First Orange Order march to be held in north east Scotland in 25 years

An Orange Order march has taken place in the north east of Scotland for the first time in 25 years.

Aberdeenshire Council agreed that Saturday morning's parade in Stonehaven could be held with certain conditions put in place, including no music being played near places of worship.

More than 500 people had expressed concerns about the event by the Dunnottar Martyrs Memorial Loyal Orange Lodge.

Dozens of people lined the streets for the march, some with protest signs and sounding hand-held horns.

Orange Order processions - which commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne - are common in other parts of Scotland, but are rare in the north east of the country.

The last march in the area took place in Aberdeen in 2001, when protesters followed about 200 attendees through the city centre.

An Orange Order parade had not happened in Aberdeen for 14 years before that.

The procession got under way at Stonehaven's Baird Park at 08:00 and about 50 people took part.

Residents in Stonehaven had previously raised concerns about the event.

Brian Menzies, of the Stonehaven and District Community Council, said residents were "deeply worried and exasperated" about the procession.

However, the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland's executive officer, David Walters, told councillors that the parade posed no threat.

An Aberdeenshire Council committee noted approval had been a difficult decision.

However risk factors such as public safety, public disorder, and damage to property and disruption in the community, were not deemed high enough to prohibit the march.

Police Scotland confirmed the march passed without incident.

Two years ago, the Orange Lodge was banned from marching through Stonehaven to mark the opening of a new lodge in the area.

In March 2024, a sheriff dismissed an appeal by the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland against the decision by Aberdeenshire Council.

The subsequent opening of a new Orange Lodge in the town passed peacefully.