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Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland

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Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland
Formation1798
Legal statusReligious brotherhood
PurposeTo promote Protestantism and unionism[1]
HeadquartersOlympia House,
13 Olympia Street,
Bridgeton
Glasgow, Scotland
G40 3TA
Coordinates55°50′56″N 4°13′37″W / 55.849°N 4.227°W / 55.849; -4.227
Region served
Scotland
Members15,000 (2023)
Main organ
Trustees, Senior Officer Bearers[2]
Parent organisation
Orange Institution
Websitewww.orangeorderscotland.com

The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, or Loyal Orange Institution of Scotland, Orange Order in Scotland, The Orange Order is the oldest and biggest Protestant fraternity in Scotland. The Loyal Orange Institution was an official participant in the 2014 independence referendum. Its headquarters are in Motherwell, having previously been in Bridgeton, Glasgow with 15,000 members in the Scottish Lowlands.[3] Representatives from the Scottish Grand Orange Lodge travel to partake in the triennial Imperial Orange Council meetings.[4]

The Orange Order was formed in Ulster in 1795 by Ulster Protestants, many of whom had Scottish roots. It was brought to Scotland in 1798 by soldiers returning from service in Ulster, and its membership was soon swelled by large numbers of Ulster Protestant immigrants. As such, the Scottish branch has strong links with Northern Ireland and Ulster unionism/loyalism. During the Troubles, lodges were accused of having links with loyalist paramilitaries.

The Order is best known for its yearly marches, the biggest of which are held on and around 12 July ('The Twelfth').[5]

The Orange Torch is the official journal and news source of the Loyal Orange Institution of Scotland.[6]

History

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Background and origins (1600 - 1690)

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In the early 17th century, following the Nine Years' War, the Irish province of Ulster was colonised by Protestant settlers from Great Britain. Most of the colonists came from the Scottish Lowlands and Northern England. This scheme was sponsored by the British monarchy as a way of controlling the mainly Catholic and Gaelic province. There was another wave of Scottish migration to Ulster during the Scottish famine of the 1690s.

In the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688, Catholic king James VII of Scotland and James II of England and Ireland was overthrown and replaced by the Dutch-born Protestant king William of Orange. This led to war in Ireland and rebellion in the Scottish Highlands. The mainly-Protestant armies of William (Williamites) defeated the mainly-Catholic armies of James (Jacobites). The Protestant "Williamite" victory solidified the political influence of the Reformed faith in both countries.

Foundation and Military Spread (1795–1800)

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The Orange Order was formally founded in Ulster in 1795 – during a period of Protestant-Catholic sectarian conflict – as a brotherhood sworn to defend the Protestant Ascendancy and the Protestant British monarchy. Its name is a tribute to William of Orange.

In 1798, Protestant British soldiers from Scotland were sent to Ireland to help suppress an Irish republican rebellion. These soldiers fought alongside Orange militiamen and, when they returned to Scotland, they founded Scotland's first Orange lodges.[7]

Growth and Immigration

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The Scottish Orange Order grew swiftly in the early 1800s, when there was an influx of working-class Ulster Protestant immigrants into the Scottish Lowlands. Many of these immigrants saw themselves as returning to the land of their forefathers.[8]

There was also a wave of Irish Catholic immigration to the Lowlands in this period, especially during the Great Famine. To gain an upper hand in their new home, and to differentiate themselves from the Irish Catholics, Irish Protestants showed their loyalty to 'king and country' through the medium of the Orange Order.[9]

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thousands of industrial workers migrated from the shipyards of Glasgow and the coal mines of Lanarkshire to America's industrial belt, which includes Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois. The Orangemen from Scotland influenced the cultural in the area through the local American Orange Lodges.[10] Upon approval from the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, the Supreme Grand Orange Lodge of the United States was formally established in 1870.[11]

Political influence and Parades

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The first Orange march in Scotland was held in Glasgow on 12 July (The Twelfth) 1821. It was accompanied by sectarian unrest between Protestants and Catholics.[12]

Scottish Orange Order leaders forged informal alliances with "anti-Popery" Tories to oppose Catholic emancipation in 1829 and Parliamentary Reform in 1831.[13]

The Grand Lodge came together with the Grand Orange Lodge of England to host a series of speeches and rallies for to make clear their opposal of the Irish Home Rule Bills from 1870 up until WWI.[14]

In the 1990s, the Scottish Orange Order provided financial support to construct a new Orange temple for the Ghanaian Orange Order in Accra. This was due to the Order in Ghana being targeted following the 1981 Ghanaian coup d'état lead by Jerry Rawlings.[15][16]

Structure

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The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland is made up of four County Grand Lodges: Ayrshire-Renfrewshire and Argyll, Central Scotland, East of Scotland and Glasgow. From these County Grand Lodges Orangemen and Orangewomen are elected to the organisation's governing body.[2]

Opposition to Scottish independence

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The Orange Order has long been opposed to Scotland becoming independent from the United Kingdom.

