Over 20,000 join Orange marches in Scotland

More than 20,000 people today braved the bad weather to take part in Orange Order parades across Scotland.

More than 20,000 people today braved the bad weather to take part in Orange Order parades across Scotland.

Police said there were no "major incidents" as lodges and bands from across Scotland and Northern Ireland attended the annual Boyne celebrations hosted by three of Scotland's four County Grand Lodges.

The Order's Boyne celebrations, which take place in Scotland ahead of the Drumcree parade on July 12th, are held to commemorate the victory of William's forces against the Catholic King James II's troops at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, which heralded the Glorious Revolution.

The secretary of the Order in Scotland, Mr Jack Ramsay said he was disappointed the turnout was lower than expected, but insisted the weather had "not dampened the spirits" of those who had taken part in the parades in Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire.

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Mr Ramsay said his thoughts were with the Orangemen at Drumcree.

Today Tory MP Mr Andrew Hunter and former Democratic Unionist MP the Rev William McCrea were the main speakers at the parades in Harthill, north Lanarkshire, and Glasgow which concluded this afternoon.

The largest turnout, according to police figures was at Harthill where, following the march, around 12,000 people heard Mr Hunter talk of the "importance" of the Glorious Revolution in leading to a "free society" through the emergence of parliamentary democracy, the first Bill of Rights and freedom of the press.

Elsewhere more than 7,000 people attended the parade to Glasgow Green in the city, where the Rev McCrea discussed his objections to the Good Friday Agreement and called for the destruction of paramilitary weapons.

Strathclyde police said around 600 people attended the Ayrshire, Renfrewshire and Argyll County Grand Lodge parade in Renfrew, where Mr Robert Saulters, the grand master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland addressed the crowds, but Mr Ramsay said he believed the attendance figure to be "much higher".

PA