Orange Order approval explained: Who gave the go ahead for Stonehaven march and did local councillors have a say?
Dunnottar Martyrs Loyal Orange Lodge 1685 will stage the parade on June 27.
Stonehaven councillors were united in opposing the Orange Order’s plan to March through the town – but were not involved in the final decision.
At a meeting of Aberdeenshire Council’s licensing sub-committee on May 1, councillors decided to allow the parade to go ahead.
It has emerged they took the decision despite having read written submissions from local members calling for it to be opposed.
The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland’s Stonehaven branch is planning to march from the town centre up to Dunnottar Castle on June 27.
The parade is due to start at 8am and take roughly 30 minutes, with about 70 members taking part.
Police Scotland confirmed during the meeting on May 1 that a large police operation would be necessary to maintain public safety.
Why has the parade been approved this time?
The parade was given the go-ahead this time around by elected members on the licensing sub-committee.
Sitting on it when the decision was made were eight councillors:
- Anne Stirling (Chair) – Turriff and District
- Marion Ewenson (Vice Chair) – Inverurie and District
- John Cox – Banff and District
- Moray Grant (substitute for Geoff Crewson) – West Garioch
- Jim Gifford – East Garioch
- Trevor Mason – East Garioch
- Leeann McWhinnie – Peterhead North and Rattray
- Richard Menard – Troup
A spokesperson for Aberdeenshire Council confirmed such matters had previously been decided by either the licensing sub-committee or in some cases the area committee.
They said: “Under a change to that governance, it was agreed by full council in June last year to bring all civic licensing and regulatory matters under the governance of the licensing sub-committee.
“These include street trader licence applications and notices of processions – recognising the shared principles and community impacts across these activities.”
There are no Stonehaven councillors on the licensing sub-committee currently.
Sarah Dickinson was a substitute, but no one from her party was in need of substituting.
Councillors said the decision was “very difficult” but based on the four legal tests they had to go off, they approved the parade.
What happened last time?
Back in 2024, proposals were made for an Orange Order parade through Stonehaven to coincide with the launch of the town’s lodge.
The decision then was ultimately down to the Kincardine and Mearns area committee, the areas that Stonehaven is located in.
All four Stonehaven councillors, Wendy Agnew, Sarah Dickinson, Alan Turner and Dawn Black, are on this committee.
In 2024, a motion to reject the parade was brought by Ms Agnew and supported by Mr Turner.
The committee unanimously voted to block the march from happening and an appeal by the Orange Order subsequently failed at court in Aberdeen.
With just days before the parade was due to be held, a sheriff upheld the committee’s decisions and the parade did not go ahead.
However, the Stonehaven branch of the Orange Order – Dunnottar Martyrs Loyal Orange Lodge 1685 – was established and has been meeting in the town hall ever since.
Did Stonehaven councillors speak or have a say this time?
While there were no Stonehaven councillors present at the meeting on May 1, they did express their concerns in a written statement, with Mr Turner included.
He said the committee does take into account submissions made by councillors who represent the area in question.
Mr Turner made clear his position with this statement: “I believe that the notification of a procession for Saturday 27th June 2026 should be refused.”
In the statement, he spoke of his experience back in 2024, with businesses choosing to close on a busy weekend because of an opening event for the Orange Lodge branch in Stonehaven.
He said: “My view is that an Orange Order march through the main streets of Stonehaven on the morning of Saturday 27th June 2026 would create significant disruption to the community.
“In determining that I have received concerns from residents and also from several of the town centre businesses.
“I have also received various comments including the effect from significant lost trade and the potential for damage.”
On the weekend in question, the Thomson Memorial Rally is due to be held, which will further add to the attention on Stonehaven.
Stonehaven councillors oppose the parade
All four of Stonehaven’s councillors were against the parade.
Wendy Agnew, who led the charge to prohibit the parade last time, said she was opposed in her written submission.
She argued that the parade risked being seen as a celebration of sectarian division.
Ms Agnew said: “The Battle of the Boyne is celebrated annually by Ulster Protestants around 12 July and in my view remains a symbol of the celebration of victory in religious and sectarian intolerance and dominance of Protestants over Catholics on
religious and ethnic grounds while modern society is increasingly enjoined to
practice, for example, equality and inclusivity.”
She also said there was a risk of verbal abuse, and that it was not a small parade but one with a marching band, likely prompting “disquiet” and associated disorder.
Sarah Dickinson, another councillor, argued that while the right to peaceful assembly must be protected it should be balanced with residents’ wellbeing.
Stonehaven ‘shutdown’ last time an Orange Order event was held
She also said there was a real chance of public disorder given past tensions from 2024, when counter-protestors took a stance on Market Square.
Policing was also a key issue, as the parade would likely need a large police presence, something Ms Dickinson had concerns about.
Ms Dickinson told The P&J she was “disappointed” by the conclusion reached by the sub-committee.
Finally, Dawn Black, who was namechecked in the meeting by David Walters of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, said there was “no tradition” of marches like this in the north-east.
She wrote: “There is no tradition of these marches in the north-east of Scotland and the wider local community have no wish to see them start now.
“This has been evidenced by the volume of emails to me by residents.”
“When the Lodge had its opening event in the Town Hall in March 2024, Stonehaven shut down, with people not going out, and businesses closing and losing a day’s trading due to the fears of intimidating behaviour and potential vandalism.
“There was a massive police presence in the town, with support being drawn in from all over Scotland.
“There was an unsavoury atmosphere in the town that day.”
The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland said: “We reassure the citizens of Stonehaven that they have absolutely nothing to fear of our peaceful and respectful procession which will pass by any given point in under five minutes.
“There is no threat whatsoever to public order from the Orange Lodge members within the procession.”
[Source: Press and Journal]