In a July 2001 interview with the Sunday Herald, Jack Ramsay, the General Secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, warned that if Scotland became an independent country, the Orange Order might oppose it by becoming "a paramilitary force".[17]

On 24 March 2007, about 12,000 Orangemen from Scotland and other parts of the UK marched in Edinburgh to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Acts of Union 1707.[18] This culminated in a rally where its leaders attacked the SNP and Scottish independence.[18]

The Orange Order, after decades of decline in Scotland, made a short-lived recovery in its membership between 2006–09.[3] In October 2009, the Orange Order again declared its strong opposition to the Scottish National Party and Scottish independence.[19] Traditionally supportive of the Scottish Conservative Party,[3] as well as the Scottish Unionist Party, which was founded by members of the Orange Order who opposed the Anglo-Irish Agreement,[20] in 2009 the Orange Order in Scotland vowed to support unionism even if that meant turning their coats and assisting their political opponents in the Scottish Labour Party at elections.[19]

In 2012, as a response to the upcoming 2014 Scottish independence referendum the Orange Order of Scotland set up its own group called British Together to campaign for a "No" vote, stating that; "It will come as no surprise to most that the Orange Order in Scotland is fervently opposed to the break-up of the United Kingdom. Ever since the first Orange lodges were constituted in Scotland in 1797, we have been committed to a United Kingdom, headed by a constitutional monarchy".[21] In 2014 it then officially registered as a "permitted participant" in the Scottish referendum campaign.[22] It held a major anti-independence rally in Edinburgh on 13 September 2014, five days before the referendum.

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There have long been links between the Orange Order in Scotland and Protestant Ulster loyalists in Northern Ireland.[23] After the onset of the Troubles, many Scottish Orangemen began giving support to loyalist militant groups,[24] such as the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). These groups had cells in Scotland that were tasked with supplying funds and weapons.[25] Although the Grand Lodge publicly denounced paramilitary groups, many Scottish Orangemen were convicted of involvement in loyalist paramilitary activity,[26] and Orange meetings were used to raise funds for loyalist prisoners' welfare groups.[27][28]

In the early years of The Troubles, the Order's Grand Secretary in Scotland, John Adam, toured Orange lodges for volunteers to "go to Ulster to fight". Thousands are believed to have volunteered, although only a small number travelled to Ulster.[24][29] At The Twelfth in 1970, Scottish Grand Master Thomas Orr publicly declared that Scottish Orangemen would support Ulster loyalists "in every way possible".[30]

In 1974, Orangeman and former soldier Roddy MacDonald became the UDA's 'commander' in Scotland.[31] In 1976, senior Scottish Orangemen tried to expel him after he admitted on television that he was a UDA leader and had smuggled weapons to Northern Ireland. However, his expulsion was blocked by 300 Orangemen at a special disciplinary hearing.[31][32][33] Following this, the Scottish Grand Lodge issued a resolution condemning all militant groups who "seek to usurp the law".[34] In 1979, MacDonald was sentenced to eight years in prison. His successor as Scottish UDA commander, James Hamilton, was also an Orangeman and had been auditor of the Ayrshire Grand Lodge.[31]

In February 1979, the UVF bombed two pubs in Glasgow frequented by Catholics. Both pubs were wrecked and a number of people were wounded. Nine Scottish men were convicted for involvement,[35] some of whom were Orangemen.[26] That same year, twelve Scottish UDA members – including several Orangemen – were convicted for a range of crimes, including possession of illegal firearms and serious assault.[31] In 1989, another six UDA members were convicted for possession of illegal firearms. All of the men belonged to an Orange lodge in Perth.[36]

Grand Black Chapter of Scotland

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The Grand Black Chapter of Scotland governs the Royal Black Institution within Scotland. Although structured as a distinct fraternal society, membership is exclusively drawn from the Orange Order, requiring individuals to be Royal Arch Purple degree holders before admission.[37] The The Scottish Grand Black Chapter hold annual events, including the "Last Saturday" parade, commonly known as Black Saturday, held at the end of August, alongside major regional processions in towns such as Larkhall, Linlithgow, and Glasgow. It consists of around 60 individual Preceptories grouped into 11 Districts nationwide.[38]

Apprentice Boys of Derry

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The Apprentice Boys of Derry is a Protestant organisation with close ties to the Orange Institution.[39] Branches are governed under the Scottish Amalgamated Committee.[40] Scottish branches are split into local operational districts including Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, and Ayrshire, and host annual parades, divine services, and social events.[41][42]

