STARTING today, over 1000 competitors from all 32 districts, encompassing all corners of Scotland, will make the annual trek to Ayr Northfield for the Bowls Scotland National Championship final, where 15 titles will be up for grabs as the week progresses.
The event gets underway with the Seniors Championships which involve men's and women's singles and fours with these fours titles the first to be decided on Thursday, alongside the Mixed Pairs.
The main thrust of the events though will kick off on Thursday and continue through to Sunday when a further 10 titles will be decided.
It's one of the strongest line-ups in recent years with world, Commonwealth, British and former champions all making the cut from the District qualifiers which were held earlier in the year.
World Champion of Champions and World Cup holder Iain McLean from Blackwood Victoria will no doubt start as favourite to regain the men's blue riband singles crown. McLean won this title two years ago, and courtesy of this win went on to represent Scotland in New Zealand and then Australia to add further accolades. He opens against Dave Smeaton from Duffus Park.
However, McLean isn't the only former title holder in the line up with 2006, 2010 and 2011 winners Billy Mellors, formerly Goldenacres and now representing West Barns in East Lothian, Jonathan Ross from Priorscroft and Rutherglen's Mark Kelsey also in the running, and only Ross in the opposite half of the draw.
Ross, a former Irish world champion, will have a tough opening match against international colleague Robert Grant from Overtown & Waterloo while Mellors will tackle 2009 runner-up Scott Macintosh from London Road Foundry, and Kelsey will front up to Scott McCubbin from Auchincairn.
The big question on everyone's lips though will no doubt be whether former South African star Lorna Smith from Linlithgown can strengthen her grip on the Ladies crown and take the principal title for an unrivalled fourth year in succession.
Burnbank Hamilton's Margaret Letham is the only former winner in the Ladies field, winning the title in 1999, however there will be several strong contenders lurking in the shadows, none more so than Elgin's Isabel Laing, who has come face to face with Smith in recent years, with both players getting the better of each other in the principal and also the senior singles.
And, with a new management structure heading up the Scotland squad, Smith will also be out to further her cause for selection in that area after missing out during the reign of David Gourlay.
A double celebration could be on the cards, with Smith having qualified in both the principal and senior singles events as have Jean Fisher from the Bridge of Allan, Jean Fairnie from Castlepark and Beechwood's Betty Eaton.
Smith opens her campaign on Thursday morning against Alex McInnes from St Ninians but like her male counterparts, will then have to negotiate each round on its merit, depending on other results in her half of the draw. But the tie of the round should
be between Letham and her international colleague Susan Murray from the local Ayr Seafield club which is in the other half of the draw.
Since its inauguration in 2013, the Senior Singles title has evaded Smith, who lost to Laing last year. This time round she gets her challenge underway against Irene Hannah from Greenfaulds, but with a host of well known names in her half of the draw will once again be closely following results as they unfold.
Double Commonwealth gold medallist Paul Foster will have in interest in the fours title this year. A former winner of the singles and pairs silverware, Foster joins with his Troon Portland clubmates Colin Doak and Colin Howie, whom he won the Ayrshire triples title with on Saturday, and Barry Nixon, whom he partnered to the Scottish Pairs title in 2007. Their opening match will be against Wellington Park.
Sandra Steven and Kirsteen McLelland from Uphall Station, who are the Ladies Pairs title holders, are back in the frame to take the title for a third time. The take on Kirkcowan's Laura Agnew and Jen McKie.
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