a pupil at the Community School of Auchterarder, grabbed her skates and the Chique Sport competition outfit she received for Christmas, with mum bringing along camping chairs and hot chocolate.
“Skating outside is something my daughter joked was on her bucket list,” explained Moira.
“If you think about it, the 1984 Olympic gold medal winners Torvill and Dean had to go to Alaska to train outside, and here we are in Scotland, it has been simply amazing.
“With everything closed, Hannah’s had to do everything online for the past seven months
“She worked so hard to do her stretches and practise her choreography on Zoom, but it’s been awful for her to be off the ice and not have her coach beside her for so long. After we found this spot we have come back again and again.
“Hannah was determined to make the most of this rare opportunity and we got one last chance to enjoy it on Saturday before the surface started to melt. She knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Who would have thought a waterlogged field right by home would make such a perfect place for Hannah to practise her moves?”