The game dates back to at least the 16th century. It became increasingly popular during the 17th and 18th centuries with the first bowling club formed in 1709. The rules were codified in 1864 subsequent to which the Scottish Bowling Association was established in 1892. The first National Championship was held in 1892.

Beginners Guide

Bowls is the ultimate sport for all, a genuine sport for life. It is completely inclusive and accessible regardless of gender or age. Anyone can play, but to be the best requires skill, mental strength, resolve and powers of endurance. No sport is easier to learn, but to achieve any sort of mastery demands determination, concentration and practice. Bowling clubs are at the heart of almost every community in Scotland. Club membership is inexpensive compared with most other sports.

The basics:

Outdoor bowls is played on squares of closely cut grass known as “the green” which is then divided into a series of separate strips known as rinks. The green is surrounded by a small ditch to catch bowls that leave the green, behind which is a bank on where markers are placed to indicate the boundaries of each rink and the centre line. Players deliver their bowls from a mat placed on the rink by the bowler whose turn it is to deliver the jack.

The jack is a small white ball which is the target. Both the mat and the jack must be placed on the centre line.
Bowls are shaped so that they take a curved path towards the jack. The object is to get one or more of your bowls closer to the jack than those of your opponents with one point scored for each counting shot after each “end” has been completed.

There is a wide array of formats. Matches are most commonly played by singles or teams of pairs, triples and fours. The number of bowls each player delivers varies according to the competition.
Traditionally matches have been played to one single score, commonly 21 shots, or over a specified number of ends, however increasingly there is a trend towards playing matches in sets.