Their principal public demonstration in Scotland takes place annually on the third Saturday of May (the Scottish General Demonstration), while members also travel regularly to Northern Ireland to participate in the main August, for the Relief of Derry, and December for the Shutting of the Gates commemorations.[43][44]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Grand Orange Lodge Scotland, Scotland Grand Orange Lodge, orangeorderscotland.com, archived from the original on 4 October 2009, retrieved 22 October 2009
  2. 1 2 Grand Orange Lodge Scotland, Trustees., orangeorderscotland.com, archived from the original on 4 October 2009, retrieved 22 October 2009
  3. 1 2 3 Leask, David (18 October 2009), "Orange Order mobilise to defend Union", The Scotsman, news.scotsman.com, retrieved 22 October 2009
  4. ↑ "Lodge Life: Orange leaders gather for Imperial Council". Belfast News Letter. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Orange Alba: The Civil Religion of Loyalism in the Southwestern Lowlands of Scotland since 1798. University of Tennessee, 2010. p.46
  6. ↑ "Orange Order to launch 'charm offensive' in response to negative media coverage". The Herald. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  7. ↑ Booker, p.33
  8. ↑ Booker, p.34
  9. ↑ Booker, p.37
  10. ↑ Kaufmann, Eric P. (2007). The Orange Order: A Contemporary Analysis. Oxford University Press.
  11. ↑ "Orangemen". www.stichtingargus.nl. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  12. ↑ Booker, p.45
  13. ↑ Booker, p.51
  14. ↑ "The Orange Order". Newtownards District LOL no. 4. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  15. ↑ Reporter, Staff (12 November 1999). "The loyal Orangemen of Ghana". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  16. ↑ "Ulster-by-the-Equator". The Guardian. 6 November 1999. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  17. ↑ "Orangeman 'regrets' terror remarks", BBC News, news.bbc.co.uk, 9 July 2001, retrieved 9 June 2014
  18. 1 2 "Orange warning over Union danger", BBC News, news.bbc.co.uk, 24 March 2007, retrieved 22 October 2009
  19. 1 2 Barnes, Eddie (19 October 2009), "Orange Order ignites SNP over Union", The Scotsman, news.scotsman.com, retrieved 22 October 2009
  20. ↑ "CAIN: Abstracts of Organisations – 'S'".
  21. ↑ Article title}[permanent dead link]
  22. ↑ "Scottish independence: Orange Lodge registers to campaign for a 'No' vote". BBC News. 25 June 2014.
  23. ↑ Gallagher 1987, p. 295.
  24. 1 2 Booker, pp.87–88
  25. ↑ Booker, p.93
  26. 1 2 Booker, pp.101–102
  27. ↑ Booker, p.226
  28. ↑ Wood, Ian S. Crimes of Loyalty: A History of the UDA. Edinburgh University Press, 2006. p.333
  29. ↑ Bruce, Steve. The Red Hand: Protestant paramilitaries in Northern Ireland. Oxford University Press, 1992. p.157
  30. ↑ Booker, p.89
  31. 1 2 3 4 Wood, pp.330–331
  32. ↑ Bruce, p.158
  33. ↑ Booker, pp.96–97
  34. ↑ Booker, p.99
  35. ↑ Wood, p.329
  36. ↑ Wood, p332
  37. ↑ "Website of Anthony D Buckley | Royal Arch, Royal Arch Purple and Raiders of the Lost Ark". www.anthonydbuckley.com. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  38. ↑ "Ulster-Scots & Irish Unionist Resource - Locations of The Royal Black Institution". www.ulster-scots.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  39. ↑ "CCRU: Parade and Protest: a Discussion of Parading Disputes in Northern Ireland, section two". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  40. ↑ "Mitchelburne Club of the Apprentice Boys of Derry » Paisley". Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  41. ↑ "Apprentice Boys of Derry parade to take place in Dunfermline". Dunfermline Press. 25 May 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  42. ↑ "Thousands to parade in North Ayrshire for Apprentice Boys of Derry celebration". Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald. 3 June 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  43. ↑ "Shutting of the Gates – Associated Clubs of The Apprentice Boys of Derry". Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  44. ↑ "Apprentice Boys: Thousands take part in Relief of Derry parade". BBC News. 9 August 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2026.

Works cited

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  • Gallagher, Tom (1987), Glasgow, the uneasy peace: religious tension in modern Scotland, 1819-1914, Manchester University Press, ISBN 978-0-7190-2396-5
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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grand_Orange_Lodge_of_Scotland&oldid=1367819970"