SCOTLAND made a positive start to their BIIBC Home International Series campaign at Abbeyvew, wrapping up a +23 shot victory against Ireland in their opening match yesterday.

East Lothian’s Scott Kennedy, Billy Mellors and Derek Oliver all enjoyed wins on the day.

The Scots finished with four winning and two losing rinks, and took the overall points after a respectable 125-102 victory.

East Lothian's Derek Oliver, stepping up to skip for fellow East Lothian star Alex Marshall, guided Darren Gaultieri from Whiteinch, Midlothian's Ronnie Duncan and Billy Peacock from Midlothian in their game.

They had an 'in and out' match against newly crowned British triples winning skip Andy Kyle and lost out over the second half of their match 13-22.

Scotland's team captain Paul Foster, formerly of East Lothian, and his Ardrossan team-mate Darren Weir, along with East Lothian duo Scott Kennedy and Billy Mellors, pulled off a 23-19 win over Stephen Coleman.

Darren Burnett's rink of Falkirk's Martin McCalley, Callum Taggert from Whiteinch and Turriff's Connor Milne were the top-scoring rink, pulling away in the second half of their match against Ian McClure and newly crowned British Isles triples winners Jayden Kyle and Andy Duncan and Robert Allen, winning 29-11.

In the opening game of the International Series, holders England posted five winning rinks against Wales, with Dan Salmon holding off a whitewash after defeating Greg Harlow's team. England won 148-91.

Scotland line up against Wales this afternoon with a 3pm start time.