For most athletes sitting comfortably inside the top five of their sport’s world rankings, winning their national championships would surelybe little more than a formality.

Ross Whyte, however, has the misfortune of knowing that despite himself and his teammates being one of the very best curling rinks on the planet, becoming Scottish champions over the course of the coming week will take an almost superhuman effort.

Whyte and his rink of Robin Brydone, Duncan McFadzean and Euan Kyle have been in the form of their lives over recent months, with their most notable result coming just before Christmas when they reached their first-ever final of a Grand Slam, ultimately narrowly losing out to world number one team , Italy, in the final at The Masters tournament in Canada.

And Whyte knows that’s exactly the kind of form they’ll have to show in the coming days if they’re to end this week as national champions for the first time.

The Scottish Championships begin today in Dumfries and despite Team Whyte’s lofty standing in the world rankings – they’re currently in fifth place having been at a career-high of third just a few weeks ago - it’s Team Mouat who go in as favourites for the title.

Bruce Mouat and his teammates, who are currently ranked second in the world, have established themselves as one of the greatest men’s sides in history having won Olympic, World and European silverware in recent years.

And while Whyte is fully aware of the quality that Team Mouat, as well as Team Craik who are fifteenth in the world and Team Waddell who are twenty first in the world, will bring to the ice this week, he’s also quietly confident in his own rink’s form.

“We’re very pleased with how the season’s gone so far and we feel like we’re only getting better,” 25-year-old Whyte says.

“We’re going in this week wanting to win. We feel confident in how we’ve played this season and hopefully that transfers into the Scottish Champs.

“It’s tough with such strong competition - we’re competing against what is probably the strongest Scottish men’s team we’ve ever seen in Team Mouat and there are other teams who are very, very strong at the moment too.

“We know we need to play very, very well to beat Team Mouat and equally, if we slip up at all, there’s others who will capitalise immediately. So it’ll be a long, hard week but it’s also an exciting week because we know the opportunities that are there if we do well. 

“If we end the week as Scottish champions, we’ll know we really deserve it.”

There is more at stake than merely a national title this week, though.

Selection for next month’s World Championships will happen in the days following the conclusion of these Scottish Championships and while it’s based on more than solely the result of this tournament, Whyte knows that to snatch selection away from Team Mouat, victory this week is a must.

It’s a scenario that brings intense pressure but Whyte insists his side need that pressure in order to produce their best form.

“If we didn’t have this pressure on us, I don’t think we’d be doing this – we really enjoy it,” the Dumfries native says.

“It’s the pressure that makes it exciting and enjoyable – and it’s what makes us really care. Putting that bit more pressure on ourselves usually makes us play better so hopefully that applies again this week.

“If winning the Scottish ends up not being enough to make it to the Worlds, it’ll hurt a lot but we’ll still cherish being Scottish champions.”

Whyte already has considerable major championship experience under his belt. As an alternate – or spare man – for Team Mouat, he’s picked up several major medals, including Olympic silver in 2022 and World gold last year. And for all the gratitude he feels for having been afforded those experiences, it’s only served to strengthen his desire to be at major championships with his own team. And it’s an ambition he wants to fulfil in the very near future.

“It’d be massive to get to these major championships with my own team,” Whyte says. 

“Getting the major championships experience that I have as the fifth man with Team Mouat has been great but I’m very much looking for success with my own team now. 

“When we all started curling, the thing we wanted to do was represent our country and make it to the Olympic Games. 

“Our ultimate goal, though, is to get to number one in the world and be winning things like World Championships and Olympic Games – that’s the kind of level we’re looking at.”

It is, admits Whyte, difficult to describe to outsiders the dynamic between the top Scottish teams. After all, the men have grown up alongside one another and are now fighting directly against each other for success on the ice.

But they are, as far as it’s possible, able to separate their competitive drive and ambition from their personal relationships.

“It’s probably a bit of a strange one for people looking in,” says Whyte. 

“There’s a lot of close connections not only within teams but between the different teams. 

“We’re constantly trying to catch Team Mouat but we’re also pleased for them when they do well. 

“At times, it’s tough to separate things because we’re just human and we’re all desperate to win. But it’s a big thing that we all get on and it’s important to everyone in all the teams that we remain mates.”

In the women’s event, former European medallists, Team Morrison go in as favourites for the title as they target their third consecutive Scottish Championship victory.